In Wednesday's Americas papers

26 November 2008 11:00  [Source: ICIS news]

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Front page

Vote on withdrawal bares tensions in Iraq
As parliament prepares to vote on a US Baghdad security pact, tension is building over how Iraq's ethnicities will live together once US troops withdraw.

Obama to retain Gates at Defense
Obama's security team came into focus, with Gates staying on as defense secretary and retired Marine Gen James Jones expected to become national security adviser.

Submitting to the science of prevention
Laura Landro undergoes a custom-designed personal health plan to determine the health risks she faces and to prescribe behaviour and lifestyle changes.

Money & Investing

Fear recedes in the debt markets
The government's $800bn plan pushed credit markets to their best day in weeks as yields fell on mortgages and corporate bonds, as well as Treasury’s.

Fed aid sets off rush to refinance
The Fed's attempt to stabilise the housing market set off a chain reaction that dropped rates and spurred a burst of refinancing activity by borrowers.

As prices slide, oil firms save cash
Oil companies are being forced by sinking energy prices to conserve cash and reconsider expenditures.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Front page

Obama plans to retain gates at Defense Department
President-elect Barack Obama will keep Defense Secretary Robert M Gates as a show of continuity in a time of war, Democrats close to the transition said.

To buy children’s gifts, moms do without
Parents, especially mothers, are putting off personal spending to buy their children the latest toys.

Business Day

US plans $800bn in lending to ease crisis
The Fed and the Treasury signalled that they would print as much money as needed to revive the banking system.

A global downturn puts the brakes on China’s industry
The global downturn is reaching deep into the heart of the country’s once-rapid industrial transformation.

WASHINGTON POST

Front page

US cancer rate declines
With deaths also down, change marks what could be a long-awaited turning point in cancer battle.

Gates expected to keep post
Defense secretary is likely to remain at Pentagon for at least the first year of an Obama presidency.

Business

US moves to revive consumer lending
$800bn effort aims to ease impact of the credit crisis on consumers by making it cheaper to get home mortgages, car loans and credit cards.

New government plan seeks to spur consumer spending
The government's announcement yesterday of a $200bn plan aimed primarily at supporting the markets that supply financing for consumer loans is meant to boost consumer spending and, in turn, keep the economy going.

GLOBE AND MAIL, Canada

Front page

Thai protesters tighten grip on airport
Protesters commandeering Thailand's main airport forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of travellers Wednesday as they escalated their four-month-old campaign to oust the prime minister.

Charest gets a grilling
Quebec Liberal Leader Jean Charest's opponents accused him last night of hiding the true state of Quebec's major investment fund, saying he left it to a newspaper outside the province to inform Quebeckers about a dire threat to their pensions.

Business

Caisse caught in loonie downdraft
The Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec on Tuesday revealed the unprecedented steps it took to exit derivative and currency hedging positions during the recent market downturn, a damage control exercise that is playing out at most major Canadian pension funds.

BHP blames Alcan debt, cancels Rio takeover
In the strongest sign yet of collapse in the once-mighty mining sector, BHP Billiton Ltd has abandoned its blockbuster takeover offer for Rio Tinto PLC, blaming mounting concerns about the $40bn debt load Rio took on to buy Canada's aluminum giant, Alcan.

BUENOS AIRES HERALD

Front page

President unveils anti-crisis package
Herald staff President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner yesterday unveiled a series of measures to tackle the impact of the global financial crisis, seeking to safeguard jobs and encourage the repatriation of savings held in foreign banks. 

New ministry
Debora Giorgi, an economist currently with the Buenos Aires province administration, will reportedly head the federal Production Ministry.

By: Staff Reporter
+44 20 8652 3214

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