CURRENT NEWS ITEM: DARLING MOVES TO SHORE UP HBOS DEAL

TOP - 50 RELEVANT BREAKING NEWS

1. UAE moves to shore up confidence

   The United Arab Emirates has intervened to bolster increasingly fragile confidence in the oil-rich Arab Gulf's business hub and prevent contagion from the US spreading to one of the world's fastest growing regions

2. Lloyds TSB deal still on - HBOS

   BRITAIN'S biggest mortgage provider HBOS said the takeover of the bank by Lloyds TSB remained on, rejecting a report that the deal had collapsed.

3. Lloyds shares fall 7pc but Eric Daniels says HBOS deal will go ahead

   Eric Daniels chief executive of Lloyds TSB insisted the bank's takeover of HBOS would go ahead on the existing terms despite a 7pc drop in Lloyds' share price.

4. Lloyds' tieup with HBOS could turn out to be the deal of the century

5. Lloyds TSB's HBOS deal comes under dividend presssure

   Lloyds TSB's takeover bid for HBOS has taken a hit as pressure mounted on the Government to allow dividends to be paid to shareholders in banks taking state aid in the next few years.

6. Legal & General stands behind Lloyds TSB-HBOS deal

   The so-called campaign to "save Bank of Scotland" was dealt a blow yesterday when a second major institutional shareholder said it was backing the takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB.

7. MidAmerican Moves Ahead on Constellation Deal

   Constellation Energy MidAmerican Energy Holdings, owned by Warren E. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, asked the Maryland Public Service Commission on Friday for approval to buy Constellation Energy and its Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, saying the deal would hold down rates increases by the utility. “This transaction will bring financial stability to Constellation Energy and B.G.E., and comes [...]

8. Lloyds TSB chief moves to talk round shareholders as dividend worries add to anger over HBOS merger

   Lloyds TSB's chief executive, Eric Daniels, met his biggest investors last week to persuade them to back the emergency merger with HBOS despite worries over future dividend payments.

9. Salmond wants freeze on HBOS deal

   Alex Salmond calls for the Lloyds TSB take over of Halifax Bank of Scotland to be frozen at the SNP party conference.

10. Salmond wants HBOS deal freeze

    The Lloyds TSB takeover of Halifax Bank of Scotland should be frozen, Alex Salmond tells the SNP party conference.

11. Lloyds TSB and Scottish ministers pledge to work together over HBOS deal

12. OFT fears Lloyds TSB-HBOS deal could harm Scots firms

    Small and medium-sized businesses in Scotland and people with current accounts and mortgages could all suffer from a reduction in competition arising from Lloyds TSB's rescue takeover of HBOS, the Office of Fair Trading believes.

13. HBOS deal goes ahead as watchdog is overruled

    Alex Salmond is seeking an urgent meeting with Alistair Darling to get "some serious answers to some serious questions" over the planned merger of HBOS and Lloyds TSB.

14. Lloyds TSB's HBOS deal is cleared

    Business Secretary Lord Mandelson clears the planned Lloyds TSB-HBOS merger, ruling the deal is in the public interest.

15. HBOS deal with Lloyds TSB in fresh doubt after rival foreign bid

    HBOS merger with Lloyds TSB is in doubt after possible rival bid.

16. Lloyds to cut 20,000 staff after HBOS deal

    Lloyds TSB is preparing to make up to 20,000 staff redundant as part of its planned takeover of ailing mortgage bank HBOS.

17. HBOS deal to save Lloyds £1.5bn

    Lloyds says its merger with HBOS will save it £1.5bn a year, more than expected, which could mean heavy job losses.

18. Bad debts double but HBOS deal is still on

    Financial market turbulence and exposure to Lehman's collapse and the Iceland banking crisis have sent bad debts soaring at HBOS.

19. Market report: HBOS moves past open offer price

    HBOS remained the centre of attention yesterday as the London market staged a 4pc rally lifting the index 20pc above its 2008 low.

20. Bank duo oppose Lloyds-HBOS deal

    The ex-chiefs of Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland write to HBOS saying it should remain independent.

21. Scottish bankers unite in effort to block HBOS deal

    Two of Scotland's most prominent bankers have joined forces in an effort to block the takeover of HBOS by its rival Lloyds TSB. The former governor of Bank of Scotland and the former chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland are planning to seek shareholder support to remove HBOS' existing management and put themselves in charge

22. HBOS Rejects Scottish Ex - Bank Chiefs Bid to Block Deal

    HBOS, Britain’s biggest home lender, on Monday formally rejected a proposal from the former heads of Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of Scotland to block its government-brokered takeover by Lloyds TSB. Peter Burt and George Mathewson want to step in to replace the current HBOS chief executive and chairman, the BBC said, and believe the [...]

23. Heavyweight lends backing to Lloyds TSB deal with HBOS

    Corporate governance watchdog Pirc is advising its institutional investor clients to vote in favour of Lloyds TSB’s effective takeover of HBOS – declaring there has been “sufficient independent scrutiny” of the UK Government-brokered deal.

24. Done deal as leaders agree moves to halt world recession

    Done deal as leaders agree moves to halt world recession

25. Lloyds TSB investors back HBOS deal

    Shareholders overwhelmingly backed the bank's rescue of HBOS and its plans to raise £5.5bn of fresh capital, although some raised concerns about the prospect of the government becoming a significant shareholder

26. Lloyds shareholders vote for HBOS deal

    Shareholders have given overwhelming backing to the proposed takeover of HBOS.

27. Lloyds TSB approves HBOS deal

    Lloyds TSB shareholders vote in favour of taking over HBOS as well as taking bail-out money from the government.

28. Lloyds voters back HBOS merger deal

    LLOYDS TSB shareholders yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bank's merger with HBOS.

29. Japanese righty Tazawa moves closer to deal with BoSox

    Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa moved a step closer to signing with the Boston Red Sox after rejecting offers from three other major league teams.

30. Tazawa moves closer to deal with Red Sox

    TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa moved a step closer to signing with the Boston Red Sox after rejecting offers from three other major league teams....

31. HBOS rival deal ditched

    A proposed rival bid for Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) has been dropped. Sir Peter Burt and Sir George Mathewson had spoken about raising backing...

32. Challenge to HBOS deal to go ahead

    A last-ditch legal challenge to the Lloyds TSB takeover will be heard by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, days before HBOS shareholders will vote on the tie-up

33. Round one to rebels in fight over HBOS deal

    The group of businessmen trying to halt the Lloyds-HBOS merger yesterday welcomed a successful preliminary hearing at the Competition Appeals Tribunal.

34. Lloyds is 'only deal in town' for HBOS

    HALIFAX Bank of Scotland yesterday insisted that its 12 billion takeover by Lloyds TSB was "the only deal on the table" ahead of this week's crucial shareholder vote on the offer.

35. State broke competition protocol in Lloyds HBOS deal tribunal hears

    The Government's decision to override competition rules and green light the proposed merger between HBOS and Lloyds TSB broke with protocol as it was "preordained" by the Prime Minister and Chancellor a tribunal heard today.

36. Obama's New New Deal and Blackwater Moves West

37. Legal challenge for HBOS deal

    A legal challenge to the takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB has started at the Competition Appeal Tribunal.