Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., January 15, 2009 Tevet 19, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:11 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File

Markets in Brief Today the Knesset Finance Committee is discussing the safety net plan for provident funds and pension funds. Most of its members support the idea, including members of the opposition. One who doesn't is coalition member Shelly Yachimovich, who urges that the proposal be returned to the Finance Ministry and be resubmitted as draft legislation. She explains that the draft, as filed, is devoid of content because it only refers to future government resolutions, which could wind up helping savers not at all. "We're being asked to vote for a pig in a poke, laying out a safety net that could change at authority time at the whim of a new government and without a revisit by the Knesset Finance Committee." The Finance Ministry is preventing the committee from doing its supervisory job, she continued: he's using the panel as a rubber stamp. (Zvi Zrahiya) The Leser Group says that its acquisition of medical facilities in Brooklyn will be closing later than scheduled, with the permission of a New York court. Closing will be delayed 60 days from the court hearing on January 9 and Leser and the seller are negotiating a further 30-day extension. One new term is that the buyer, Leser, must agree to lease property to Down State Medical Center of the New York State University. (TheMarker) Advertisement Yuval Ben-Zeev of Clal Finance praised Equity One's acquisition of the Amsterdam-based company DIM Vastgoed, saying it was taking advantage of the bearish situation to get a good deal. Equity One, which is Gazit Globe's arm in North America, bought 1. 2mi shares in DIM in exchange for 870,000 new shares it will be issuing. The deal brings it 73% of the voting rights in DIM, read: de facto control. DIM, by the way, is also a real estate company: it owns 21 properties in the southeast U.S., half of which are in Georgia. Generally the properties are shopping centers anchored on supermarkets, which is exactly the sort of investment that Gazit Globe loves. (TheMarker) Biocancell Therapeutics of Jerusalem has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration to start Phase I/IIa trials to test its drug, enticingly named BC-819, on women with advanced ovarian cancer characterized by edema (abdominal swelling with liquid that contains cancer cells), who have not respond to standard medication. The tests will encompass 12 patients in Israel and the U.S. Over here it just needs the blessing of the so-called Helsinki Committee at the Health Ministry, which vets drug trials on humans, and regulatory approvals. Biocancell will be testing increasing weekly doses of BC-819. (TheMarker) Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced that Amir Elstein has joined its board of directors. Elstein has been a member of Teva's senior management since 2005, Teva says, most recently holding the post of executive VP. This is actually his second ride on the board - he'd previously been there from 1995 to 2004. Prior to joining Teva, Elstein spent over 24 years at Intel Corp. (TheMarker) While on appointments, Sapiens of the Formula Systems group, which is in turn of the Emblaze cellular group, yesterday named Shlomo Engel as VP and manager of its life insurance and pension programs, and no, that doesn't mean what you think - it means he's in charge of software development for these areas and client relations. It's a new position at Sapiens, created to meet the burgeoning demand for products. Most recently Engel, 48, served as development manager at EDS Israel. (TheMarker) Ogen Yielding Real Estate is giving shareholders NIS 15.4 million in dividends, payable to shareholders of record on January 25. Payment will be effected on February 10. (TheMarker) BluePhoenix Solutions announced that it has signed two new modernization contracts with large European banks, collectively valued at approximately $1 million. Both projects are slated to begin soon, with first deployment phases scheduled to be completed by the summer. (TheMarker) While on delays, Eldan Tech, which as you might have guessed from its name is a real estate company, says the deal to sell five residential buildings in the Bronx is dragging out. Eldan's grand-daughter company was to sell its 100% stake in OCG-6, the owner of the five buildings, as its name implies. Or doesn't imply. The deal was originally scheduled for June 2008 but the buyer hadn't finished handling the paperwork, Eldan explains. Also, the bank lending money for the deal wants an engineering report on the buildings' condition. The deal was postponed to December and now, Eldan says, there's no deadline at all while the bank peruses the paperwork. (TheMarker) Bookmark to del.icio.us   Following Chavez Bolivia cuts ties with Israel, says it seeks war crimes charges. Who needs the Knesset? Arab parties: We'll establish an alternative Arab parliament.

Read & React Olmert ignoring calls from Barak, Livni for immediate Gaza truce Responses: 71 Harel & Issacharoff: Is Hamas waiting on Obama for Gaza truce? Responses: 27 Hamas: We accept Egypt's proposal for Gaza truce - with reservations Responses: 44 Diplomats: Gaza op causing long-term harm to Israel's image Responses: 88 Israel's defense establishment backs an immediate cease-fire in Gaza Responses: 46 More Headlines 23:28 Hamas: We accept Egypt's proposal for Gaza truce - with reservations 00:09 ANALYSIS / Egypt's Gaza truce plan is mostly bad for Hamas 00:46 IDF soldier seriously hurt in anti-tank missile attack in Gaza 23:34 Hamas Health Ministry: More than 1,000 dead in Gaza 00:06 Rice: Olmert's claims regarding my Gaza UN resolution vote are 'fiction' 21:11 Arab parties: We'll establish an alternative Arab parliament 23:48 U.S. authorities remove 'Adolf Hitler,' 2 siblings with Nazi-like names from family home 23:48 For the first time, Gaza militants fire phosphorus shell at Israel 00:28 Author: Report of jihadist death threats to Madonna old news 23:23 Feminist group slams former envoy to UN Gillerman for 'tasteless' jokes about women 19:36 Bolivia cuts ties with Israel, seeks genocide charges against Israeli officials 17:21 3 rockets fired from Lebanon hit north Israel; IDF returns fire 19:58 Four people hurt as fire rages at Ashdod chemical plant 16:53 Israel indicts two Iran TV journalists for reporting on Gaza ground invasion Previous Editions Select Day 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan 11 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan

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