In Tuesday's Americas papers

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

Microsoft sees Yahoo being split in new offer
Microsoft's proposed alternative to acquiring Yahoo would involve a breakup of the Internet giant that people close to Yahoo said is unlikely to win favor with its board.

Car makers' boom years now look like a bubble
This decade has already seen burst bubbles in tech stocks, homes and credit. Now, it seems, another segment has fallen victim to irrational exuberance: the US auto market.

Citigroup hedge fund loss weighs on three banks
The downward spiral of a Citigroup hedge fund has caused steep losses for at least three large US banks that hoped it would rev up returns on a controversial type of employee life insurance.

The beauty show in bankruptcies
Upstairs from a high-school mock-trial tournament at a Doubletree hotel in Wilmington, about 100 bankruptcy lawyers and financial-turnaround advisers are shaking hands, exchanging furtive glances, and making snide remarks about the humiliation of their gathering.

Retailers don't expect rebate boost
Government tax-rebate checks are in the mail, but retailers don't expect a big bump at the mall. Home Depot, Target, Saks and other retailers report quarterly results on Tuesday. More will report later this week.

US want China to enter IEA
The US has asked that China join the International Energy Agency, which was set up after the oil shocks of the 1970s to help developed countries manage emergency oil supplies.

Obama expected to hit milestone in today’s votes
Senator Barack Obama is poised to reach a milestone in the presidential race on Tuesday by capturing a majority of pledged delegates, but he said he would not declare victory against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton or suggest the Democratic primary should end until the final three contests are finished on 3 June.

McCain finds a thorny path in ethics effort
Sorting out the lobbying entanglements of his campaign advisers is proving to be a messy business for Senator John McCain. On Monday, just days after it issued new rules to address conflicts of interest, the McCain campaign was furiously sifting through the business records of aides and advisers.

Economic tide is rising for repo man
So many people have so many things they can no longer afford. This is an excellent time to be a repo man. When a boat owner defaults on his loan, the bank hires Jeff Henderson to seize its property.

Senate leaders agree on housing aid
Senate negotiators on Monday said they had reached a deal on legislation aimed at helping hundreds of thousands of homeowners in danger of foreclosure by expanding the availability of government-insured mortgages.

Two worlds, one problem
In the basement of Jane McDonnell's house in Centreville is a cabinet secured with a heavy Brinks lock. Inside are graham crackers, oatmeal cookie mix, cake frosting.

Candidates vie to be the anti-lobbyist
Senator Barack Obama accused Senator John McCain on Monday of running a presidential campaign bought and paid for by lobbyists and criticized the presumptive Republican nominee for waiting more than a year to address the conflicts of several key advisers.

CSI: Dinner table
It was not normal for a service at Calvary Baptist Church in Darien to end with a 911 call. But then again, the burning sensation the parishioners felt as they sipped their communion grape juice wasn't normal, either.

High court allows state tax breaks for bonds
The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that states may offer special tax breaks for investing in their municipal bonds, a holding that averts what might have been a calamitous upheaval in the bond market.

Xenophobic rage explodes in South Africa
In his haste to leave, Paolo Cosa left behind the things that once had pride of place: the framed family photographs nailed on the walls of his tin-scrap shack, including the one that showed his beaming, dimpled daughter in blue cap and gown, graduating from primary school.

Hospitals face hand-washing crackdown
Canadian hospitals seeking accreditation will soon be required to audit whether their doctors and nurses are washing their hands – and are expected to do something about it if they are not.

Home Depot results hit hard by US housing meltdown
Retailer Home Depot reported a lower quarterly profit Tuesday as the US housing meltdown hurt sales and it took charges tied to store closures and a new-store pullback.

Banks, buyers square off over BCE deal
The proposed $35bn takeover of BCE turned into a high-stakes game of brinksmanship over the weekend, after a group of banks ratcheted up pressure on the company's buyers to restructure the terms of their record lending agreement.

Lockout: farmers to decide today
Farm leaders yesterday announced that the committee gathering the main sector associations will today decide whether or not to lift the lockout they imposed following a dispute with the national government over export duties. Read More

Killer xenophobia rends South Africa
Hundreds of Zimbabweans, Mozambicans and other foreigners living in South Africa have taken refuge in police stations and churches as violence against them spreads further across poor townships, local media reported yesterday. Read More

‘Caracas must explain’
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez must explain documents found on Colombian rebel computers that Washington and Bogotá charge show deep ties between the leftist leader and the guerrillas, a top US official said.

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