Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Hang Seng ended the morning up 740.06 points at 14,708.73,
while the Nikkei is closed for a public holiday.

Happy trading!

G.

Morning all. Friday's market reports:

Telegraph
The Times
FT
The Guardian
The Independent
This is Money

Saturday

The HBOS merger with Lloyds TSB is being thrown into doubt by a possible rival bid for the Halifax Bank of Scotland, BBC Scotland has learned.
Second bid could halt HBOS merger

Barclays has angered shareholders by offering new Middle Eastern investors a more generous than expected package in return for capital which will see the UK bank raise 7bn from the private sector.
Barclays' shareholders angry at generous terms of 7bn Middle Eastern fund raising

Barclays faces the possibility of an investor revolt after announcing it is taking cash from Middle-Eastern investors, at a hefty cost, as an alternative to accepting the UK government bailout which its rivals HBOS, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland are benefiting from.
City fury over terms of Barclays bailout

Deutsche Bank has avoided a 665m writedown by using controversial new accounting methods. Deutsche reclassified about 25bn (19.6bn) of assets as loans it will hold until maturity, rather than sell on.
Deutsche sidesteps hit of 665m

Sunday

A report by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) to be published on Tuesday will claim the responsibility for the banking crisis lies largely with the Labour Government's decision to remove responsibility for banking oversight from the Bank of England.
Labour to blame for banking crisis, new report claims

Unemployment will rise to almost three million in the next two years, according to accountants Deloitte.
Unemployment to hit almost three million and interest rates to reach record low, predicts City report

Two of the banks which are to receive more than 30bn of taxpayers' money will this week announce billions of pounds in asset writedowns and warn the City that full-year profits are likely to be lower than previously expected.
RBS and HBOS to reveal further writedowns as economy weakens

A last-ditch bid for HBOS which would derail the banks agreed tie-up with Lloyds TSB has been dismissed by sources close to the Treasury.
Spowarts last-ditch grab for HBOS is not taken seriously

This month's figures are all down, but not by as much as last month's. And the steep decline suggests recovery will be rapid, writes Richard Northedge.
A glimmer of light in the housing market gloom

MF Global Ltd., the derivatives broker whose chief executive officer quit this week, rebuffed a partnership offer by Interactive Brokers Group Inc., saying it didn't fit with the company's future plans.
MF Global Rebuffs Interactive Brokers' Partnership

Monday

Scottish financier Jim Spowart faces a potential grilling from the Takeover Panel to clarify whether he is working on a counterbid for distressed bank HBOS.
Spowart under pressure to clarify HBOS intentions

The Government will have to pump more capital into Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley to reflect worsening conditions in the housing market, senior bankers believe.
Northern Rock and B&B will need more taxpayers' cash as housing market worsens

The London Stock Exchange is to carry out its threat to levy a special charge on orders that are routed through its new competitors. From today, it will charge a fee of 1 basis point on any trade that arrives from an external trading venue - such as Nasdaq OMX Europe.
LSE pushes ahead with special levy

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

KOSPI	VIX

UK Stocks -- Factors to watch on Nov 3

The Monday Press RoundupUK Stocks -- Factors to watch on Nov 3

PRESS DIGEST - Ireland - Nov 3

TFN NEWS BRIEFING: TMT highlights to 09:10 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: Aerospace and transportation highlights to 09:10 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: Pharmaceuticals and chemicals highlights to 09:10 GMT

TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Consumer and retailing highlights to 09:15 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: Banking and insurance highlights to 09:15 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: Oil and utilities highlights to 09:15 GMT

TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Mergers and acquisitions highlights to 09:20 GMT

TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Macroeconomics highlights to 10:10 GMT

Midday Market Overview

TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Aerospace and transportation highlights to 15:40 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: Pharmaceuticals and chemicals highlights to 15:40 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: TMT highlights to 15:40 GMT

TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Oil and utilities highlights to 15:45 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: Consumer and retailing highlights to 15:45 GMTTFN NEWS BRIEFING: Banking and insurance highlights to 15:45 GMT

TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Mergers and acquisitions highlights to 15:50 GMT

End-of-day Market Overview