Saturday, January 16, 2010
International Headline News
TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 17 January, 2010
> HILLARY CLINTON ARRIVES IN HAITI
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has landed in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti. She is the highest-ranking U.S. official to witness
firsthand the earththquake devastation.
> U.N.: WE DIDN'T TELL DOCTORS TO LEAVE
Earthquake victims, writhing in pain and grasping at life,
watched doctors and nurses walk away from a field hospital
Friday night after United Nations officials ordered a medical
team to evacuate the area out of security concerns.
> SURVIVOR: WITHOUT KEY PORT, 'WE'LL STARVE'
Raymond Thomas is a jolly man who laughs easily and likes to say
"Forget it" a lot.
> ADOPTION PLAN PLEA FOR HAITI'S ORPHANS
Foreign governments should urgently accept Haitian orphans on
humanitarian grounds following this week's devastating
earthquake, an orphanage director in Haiti and adoptive parents
said Friday.
> AID TEAMS MUST BE 'SELF-SUFFICIENT'
As the flow of international aid into quake-stricken Haiti
gained momentum Friday, a health official pleaded for arriving
teams to be self-sufficient in food, water, equipment, supplies
and shelter.
> U.N. OFFICIAL ON HAITI AID: IT TAKES TIME
A top United Nations official acknowledged Friday that the
earthquake relief operation in Haiti was not progressing fast
enough.
> KARZAI FAILS TO SECURE AFGHAN CABINET
Afghan President Hamid Karzai's second attempt to seat a new
Cabinet failed Saturday with the parliament rejecting a majority
of his selections.
> FRENCH ACADEMIC'S TRIAL ENDS IN IRAN
The trial of a French academic arrested last summer amid
post-election protests in Iran has ended, an Iranian news agency
reported Saturday.
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BUSINESS
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> JPMORGAN MISSES REVENUE FORECASTS
JPMorgan said on Friday that its fourth-quarter profits had
soared, fuelled by continued strength in its investment banking
business.
> CHINA PROPERTY BUBBLE FEARS GROW
Housing prices in China accelerated in December, prompting a
flurry of new government measures as Beijing attempts to slow
soaring prices without derailing the economic recovery.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Bank stocks lead selloff, with the Dow ending 102 points lower, even as JPMorgan and Intel results beat expectations.
Bank stocks lead selloff, with the Dow ending 102 points lower, even
as JPMorgan and Intel results beat expectations.
Stocks fall; sentiment, J.P. Morgan disappoint
STOCKS FALL; SENTIMENT, J.P. MORGAN DISAPPOINT
U.S. stocks succumb to selling, playing off consumer sentiment that
came in lower than expected and faltering investor confidence tied to
J.P. Morgan Chase and Intel following their earnings reports.
NBC KILLS JAY LENO SHOW, BUT CONAN'S FATE UNCLEAR
NBC has unveiled its post-Winter Olympics lineup, officially canceling
"The Jay Leno Show," but the network offered no comment on reports
that Conan O'Brien will leave the network as Leno reassumes his role
as host of "The Tonight Show."
WHY IS JEFF ZUCKER STILL RUNNING NBC?
The chaos surrounding Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien epitomizes NBC
Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker's mismanagement, writes Jon
Friedman.
FOX IS STILL THE BEST FIT FOR CONAN: ANALYST
Conan O'Brien is probably best suited for the youngest of the four
major broadcast networks, a media analyst says, even though some Fox
television affiliates have balked at the idea.
J.P. MORGAN PROFIT JUMPS BUT CHIEF IS 'CAUTIOUS'
J.P. Morgan Chase earns more than analysts expected in the quarter,
but its credit costs remain high, and it sets aside nearly $2 billion
to cover consumer-loan losses as 1in 10 American workers remains
unemployed.
Stocks extend losses on weakness in financial stocks; Dow down more than 100 points.
Stocks extend losses on weakness in financial stocks; Dow down more
than 100 points.
Energy: December industrial output rises 0.6% on utilities
U.S. industrial production rises 0.6% in December, largely as a result
of electric and gas utilities cranking out additional power in
response to unseasonably cold weather, Federal Reserve data show.
U.S. says consumer prices rose 2.7% in 2009, a sharp increase from 2008, due primarily to higher gasoline prices.
U.S. says consumer prices rose 2.7% in 2009, a sharp increase from
2008, due primarily to higher gasoline prices.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Stocks finish higher, with the Dow gaining around 29 points to a 15-msonth high, as investors await Intel results.
Stocks finish higher, with the Dow gaining around 29 points to a
15-month high, as investors await Intel results.
U.S. stocks cling to gains at midday
U.S. STOCKS CLING TO GAINS AT MIDDAY
Four technology components are among the Dow's top performers,
including Intel, up ahead of its closely watched earnings report
slated for release after Thursday's close.
OBAMA PROPOSES SPECIAL FEE ON FINANCIAL COMPANIES
President Barack Obama proposes a special 10-year fee on large
financial companies to repay taxpayers for the 'extraordinary'
assistance they got to keep the economy from collapsing in late 2008.
BANK TAX: ANGER OR COMMON SENSE?
President Obama has yet to publicly announce the plan, but industry
grumbling about the bank tax is already beginning -- and it's not just
the president they're unhappy with, it's you angry Joe America, at
whom they're miffed.
OBAMA BANK TAX WON'T STOP THE RISK PARTY
When in doubt, hit them with a new tax. That seems to be the Obama
administration's answer to just about everything these days, and the
financial crisis is no different.
BIG BANK CEOS ADMONISHED FOR THEIR ROLE IN CRISIS
As the White House and Congress consider a host of new regulations for
Wall Street, a commission studying the financial crisis harshly
criticizes the heads of the nation's biggest banks for their role in
the near collapse of the economy in 2008.
Holiday season sales showed a surprise year-over-year increase, rising 1.1%, according to retailers' trade group.
Holiday season sales showed a surprise year-over-year increase, rising
1.1%, according to retailers' trade group.
Obama tells banks to pay up: His proposed bank tax would raise $90 billion over 10 years from about 50 big institutions.
Obama tells banks to pay up: His proposed bank tax would raise $90
billion over 10 years from about 50 big institutions.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
U.S. runs $91.9 billion deficit in December - 15th straight month in the red and nearly double what it was a year earlier.
U.S. runs $91.9 billion deficit in December - 15th straight month in
the red and nearly double what it was a year earlier.
Stocks open higher as investors await more signs that the economy is firmly on a path to recovery. Dow gains 23 points.
Stocks open higher as investors await more signs that the economy is
firmly on a path to recovery. Dow gains 23 points.
CEOs of four major banks, in testimony before Financial Crisis Inquiry panel, say regulatory reform needed to prevent future crises.
CEOs of four major banks, in testimony before Financial Crisis Inquiry
panel, say regulatory reform needed to prevent future crises.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
News Alert: Safety flawed at many Caribbean, Latin American airports
McLEAN, Va. - Many of the busiest airports in the Caribbean and Latin
America lack basic safety features that could have prevented the
recent crash of an American Airlines jet in Jamaica, according to
pilots, aviation safety experts and public documents.
No one died when the American Boeing 737-800 slid off a wet runway and
slammed onto an adjacent rocky beach on Dec. 22, but dozens were hurt
and the jet's fuselage was torn open in several places.
As a result of a string of similar crashes in this country, Congress
and U.S. regulators have required airports to install safety zones at
the end of each runway by 2015 to minimize the chances of damage when
a jet skids off the pavement.
However, despite years of pressure from the United Nations'
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), few airports south
of the border have built safety zones. Each year, 23.6 million people
travel from the U.S. to these destinations, according to the federal
Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Breaking News: O'Brien rejects new 'Tonight Show' timeslot
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Conan O'Brien says he's rejecting NBC's attempt to
move "The Tonight Show" to a post-midnight slot to accommodate Jay
Leno's return to late-night. NBC wants to move "The Jay Leno Show" out
of prime-time and to the 11:35 p.m. EST daily slot, bumping "Tonight"
to 12:05 p.m. EST.
Stocks end in the red, with the Dow closing 38 points lower, after Alcoa sets a negative tone for fourth-quarter corporate results.n
Stocks end in the red, with the Dow closing 38 points lower, after
Alcoa sets a negative tone for fourth-quarter corporate results.
U.S. trade deficit hits above-consensus $36.4 billion in November
U.S. trade deficit hits above-consensus $36.4 billion in November
1/12/2010 8:31:51 AM EDT