U.S.

Paulson Meets With Fed, CEOs as Treasury Readies Plan for Fannie, Freddie Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson met with regulators and executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac today as the Bush administration prepared to announce a plan to prop up the firms hit by $14.9 billion in losses the past year.

Boeing Machinists Say Contract Talks Break Down, Strike to Begin Tomorrow Boeing Co.'s extended contract talks with its largest union ended in failure, setting up a walkout at midnight that will halt aircraft production and may further delay the 787 Dreamliner.

Payrolls in U.S. Fall More Than Forecast; Jobless Rate at Five-Year High The U.S. lost more jobs than forecast in August and the unemployment rate climbed to a five-year high of 6.1 percent, a sign that the economic slowdown is worsening two months before Americans elect their next president.

Oil Falls to Five-Month Low on Dollar Gain, Increase in U.S. Jobless Rate Crude oil fell to a five-month low as the dollar climbed and U.S. unemployment rose more than expected, signaling a slowdown in demand.

Silver State of Nevada Is Closed, Becomes 11th U.S. Bank Failure This Year Silver State Bank of Henderson, Nevada was closed by U.S. regulators today, the 11th bank to collapse this year amid a surge in soured real-estate loans stemming from the worst housing slump since the Depression.

Barton Biggs Says Stocks in U.S. Are `Pretty Close to Bottom,' May Rally The U.S. stock market is ``pretty close to a bottom'' and may mount a ``powerful'' rally, hedge- fund manager Barton Biggs said.

Latin America

Brazilian Real Has Biggest Weekly Decline in 5 1/2 Years on Global Slump Brazil's real had its biggest weekly decline in 5 1/2 years as a tumble in commodities and a global economic slump throttled demand for emerging-market securities.

Brazil's Vale to Spend $480 Million to Build Large Phosphate Mine in Peru Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, the world's biggest iron-ore producer, plans to spend $480 million in Peru to create one of South America's largest phosphate mines.

Emerging-Market Dollar Bond Yields Narrow on Fannie, Freddie Rescue Report Emerging-market bond yields narrowed relative to Treasuries after speculation the U.S. is close to reaching a plan to help mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac boosted investor demand.

Femsa Chief Fernandez Expects Jugos del Valle Sales to Double in 5 Years Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB, Latin America's largest beverage company, expects sales at its Jugos del Valle juice unit to more than double in the next five years, said Chief Executive Officer Jose Antonio Fernandez.

Brazilian Stocks Gain, Led by Pulp Companies, Gol; Mexico's Bolsa Declines Brazilian stocks gained for the first time in six days, led by pulp and paper companies and airlines, after Merrill Lynch & Co. recommended investors buy shares of the nation's biggest pulp makers and oil prices fell.

Chilean Peso Leads Regional Slide in Currencies as U.S. Slowdown Deepens Chile's peso led declines in Latin American currencies after a report showed U.S. job losses mounted in August, increasing concern that a slump in the world's biggest economy will curb demand for the region's exports.

Exclusive

Microsoft Burned by What It Didn't Know: EU Court Split on Windows Ruling Microsoft Corp. may have made a mistake by settling antitrust charges with the European Union last year after losing an EU court ruling. The software maker didn't know it was one vote away from winning.

Munich Re, Swiss Re May See Higher Rates, Profits in Wake of 2008 Storms The worst hurricane season in three years improves the odds that Munich Re and Swiss Reinsurance Co., the biggest reinsurers, can raise rates and profit next year.

Blank TV Screens Undermine $1.5 Billion U.S. Subsidy of Digital Transition Maags MacLoch wanted to prepare for the coming transition to digital television. Using a $40 federal subsidy, the Web site designer bought a converter box and hooked it up at her home in the Ozark Mountains.

Norfolk Southern Fights With Virginia City Over Ethanol Site Near School As the U.S. Congress pushes the use of ethanol to counter high gasoline prices, a city 10 miles from the Capitol in Washington is pushing back.

Indiana Touts `Peyton Manning Bonds' as Taxpayers Boo Colts' Stadium Deal Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is being asked to do more than win another Super Bowl. The state is using his name and popularity to score support for a $717 million stadium that has taxpayers booing.

Batman's Box Office Earnings Rise With `Titanic,' S&P 500: Chart of Day ``The Dark Knight,'' the latest chapter in the Batman film saga, took 30 days to become No. 2 in U.S. box office history. It joined the other top-four earners, ``Titanic,'' ``Star Wars'' and ``Shrek 2,'' by also debuting as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose.