World IN BRIEF : ISRAEL : Workers Strike Over Taxes, Wages

Half a million public workers shut down Israel’s main airport, radio and TV stations, schools and government offices in a dispute over tax increases and the minimum wage. Government employees heeded the strike call by the Histadrut Labor Federation after the Israeli Cabinet added a 5% levy to income taxes to finance Soviet immigration. The levy was part of a broader package of austerity measures. Originally the strike was supposed to last 24 hours. But after negotiations broke down, union leaders said it would continue until a settlement is reached.