It's the economy (December 18, 2009)

Vancouver cuts city jobs but raises taxes, Oil prices on the rise amid Iran/Iraq troubles, and an unusual victory declaration from Copenhagen, some of the items of note for Friday.

Globe and Mail-- Battle for the oil sands
Globe and Mail-- With ABCP fines out of the way, spotlight is on watchdogs
Globe and Mail-- GM makes payment to U.S., Canada
National Post-- Flaherty ready to deflate any housing bubble
National Post-- Santa Claus rally kicks off
National Post-- GM to wind down Saab brand
Vancouver Sun-- Vancouver city budget cuts 158 jobs, raises taxes 2.26 per cent
Vancouver Sun-- Northwest gold explorers discovering reasons to be bullish
New York Times-- Unlike Most on Wall St., Morgan Stanley’s Chief Will Forgo His 2009 Bonus
New York Times-- These Days, Countries in Misery Have Lots of Company
USA Today-- Oil prices rise after Iranians seize Iraqi oil field
USA Today-- Feds shutter 7 banks for a total of 140 failures this year
Guardian UK online-- UK public borrowing soars to new high
Guardian UK online-- Exodus of bankers 'a price worth paying', Bank of England official says
Times Online UK-- Companies must be bold to curb merger bills
Times Online UK-- Irish out of recession, but does one swallow make a summer?
Telegraph UK online-- Looking-glass Chancellor cannot admit to the cuts around the corner
Telegraph UK online-- National Debt hits post-war peak as tax receipts slide
Telegraph UK online-- Copenhagen: why gas is rising victoriously after two weeks of talk
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Airlines still seeing red
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Putting an end to high-voltage waste
Brisbane Times-- AXA'S balancing act
Brisbane Times-- Telstra lowers revenue forecast
Sydney Daily Telegraph -- Telstra expects flat sales revenue in 2010
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- More sour grapes for Foster's wine
People's Daily on line-- 18 transnational companies establish regional headquarters in Shanghai
People's Daily on line-- China's foreign trade to grow 15% next year: report
China Daily-- Cooper Tire aims for 30% of global sales from China
The Times of India-- Economic growth in current fiscal to exceed 7.75%: Finmin
The Times of India-- Air India union defers Dec 22 strike call