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Moody's revises Media General rating outlook to positive from stable

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 18 (Reuters) - Brazilian iron ore miner
Vale expects iron ore prices to rise in the second
half of 2012, with prices ranging between $120 and $180 per
tonne in the medium to long term, its iron ore chief José Carlos
Martins said on Friday.

GENEVA, May 18 (Reuters) - BB Energy said on Friday it has
hired three commodity finance specialists as the energy trading
house seeks to tap alternative sources of funding for downstream
acquisitions and its expansion in crude oil trading this summer.

GENEVA, May 18 (Reuters) - BB Energy said on Friday it has
hired three commodity finance specialists as the energy trading
house seeks to tap alternative sources of funding for downstream
acquisitions and its expansion in crude oil trading this summer.

May 18 (Reuters) - The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight
index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry
commodities, rose on Friday as rates for smaller panamax vessels
rebounded.
The overall index, which reflects the daily freight market
prices for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize dry bulk
transport vessels, was up 4 points at 1,141 points.
The Baltic's panamax index rose 0.35 percent,
snapping a 14-day losing streak. Average daily earnings for
panamax vessels, which usual

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - Social media stocks, led by
Zynga Inc, dropped in volatile trading as traders used
the securities to hedge or bet against the day's star of the
sector, Facebook Inc, which went public in a somewhat
disappointing debut on Friday.

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - Social media stocks, led by
Zynga Inc, dropped in volatile trading as traders used
the securities to hedge or bet against the day's star of the
sector, Facebook Inc, which went public in a somewhat
disappointing debut on Friday.

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - Social media stocks, led by
Zynga Inc, dropped in volatile trading as traders used
the securities to hedge or bet against the day's star of the
sector, Facebook Inc, which went public in a somewhat
disappointing debut on Friday.

* US eyes more steady military-military ties with China

(Adds Pentagon official, analyst, details from the report)

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - Brent crude oil futures climbed
back to positive territory on pre-weekend short-covering as the
euro rallied from a four-month low, although pressure remains on
worries that economic problems in Greece and Spain could spread
to other euro zone nations.

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - Brent crude oil futures climbed
back to positive territory on pre-weekend short-covering as the
euro rallied from a four-month low, although pressure remains on
worries that economic problems in Greece and Spain could spread
to other euro zone nations.

* University officials, students back Sebelius invitation

* University officials, students back Sebelius invitation

MILAN, May 18 (Reuters) - Italian car dealers association
Federauto said on Friday the industry ministry was considering
its proposal to reintroduce incentives for the sector.

By Karen Brettell
NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - Traders are starting to price
in expectations of future bank funding stresses as concerns over
a Greek exit from the euro zone increased fears that the rapid
pace of bank withdrawals by Greeks could be replicated in Spain
and Italy.
Greeks are pulling cash from banks out of fear Greece might
leave the single currency euro zone. Financial markets fear for
the future of the entire currency zone, with Spain's banking
sector also under pressur

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - Spot differentials for Azeri
Light weakened on Friday, resulting in a drop of more than $1.00
a barrel in about a week as Europe struggles to absorb an influx
of sweet crude.
Russian Urals prices diverged, weakening slightly in the
North but strengthening in the South.
In the Platts window, BP sold a 100,000 tonne Urals cargo at
dated Brent minus $1.20 cif Rotterdam loading May 28 to June 1.
Russian Urals prices fell slightly in Northwest Europe
foll

* Supreme Court postpones Martin Marietta appeal by one week

* Supreme Court postpones Martin Marietta appeal by one week

* Supreme Court postpones Martin Marietta appeal by one week

(The following statement was released by the rating agency)
May 18 - Fitch Ratings has downgraded Victoria Funding (EMC III) plc's
commercial mortgage-backed notes due 2014 notes, as follows:

GBP0.2m class D (XS0231023077) downgraded to 'Asf' from 'AAsf'; on Rating Watch
Negative (RWN)

GBP1.9m class E (XS0231024802) downgraded to 'Csf' from 'CCsf'; Recovery
Estimate 70%

The downgrade was driven by the remaining loan, the Brisk loan, failing to repay
on its scheduled maturity

* Rhoen-Klinikum shares closed at 21.58 euros

(Recasts with detail from offer document)

* Rhoen-Klinikum shares closed at 21.58 euros

(Recasts with detail from offer document)

MOSCOW, May 18 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will
likely name allies to key economic posts when he unveils his new
cabinet on Monday, asserting control over the government in a
move that could hamstring reforms backed by his more liberal
premier.

MOSCOW, May 18 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will
likely name allies to key economic posts when he unveils his new
cabinet on Monday, asserting control over the government in a
move that could hamstring reforms backed by his more liberal
premier.

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - The "disastrous" consequences of
a return to the drachma mean there is no chance of Greece
leaving the euro, said hedge fund firm Toscafund.

* With sanctions suspended, will bring finance arm to bear

* With sanctions suspended, will bring finance arm to bear

SARAJEVO, May 18 (Reuters) - DIFC Investments, the
investment arm of the company running Dubai's financial free
zones, has not sold software company SmartStream Technologies
but the process is under way, the chief executive of the
Investment Corporation of Dubai said on Friday.

MILAN, May 18 (Reuters) - Italian medium-sized lender Banco
Popolare said on Friday its pro-forma Core Tier 1
ratio would rise to 9.4 percent after the Bank of Italy allowed
it to use its own models to calculate its risk-weighted assets.
It estimated the models would significantly reduce the level
of risk-weighted assets and add around 200 basis points to its
Core Tier 1 ratio, a measure of financial strength.