Archive for November, 2009
Online retailers rev up deals to keep up momentum
NEW YORK (AP) — Retail Web sites kept amping up the deals Monday, the first day after Thanksgiving weekend’s strong online sales, to try to maintain the momentum. Meanwhile, a research firm that tracks business at stores reported tepid sales and customer traffic for Friday and Saturday that confirmed a so-so start to the season for the bricks-and-mortar world.
Iran enrichment plans largely bluster, experts say
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s announcement of plans to build 10 more uranium enrichment facilities is largely bluster after a strong rebuke from the U.N.’s nuclear agency, analysts said Monday. Nonetheless, the defiance is fueling calls among Western allies for new punitive sanctions to freeze Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran holds yacht with 5 UK nationals
LONDON (AP) — Iran is holding five British sailors after stopping their racing yacht in the Persian Gulf, the British government said Monday. The move could heighten tensions between Iran and major world powers, including Britain, that are demanding a halt to its nuclear program. Oil prices spiked 2 percent to $77.45 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange as the news broke before settling slightly at $77.28.
Senate opens debate on historic health care bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate opened debate Monday on landmark health care legislation that would extend coverage to millions of uninsured and ban onerous insurance practices, with Democrats vowing to work weekends to deliver on President Barack Obama’s domestic initiative by year’s end. “There’s not an issue more important than finishing this legislation,” Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told his colleagues in putting them on notice for Saturday and Sunday sessions in December. Reid said exorbitant health care costs have forced thousands of Americans into bankruptcy, creating an economic crisis that Congress must address.
Obama facing tough selling job on Afghan policy
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama has begun one of the toughest sales jobs of his presidency, launching the much-awaited rollout of his new Afghan war strategy by informing top military and civilian advisers in Washington and Kabul and telephoning key allies around the globe. Obama is outlining his decision to an increasingly skeptical U.S.
Stocks turn higher to extend month’s big gains
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors shook off some their worries about the strength of holiday sales and Dubai’s financial problems, and extended the stock market’s big November gain. Stocks fluctuated through the day Monday, but traders ultimately were not deterred by reports that retail sales were overall uninspiring during the Thanksgiving weekend. Media reports that Dubai is working to restructure its debt gave stocks a late-day lift, while demand for safe havens like the dollar fell.
