PRESS DIGEST - New York Times business news - April 10

April 10 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in the New York Times business pages on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* Rupert Murdoch's News Corp NWSa.N is in talks with Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) about joining in its contested bid for Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O), according to people involved in the discussions.

* Air travelers, whose plans have already been disrupted by thousands of canceled flights recently, may face continued chaos in coming weeks as the Federal Aviation Administration and the airlines expand their scrutiny of passenger planes.

* Record-high fuel prices and the industry's fragile finances have led to a new round of bankruptcies among smaller carriers in recent weeks, including ATA Airlines, Skybus and Aloha Airgroup.

* Boeing Co (BA.N) said it was pushing back delivery of the first 787 to the third quarter of 2009, more than a year behind the original schedule.

* Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) plans to introduce a Web-based service for driving directions that incorporates complex software models to help users avoid traffic jams.

* Congress and the Bush administration clashed over how best to help homeowners in danger of foreclosure but seemed to unite around the need for additional government action.

* Advocates for small businesses are fighting changes in tax laws that the Bush administration says are aimed at cracking down on cheating, particularly by the self-employed.

* Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, a long-haul budget carrier that tried to offer premium service and spacious seats at low prices, suddenly went into liquidation.

* The United States is headed for a recession, dragging world economic growth down along with it, the I.M.F. concluded in a sobering new forecast.