MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,717.7, up 1.1
FTSE 250 6,471.4, down 3.0
DJIA 10,386.40, down 4.90
Nasdaq Comp 2,043.33, up 4.08
S&P 50 1,164.10, down 0.80
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 10,994.96, up 30.09
Hang Seng midday 13,559.59, up 42.92
Gold 434.55 usd (432.65 usd)
Oil - Brent Dec 43.71 usd (45.92 usd)

BREAKING NEWS
* The money earmarked by the government to help members of insolvent pension schemes will cover only a small fraction of those harmed, according to an advisor to the prime minister - FT
* NOVAR, the conglomerate facing a possible bid from Melrose, considering announcing a break-up of the group as one option for fending of a hostile takeover - FT
* VODAFONE will start its global 3G launch today with exclusive television content for its mobile phones, full track music downloads and 3D games from Disney and Electronic Arts, the leading games publisher - FT
* BT offering free UK calls for a year to anyone who buys its broadband service to try to see off growing competition - Express
* WHITEHEAD MANN in talks with two big US rivals, Korn/Ferry International and Heidrick & Struggles, that could lead to a takeover of the headhunter that warned on profits and ousted its chief executive last month - FT
* RIO TINTO agrees to sell its 51 pct stake in Rio Paracatu Mineracao, the owner of a gold mine in Brazil, for 155 mln stg in cash
* Baugur increases its stake in SOMERFIELD to 5.55 pct, triggering speculation that the Icelandic retailer might attempt to engineer a merger with BIG FOOD GROUP, the struggling grocery group that it is attempting to buy - Independent
* BSKYB examining options for its telephone operation Sky Talk; the satellite giant has fewer than 400,000 customers whose call charges are added to their monthly Sky bill - Mail

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on MARKS & SPENCER, US Treasuries, Commerzbank, Infineon - MARCONI (trade at a discount to international peers like Alcatel; if contracts with BT and others begin to come through, this will look increasingly unjustified) - CABLE & WIRELESS tries to keep up with too many fish in small pond; alternative carriers are finding it tough to extend their revenue line in the face of huge overcapacity and increasingly strong competition for customers; rivals such as ENERGIS, COLT and THUS are also suffering after the huge investments made at the height of the telecommunications boom (p.23)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: YELL (avoid), BIG YELLOW (time to lock in profits), ITIS HOLDINGS (looks set to be a jam tomorrow stock for many years)
Times
DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: GUINNESS PEAT GROUP (director sells 500,000 of the company's Australian-quoted shares at 80 pence apiece) - TEMPUS: YELL (remains a buy), CAMBRIDGE SILICON RADIO (avoid), CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY (take profits)
Express
CORUS/INTERNATIONAL POWER (battling it out to rejoin the FTSE 100) - WHO'S DEALING: JAMES HALSTEAD (chairman exercises options for 20,000 shares and then sells them) - SHARE WHISPER: SAREUM (wins first deal) - BROKER'S VIEW: BRADFORD & BINGLEY (Merrill Lynch repeats sell)
Mail
DIGNITY (October's 5 pct price increase should bolster its fourth-quarter performance)
Telegraph
BURREN ENERGY (rumours of a fundraising gather pace) - QUESTOR: YELL (still looking attractive), BRIXTON (hold), CAMBRIDGE SILICON RADIO (worth hanging on to)
Guardian
CADBURY SCHWEPPES (investors wait nervously for tomorrow's strategy review from rival Coca-Cola) - CAMBRIDGE SILICON RADIO (concerns surface that its venture capital backers are poised to dump stock) - MERRYDOWN (C&C Group bid speculation)
END

Morning all.

Morning - thanks Digger/Greystone.

Likely ban on cigarettes in public places in Scotland today - trying to decide whether all bad news already factored in to my Belhaven Group shares (my local beer!). They have taken a dive recently but a good company.

Yoomedia suspended - The Company has become aware that its potential acquisition of the whole of the issued share capital of Digital Interactive Television Group Limited and The Gaming Channel Limited (together the 'Acquisitions') has become known to more than a limited number of people.

OK. Who spilled the beans....!? ;-)

G.

Afternoon all,

Yoomedia? Looks like who ever it was they didn't tell me!