International Headline News

Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:02:08 -0500
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.

~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~

> 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.

Bank stocks lead selloff, with the Dow ending 102 points lower, even as JPMorgan and Intel results beat expectations.

Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:03:04 -0500

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

Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:00:59 -0500

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.

Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:51:06 -0500

Stocks extend losses on weakness in financial stocks; Dow down more
than 100 points.

Energy: December industrial output rises 0.6% on utilities

Date: 15 JAN 2010 14:49:35 GMT

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. stocks open mixed as investors consider inflation and earnings reports. Dow slips 20 points, but the Nasdaq is 4 points higher.

Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:33:06 -0500

U.S. stocks open mixed as investors consider inflation and earnings
reports. Dow slips 20 points, but the Nasdaq is 4 points higher.

Stocks finish higher, with the Dow gaining around 29 points to a 15-msonth high, as investors await Intel results.

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:02:07 -0500

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:56 -0500

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.

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:19:06 -0500

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.

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:29:08 -0500

Obama tells banks to pay up: His proposed bank tax would raise $90
billion over 10 years from about 50 big institutions.

Retail sales fell 0.3% in December, surprising analysts; number of filers for first-time jobless benefits rose last week to 444,000.

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:34:05 -0500

Retail sales fell 0.3% in December, surprising analysts; number of
filers for first-time jobless benefits rose last week to 444,000.

Stocks open modestly lower as investors digest disappointing reports on retail sales and jobless claims.

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:32:04 -0500

Stocks open modestly lower as investors digest disappointing reports
on retail sales and jobless claims.

U.S. runs $91.9 billion deficit in December - 15th straight month in the red and nearly double what it was a year earlier.

Date: Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 2:06 PM

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 end higher, with the Dow gaining about 54 points, as rallying financial and tech shares prop up major indexes.

Date: Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 4:03 PM

Stocks end higher, with the Dow gaining about 54 points, as rallying
financial and tech shares prop up major indexes.

Google shares fall on concerns about China market

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

GOOGLE SHARES FALL ON CONCERNS ABOUT CHINA MARKET
Analysts say it would lose access to the world's most coveted, fast-growing
market, which could have severe consequences for the future.

THOUSANDS FEARED DEAD IN HAITI QUAKE
Aid groups from the U.S. and around the world on Wednesday mobilized
aid efforts to Haiti, where the worst earthquake in 200 years raised
fears of a death toll well into the thousands, according to reports
Wednesday.

INQUIRY CHIEF CHIDES TOP BANK EXECUTIVES IN CRISIS
Expecting to be on the receiving end of finger-pointing and political
outrage, a panel of the nation's biggest bankers urge caution against
going too far in responding to the financial crisis that shook the
economy to the brink in 2008.

FDIC EYES MEASURE TYING BANK FEES TO EMPLOYEE PAY
Responding to a public outcry over Wall Street pay packages, the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corp. launches into a debate for proposing new rules
that could require banks with riskier pay practices to pay higher fees
to the agency's insurance fund.

SOCGEN PROFIT ALMOST WIPED OUT BY $2 BLN CHARGE
Shares in Societe Generale fall as much as 6% Wednesday after the
French bank warns that it will take another 1.4 billion euros ($2.02
billion) of charges on risky mortgage assets, virtually wiping out its
profit for the fourth quarter.

CEOs of four major banks, in testimony before Financial Crisis Inquiry panel, say regulatory reform needed to prevent future crises.

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

CEOs of four major banks, in testimony before Financial Crisis Inquiry
panel, say regulatory reform needed to prevent future crises.

Energy: Oil prices drop below $80/brl as supplies rise

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

1/13/2010 6:15:00 AM ET
Crude futures drop below $80 a barrel on Wednesday, falling for a
third session, as an industry group reports large builds in U.S.
petroleum inventories, rekindling worries that energy demand remains
weak.

News Alert: Safety flawed at many Caribbean, Latin American airports

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:11:40 -0600

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

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:50:00 -0600

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

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:02:04 -0500

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. stocks take modest dip across the board

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:01:02 -0500

U.S. STOCKS TAKE MODEST DIP ACROSS THE BOARD
Retail and energy companies lag behind the broader market, and early
earnings reports fall short of investors' high expectations.

ALCOA SHARES TUMBLE ON DISAPPOINTING EARNINGS
Shares of Alcoa Inc. fall as much as 8% at the open, a day after the
aluminum giant reported a narrower fourth-quarter loss, aided by
improving aluminum prices and lower corporate costs.

ALCOA KICKS OFF EARNINGS WITH A DOSE OF REALITY
For those who like to think a big aluminum company like Alcoa can
double as a barometer for how the rest of the earnings season is
likely to go, it was an ugly start.

TIFFANY RAISES OUTLOOK AFTER STRONG HOLIDAY SALES
another sign that the bruised luxury sector may be nursing back to
life, jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. on Tuesday raised its profit
outlook for the year after holiday sales turned out better than
expected.

RETAIL STOCKS SLIP AFTER LACKLUSTER SALES REPORT
With some few exceptions, retail stocks were weaker Tuesday, falling
in the wake of a lackluster weekly sales report and broad-market
weakness.

U.S. trade deficit hits above-consensus $36.4 billion in November

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:33:20 -0500

U.S. trade deficit hits above-consensus $36.4 billion in November
1/12/2010 8:31:51 AM EDT

Stocks open lower after Alcoa's tepid results, and following a report showing the trade deficit widened. Dow slumps 64 points.

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:34:03 -0500

Stocks open lower after Alcoa's tepid results, and following a report
showing the trade deficit widened. Dow slumps 64 points.

Dow Added 45.8 points

DOW: 10663. UP 45.80 (+0.43%)
JAN 11, 2010 04:02 PM EDT

Stocks finish mixed as investors brace for corporate reporting season, starting with Alcoa after the bell.

Date: Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 4:02 PM

Stocks finish mixed as investors brace for corporate reporting season,
starting with Alcoa after the bell.

Heineken to buy Femsa's beer ops for $5.5 billion

Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:58 -0500

HEINEKEN TO BUY FEMSA'S BEER OPS FOR $5.5 BILLION
Consolidation in the global brewing industry continues on Monday as
Heineken emerges as the surprise winner in the battle to buy Femsa
Cerveza in a $5.5 billion all-stock deal.

HEINEKEN MAKES ITS PLAY
The golden age of macrobrewers advances another step with Heineken's
deal for Femsa.

GOLD FUTURES JUMP AS MUCH AS $24 ON GLOBEX
Gold futures climb by as much as $24 an ounce to touch their strongest
intraday level in more than a month, as further weakness U.S. dollar
and strong trade figures from China lure investors.

MONDAY'S BIGGEST GAINING AND DECLINING STOCKS
Associated Banc, Heineken and McMoran are all making notable moves in
the U.S. stock market.

Stocks open higher as investors await Alcoa's quarterly results after the closing bell. Dow edges up 27 points.

Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:32:08 -0500

Stocks open higher as investors await Alcoa's quarterly results after
the closing bell. Dow edges up 27 points.