Nov 18 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
* The deteriorating commercial real-estate market is hitting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the housing-finance giants that were taken over by the U.S. last year after billions of dollars in losses on residential real estate. The firms stepped up their lending for apartment buildings as the commercial real-estate market peaked, and they are now facing rapidly rising loan losses.

* Goldman Sachs Group Inc said it is launching a $500 million small-business assistance program that includes an advisory panel with billionaire investor Warren Buffett. The Wall Street firm made no connection in Tuesday's announcement between the largest single charitable contribution in the firm's history and public anger over its compensation.
* Chocolate giant Hershey Co is in talks with banks to line up financing to launch a rival bid to Kraft Foods Inc's $16 billion offer for British candy maker Cadbury Plc .
* U.S. President Barack Obama and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, in Beijing on separate visits, told Chinese officials that yielding to market pressures for a stronger yuan would help the global economy recover.
* White House budget director Peter Orszag, speaking at the Journal's CEO Council conference, pushed back against the notion that the health-care overhaul will add to the deficit.
* Federal regulators will begin laying out the case to provide all Americans with cheaper access to broadband Internet service.
* Some retailers are finding ways to profit even in the face of declining sales. Luxury retailer Saks Inc reported a surprise profit and Target Corp notched its first rise in year-over-year net income in eight quarters. But both companies reported declines in sales at stores open for a year, and predicted more of the same in the current quarter, which includes Christmas.
* S.C. Johnson & Son Inc has joined the bidding for Sara Lee Corp's air-freshener business, potentially creating a formidable player in Europe with the combination of S.C. Johnson's Glade brand and Sara Lee's Ambi Pur.
* Donald Trump, whose name is synonymous with Atlantic City gambling, abandoned his bid to regain control of the three New Jersey casinos that bear his name. He and his daughter Ivanka Trump reached a settlement with a group of creditors they were battling for control of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which filed for bankruptcy protection in February.
* Some of the biggest names in the U.S. power industry are teaming up with Chinese partners, seeking access to the cash, equipment and technology offered by China's fast-growing energy sector.
* Vivendi SA is still working out terms with its partner General Electric Co, asking for a higher price and deal protections, as the French company seeks to exit its minority stake in NBC Universal.
* A senior General Motors Co executive said the restructuring plan for GM's Opel/Vauxhall unit could still hinge on aid commitments from European governments.
* Lazard Ltd named Kenneth Jacobs chairman and chief executive, drawing from the firm's younger generation of bankers for a successor to famed deal maker Bruce Wasserstein. Keywords: PRESS DIGEST/WSJ Keywords: PRESS DIGEST/WSJ

(Compiled by Tenzin Pema; Bangalore Equities Newsdesk +91 80 4135 5800; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780)

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