Andreas Barth has posted the current timeline for the Debian Etch release

We expect to release etch as planned in beginning of December 2006.

Our time line still is:

N-117 = Mon 30 Jul 06: freeze essential toolchain, kernels
N-110 = Mon 7 Aug 06: freeze base, non-essential toolchain (including
e.g. cdbs)
N-105 = Mon 14 Aug 06: d-i RC [directly after base freeze]
N-45 = Wed 18 Oct 06: general freeze [about 2 months after base
freeze, d-i RC]
N = Mon 4 Dec 06: release [1.5 months for the general freeze]

The good news is that we are on track to reach this goal.

bits from the release team