US Senate OKs new war money

Washington - The US Senate on Thursday approved an additional $165bn to wage war in Iraq and Afghanistan for another year after lawmakers rejected proposed timetables for withdrawing American troops from Iraq.

A majority of senators approved the war-spending bill, which the Pentagon says it urgently needs to avoid civilian layoffs within months and the interruption of soldier paycheques.

The House of Representatives still must sign off on the legislation. Last week, it passed a drastically different bill that failed to provide any new money for the wars and would withdraw US combat troops from Iraq by the end of 2009.