Hamas ups Gaza budget for coming year

Gaza's Hamas government has approved a budget for 2012 that is 25 percent higher than last year's, suggesting that the global economic crisis has had limited impact on the outside donors backing the movement. Chief of parliament's budget committee Jamal Nassar says the budget will be $769 million, compared to $630 million in 2011. He said Sunday that just one-quarter of the budget is from local revenues. A second official said the rest comes from Palestinian expatriates, Iran and benefactors in the Muslim world. He spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. Hamas has controlled Gaza since ousting the rival Fatah movement in 2007. Reconciliation efforts between the two Palestinian factions have repeatedly foundered.