In Friday's Americas papers

02 January 2009 11:00  [Source: ICIS news]

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Front page

UN shifts tactic on Africa hunger
Aid agencies accustomed to tackling food shortages in rural Africa are scrambling for ways to address complex hunger problems in sprawling slums.

Russia firm cuts gas to Ukraine
Russia halted supplies of natural gas to Ukraine, a key transit point for the EU, after contract talks broke down.

Israel discusses ceasefire amid new attacks
Israel escalated its assault on Gaza, but in meetings with the US it appeared to open the door to a possible ceasefire.

Money & Investing

After the collapse of 2008, guarded hope
After the US stock market's third-worst year in more than a century, many investors are hoping for a turnaround in 2009. But considering the pain that has continued for more than a year, they are reluctant to bet on it.

Madoff provides details of assets
Bernard Madoff gave authorities a list of assets, but investigators have yet to determine where all the money in an alleged Ponzi scheme went.

Dell elevates insiders in strategy change
The replacement of two top executives could suggest that founder and CEO Michael Dell is rethinking his plan to revive the company with outside talent.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Front page

Steel industry, in slump, looks to US stimulus
The steel industry, a bellwether for the state of the nation’s economy, is looking to the government for a huge investment program: up to $1 trillion over two years.

In a broadening offensive, Israel steps up diplomacy
Massing tanks and troops along the Gaza border, Israel pursued diplomatic avenues to explain its positions, and a strike killed a Hamas leader.

Business Day

As recession deepens, so does milk surplus
Dairy farmers have a dilemma: what to do with cows and a growing glut of milk as prices drop sharply.

Worldwide, a bad year only got worse
After a catastrophic year for global markets, analysts are cautioning investors not to expect the big rebound that usually follows a sharp downturn.

WASHINGTON POST

Front page

Two advisers reflect on eight years with Bush
Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and national security adviser Stephen Hadley express frustration over an inability to improve the president's popularity.

A new struggle begins in Iraq
The war, in a sense, is over. But while there may not be peace, or victory, citizens ask: What next?

Business

Credit freeze chills global deal-making
As the credit market collapses and money from private equity firms dries up, the number of deals across the world falls to 37,445, totalling $3.3 trillion, down 29% from the record-breaking days of 2007.

Justice sees burst of business settlements
Since the November election, the agency has reached more than a dozen agreements involving corporations. Interest groups assert that companies are seeking favourable terms before the Obama administration arrives.

GLOBE AND MAIL, Canada

Front page

Israel kills Hamas chief, eyes diplomacy
Israeli air attacks on Gaza claimed the life of one of Hamas's top leaders, even as Israel's leaders made it clear the goal of their military operation is not to remove Hamas but to change its behaviour.

RCMP informant altered evidence, tapes show
A secret RCMP informant who concocted evidence about an underworld conspiracy to assault British Columbia prosecutors and a judge - and later went on to murder someone after he was admitted to the witness protection program - told the Mounties he expected to be criminally charged if they discovered he was lying.

Business

The new consumer: Tight-fisted and 'emotionally fragile'
Canadians plan to scale back their spending, which will determine the health of the economy and the fate of many companies, a Boston Consulting Group study shows.

Tee time cancelled, credit fears crystallised
RioCan hunkered down after loan markets seized up. In good shape, the REIT may be a buyer in 2009.

BUENOS AIRES HERALD

Front page

Senior Hamas leader slain
Israel killed a senior Hamas leader in an air attack on his home, striking its first deadly blow against the top ranks of the Islamist group in its current Gaza offensive.

Coalition concerns
The chairman of the Radical Party (UCR), Gerardo Morales, expressed his concern over the possibility of including Mauricio Macri’s centre-right PRO party in the political alliance to face the Victory Front ruling party in this year’s mid-term elections.

No Russian gas for Ukraine; Europe snug
Russia made good on its threat to cut off all natural gas supplies to Ukraine - but the two uneasy neighbours took great pains to make sure their contract dispute would not leave Europe short of gas just as winter sets in.

By: Staff Reporter
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