By Daniel Costello

Microsoft Corp. and News Corp. have held talks to create a Web pact that would include Microsoft paying News Corp. to 'de-index' its news websites from Google, setting the scene for a search engine battle that could offer a ray of light to the newspaper industry, the Financial Times reports.

News Corp. initiated the talks although the Financial Times says that Microsoft had also approached other online publishers about removing their sites from Google's search engine in exchange for content payment.

Meanwhile, Chinese banking regulators are putting pressure on the country's banks to raise more capital and temper their rapid growth in lending, in the clearest signs yet of official concern about the sustainability of the nation's credit boom.

Beijing has been pushing for a capital reserves to loan ratio of 13 percent for the biggest banks in an effort to stave off a possible bubble in the country's booming real estate and stock markets. Ratios at China's top five banks stand at about 11 percent on average, compared with the minimum regulatory requirement of 8 percent for all banks.

On a sad note, the Wall Street Journal (subs req'd) reports that there are early signs the number of suicides in the U.S. crept up during the recent recession. The Journal's data covers about 40% of the U.S. population.

Thirteen states, accounting for 30% of the U.S. population, reported more suicides in 2008. In Florida, for instance, suicides were up 6%, in Georgia, up 2.3%, and in North Carolina, up 7.8%. In six smaller states, which account for about 9.5% of the population, the number of suicides fell.

categories: Morning Report

9:09 - November 23, 2009

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