Friday, March 17, 2006

Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:
- Bain Capital LLC is seeking $10 billion for its biggest takeover fund.
- Microsoft CEO Ballmer said the company needs more than new search advertising products to crack Google’s(GOOG) hold on customers.
- SBA Communications(SBAC), an operator of mobile-phone towers in the eastern US, agreed to buy cable pioneer Jerald Kent’s AAT Communications for $1 billion in cash and stock to expand its business nationwide.
- Copper and zinc are rising as a gain in US industrial production signaled more demand from manufacturers.
- The American Red Cross, which for more than a decade has supported a lifetime ban on accepting blood from gay men, now believes those men should be able to donate if they go a year without having gay sex.

Wall Street Journal:
- A US District Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by an Internet publisher that accused Google(GOOG) of copyright infringement and defamation.
- Industrial & Commercial Bank of China plans to announce today a strategic partnership with Goldman Sachs(GS) through which the US securities firm will offer management expertise to the Chinese bank.
- China can’t enforce environmental protection rules because the agency responsible doesn’t have the authority to close factories that pollute.

NY Times:
- The position of CEO is separate form that of chairman or chairwomen at an increasing number of US companies.
- An investment fund owned by George Soros is close to buying the 59-film library of DreamWorks Animation SKG(DWA) for $900 million.
- Verizon Communications(VZ) filed an application to compete with Cablevision Systems(CVC) to provide cable-tv service to residents of Hempstead, the biggest town on NY’s Long Island.

Financial Times:
- Chicago Mercantile Exchange(CME) CEO Donohue ruled out buying a stock exchange as part of the US futures market’s expansion plans.

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