Morning all. Market reports:

Telegraph
The Times
The Times (Need to know)
FT
The Guardian
The Independent
This is Money

The European Central Bank may soon have to invoke emergency powers to prevent the disintegration of southern European bond markets, with ominous signs of investor flight from Spain and Italy.
ECB may have to turn to 'nuclear option' to prevent Southern European debt collapse

Greece CDS levels started to tighten back a bit in intraday trading, coming in closer to 700 bps, which would have left levels on the day unchanged. But at the time of this report, indications are approaching 800 bps following the S&P downgrade announcement. Portugal is around 395 bps, 80 bps wider on the day.
CDS report: Downgrade and difficulties

Goldman Sachs is in a fight for its life. That much became clear early in today's senate hearings. The tone of questioning from senators was hostile. Not all had command of the detail of financial market instruments, but the contempt in which they held the Goldman employees was unmistakable.
Goldman Sachs top dogs squirm under Senate scrutiny

America's major banks are pouring millions of dollars into an apparently successful attempt to weaken Barack Obama's finance reform bill, currently stalled in Congress by Republican opposition.
US banks pouring millions into bid to kill Barack Obama's finance reform bill

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	HANG SENG	SHANGHAI COMPOSITE
KOSPI	SENSEX	VIX	GBP/USD
GBP/EUR	NYMEX CRUDE	GOLD

Good morning traders!

In the US last night, the Dow tumbled 213 points at 10,992, the Nasdaq lost 51
points at 2,471 and the S&P500 slid 28 points to 1,184.

In Asia today, the Nikkei was down 273.3 points at 10,939.36, while the Hang
Seng ended the morning off 267.52 points at 20,994.27.

Crude oil traded at $82.19 a barrel on Nymex.

Gold settled at $1,164 an ounce.

Happy trading!

G.

Opening Market Overview

if EML are going ex divi for all shareholders on 30th doesn't that mean you woyld have to hold by COB on 29th? the SP has plummeted to take into account the special divi but hasn;t it plummeted too early?

End-of-day Market Overview

Alex, The ex-dividend date is two business days before the record date: If the record date is on Friday, the ex-dividend date is on Wednesday, so the sp drop is in line with that.