News In Brief

Israeli opposition leader assails economic record

Amid an uproar in the Israeli parliament, opposition leader Shimon Peres launched a no-confidence motion Wednesday against the government and accused it of plunging Israel into economic chaos. Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's government survived the motion, however, by 62 votes to 56, with one abstention.

Mr. Peres, constantly interrupted by insults hurled from the government side, said the right-wing Likud coalition had brought seven bad years to Israel and should stand trial before the nation for incompetence and mismanagement. The scenes were among the stormiest witnessed in the assembly in years. The speaker make repeated appeals for restraint.