In Friday's Americas papers

16 May 2008 12:00  [Source: ICIS news]

Bernanke's bubble laboratory
First came the tech-stock bubble. Then there were bubbles in housing and credit. Chinese stocks took off like a rocket. Now, as prices soar on every material from oil to corn, some suggest there's a bubble in commodities.

California ruling reignites same-sex marriage debate
The California Supreme Court opened the door to same-sex marriages in the nation's largest state, reigniting a hot-button social issue amid a presidential election campaign so far dominated by economic issues and the war in Iraq.

Libya sours on US ties amid boom in rconomy
Recently, Libyan strongman Col Moammar Gadhafi wrote a letter to President Bush, asking: where are we going with our relationship? Five years ago, the Bush administration helped persuade Libya - for decades one of the world's leading sponsors of terrorism - to scrap its nuclear ambitions and dismantle its terror infrastructure.

FAA looks into American's inspections
The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into why American Airlines ordered mechanics to start skipping certain long-established safety inspections to detect damage to planes from suspected lightning strikes, according to internal company and agency documents.

Mortgage bail-out infuriates tenants
AngryRenter.com looks a bit like a digital ransom note, with irregular fonts, exclamation points and big red arrows - all emphasising prudent renters' outrage over a proposed government bail-out for irresponsible homeowners.

Icahn seeks to unseat Yahoo's entire board
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn Thursday filed a proxy slate to unseat Yahoo's board, accusing its directors of acting "irrationally" and setting the stage for what could be a battle for control of the internet company.

California supreme court overturns gay marriage ban
The California Supreme Court, striking down two state laws that had limited marriages to unions between a man and a woman, ruled on Thursday that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

Zimbabwe’s rulers unleash police on Anglicans
The parishioners were lined up for Holy Communion on Sunday when the riot police stormed the stately St Francis Anglican Church in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. Helmeted, black-booted officers banged on the pews with their batons as terrified members of the congregation stampeded for the doors, witnesses said.

For Wall Street workers, axe falls quietly
People on Wall Street seem to be vanishing overnight. Thousands are losing their jobs as hard-pressed banks cut deep. But while layoffs are nothing new in the financial industry (they come with almost every downturn), this round seems different: it is eerily quiet.

Solar valley rises in an overcast land
This sad stretch of eastern Germany, with its deserted coal mines and corroded factories, epitomises post-industrial gloom. It is a place where even the clouds rarely seem to part.

Chinese open wallets for quake aid
At the headquarters of the Red Cross Society of China, volunteers turned a boardroom into a makeshift cashier's office Thursday, sending tens of thousands of fluttering bank notes through counting machines and handing receipts to people like Cai Lili, 30, who stood in long lines with bricks of cash to donate to earthquake relief efforts.

California Supreme Court strikes down bans on same-sex marriage
The California Supreme Court ruled yesterday that gays have a constitutional right to marry, striking down state laws that forbade it, in a decision that is likely to reenergise the election-year debate over same-sex marriages and gay rights.

Senate short of agreement on housing rescue
Senate negotiators broke off talks last night without striking a deal to rescue hundreds of thousands of homeowners at risk of foreclosure, but they said they were close to an agreement.

Lockheed wins GPS satellite contract
The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.5bn contract to build the military's next generation of navigation satellites, crucial for the growing demand by the military, companies and consumers for technology that pinpoints and tracks location.

Low vitamin D heightens breast-cancer mortality rate
Women diagnosed with breast cancer are nearly twice as likely to have the disease spread to other parts of their bodies and are 73% more likely to die from it if they have low levels of vitamin D, according to a Canadian study.

Wiped off the map and waiting for help
With a desperate ferocity, the villagers clung tightly to the window of the van, begging for food and water until the bottled water was gone and the men inside had to wrench away the clinging fingers and continue their trip.

Mackenzie faces new setback
The Mackenzie gas pipeline has been slapped with a new significant regulatory setback, delaying the $16.2bn project by at least a year and highlighting the increasing roadblocks facing companies seeking to develop major oil and gas projects.

Life after Buzz
Buzz Hargrove went out on a high note Thursday, calling the last agreements he will negotiate with the Detroit Three win-win for the unions and the companies. But even as he did so, he expressed strong fears about the future of the auto industry in North America and sketched a grim outlook for his successor.

BUENOS AIRES HERALD

Front Page

Nestor takes over Peronist helm
Former president Nestor Kirchner yesterday took formal charge of the Peronist party during a rally held at the Almagro soccer club stadium.

Cristina conciliatory, but farmers sceptical
Herald staff President Cristina Kirchner yesterday sounded more conciliatory than on previous occasions when she accused striking farmers of coup-mongering.

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