Morning all. Market reports:

Telegraph
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This is Money

The Treasury is set to give the go-ahead for a Government-backed plan to help mortgage companies start lending again in the wake of the credit crunch.
Bank of England to take on banks' loans to help mortgage market

The Bank of England is close to agreeing a plan designed to ease the mortgage funding drought.
Bank close to agreeing plan to end drought in funding for mortgages

Political backing for a central bank solution to Britain's credit crunch heralds the imminent prospect of lower mortgage rates and should bring much-needed cheer to households, lenders said.
Bank of England's mortgage intervention hailed

Banks must disclose the size of their debts from poor quality home loans, Gordon Brown said on Wednesday night, amid signs that the impact of the global credit crisis may be even worse than suspected.
Gordon Brown: Banks must admit the truth

Official figures showing employment at an all-time high and jobless claims down to a 33-year low are being interpreted by economists as a sign that the economy is at a turning point. They feel that the job as well as pay figures are providing stronger pointers towards a slowdown in the economy and strengthening the case for a further reduction in interest rates as the credit crisis begins to bite harder and deeper.
Interest Rate cut calls on back of record employment level

The British Bankers' Association has brought forward a review into how it sets the pivotal London Interbank Offered Rate amid mounting concerns over the credibility of the measurement.
Libor credibility questioned as credit crunch deepens

The euro continues to reach dizzy heights, leaving the pound and the dollar in its wake. But hopes of a eurozone interest cut have suffered a further blow with new data showing the inflation rate reaching its highest levels since the birth of the new currency.
Euro's surge puts paid to rate cuts

The world's leading bank regulator has launched a crackdown in response to the global credit crunch, saying it aimed to raise the costs of complex debt securities and risky practices.
Basel Committee to spell out new banking regulations

Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, warned that tough conditions for the finance industry would continue for the rest of the year and possibly longer, but he insisted his bank was going to emerge stronger from the credit crisis.
JP Morgan warns credit crisis could continue into next year

Tiny country is like a canary in a coalmine signalling crises in toxic economies.
Iceland first to feel the blast of global cooling

China's economic boom slowed in the first quarter - but only slightly, leaving it at a still sizzling 10.6pc.
China's red hot economy cools a touch

Oil prices have surged to almost $115 a barrel as China builds up stocks before the Olympics and hedge funds pour money into commodity futures as a way to exploit the collapse of the dollar.
Oil surges as investors hunt an 'anti-dollar'

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

US Video: Stock Market Technical Analysis 4/16/08

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei was recently ahead 253.31 points at 13,399.44, while the
Hang Seng was up was up 422.83 points at 24,300.65.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, was 2
cents higher at $114.95 per barrel after a record close of $114.93 at the New York
Mercantile Exchange on Wednesday.

Happy trading!

G.

OUTLOOK Prudential Q1 sales seen 10 pct higherOUTLOOK Corin sales, pretax seen up, focus on US doctor training programmeOUTLOOK Roche Q1 sales seen impacted by exchange rates, lower Tamiflu salesFOCUS France Telecom, TeliaSonera merger offers eastern promise but flawed logicThomson Financial Europe AM at a glance share guide: Shares rise, dollar mixedTFN economic and business calendar

TFN UK calendar and forecasts for today

The Thursday Press Roundup

BROKERWATCH DSG International upped to 'equal-weight' at Morgan Stanley

London shares outlook - higher, building on Wednesday rally; Prudential Q1 due

BROKERWATCH Rentokil Initial upped to 'buy' at UBS, target raised to 105 pence

BROKERWATCH Experian downgraded to 'sell' from 'hold' at Citigroup, target 350pBROKERWATCH BAE to 'equal-weight'; Rolls-Royce to 'overweight' at Morgan StanleyThomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

Tokyo shares close higher after Wall Street rally

BROKERWATCH Thomson Reuters started at 'outperform' at Credit Suisse

UK smallcap opening - TripleArc moves up afresh on the agreed Office2office bid

UK smallcap opening - Immersion Technologies down on Nakamichi supply breachTokyo shares close higher after Wall Street rally - UPDATE

BROKERWATCH SocGen, others upgraded; Sabadell, others cut in Goldman bank noteBROKERWATCH SABMiller upped to 'buy' vs 'add' at Dresdner Kleinwort

BROKERWATCH Orion upped to 'buy' from 'add' at Dresdner KleinwortUK smallcap opening - Empyrean Energy Sugarloaf updateLondon shares open up after Wall Street rally; Resolution higher on FSA approval

Australian shares close higher as resource stocks extend gains - UPDATE

STOCKWATCH Prudential rises on stronger Q1 sales; Merrill Lynch says 'buy'UK smallcap opening - Styles & Wood up on buy-out plan

STOCKWATCH Thomson Reuters trading at 1,673-1/2 pence; ABN Amro starts as 'sell'UK smallcap opening - Serabi Mining gains on swing to FY profits