Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei was up 371.03 points at 7,569.28, while the Hang Seng
ended the morning up 430.44 points at 12,431.97.

Crude oil was down 56 cents at $46.65 a barrel on Nymex.

Happy Friday 13th!

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

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

The international financial crisis was triggered by a cabal of AIG traders who racked up 310 billion in toxic debts from a small Mayfair office in London, it has been claimed.
Mayfair office was 'ground zero' of credit crunch

The meeting this weekend represents the final opportunity for ministers to draw up the two or three key points to be debated at the final G20 ministerial summit in London on April 2. That meeting, to be held in London's Docklands, will be a hectic affair, with 20 different parties trying to have their say in a mere day of debate, so it is vital that by the end of play on Saturday, ministers have sealed their differences over what really are the priorities for the summit.
G20 tensions high as summit approaches

The Swiss National Bank moved to weaken the Swiss franc on Thursday, the first time a big central bank has intervened in the forex markets since Japan sought to weaken the yen in 2004.
Swiss spark talk of currency war

The German economy has plunged deeper into recession with a collapse in industrial production, orders, profits and cutbacks by some of its biggest employers.
German industry is 'war zone' as recession causes export collapse

Billionaire Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. had its top-level AAA credit rating cut by Fitch Ratings, which cited concern about the potential for losses on the insurers equity and derivatives holdings.
Buffetts Berkshire Has AAA Debt Rating Cut by Fitch

The chief executive of the Financial Services Authority warned the City yesterday to be "very frightened" of its tougher stance and said the watchdog was looking at whether action could be taken against former top managers of failed banks.
FSA boss warns on tougher regulation

It would probably be fair to say that since launching in the 1990s, exchange-traded funds hailed as among the most innovative and attractive retail investment products of recent times have caught the investing publics imagination.
The curious case of ETF NAV deviations

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

KOSPI	VIX	GOLD	NYMEX CRUDE

Midday Market Overview

       UNLUCKY DAY        

Friday the 13th is a superstition day for some

If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an
unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th
is one of three to endure this year.

The first came last month. The next is in November.
Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years.

The origin of the link between bad luck and
Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date
to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper
betrayed Jesus).

By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered
bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition
permeates society.

   

End-of-day Market Overview

Enjoy your weekend! G.