Shanghai copper tumbles 3 percent on risk worries

(Reuters) - Shanghai copper futures fell 3 percent on Monday, following losses in London and jitters in equity and other commodities markets on concerns about the U.S. economy.

Confidence in global markets, including commodities and equities, has been seriously dented by the continuing crisis in the U.S. subprime mortgage sector.


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PRESS DIGEST - Wall Street Journal - Aug 6

(Reuters) - * Bear Stearns Cos. co-president quit, becoming
Wall Street's highest-profile casualty in the subprime-lending
fiasco.




* ICI reached a tentative deal to be taken over by
Akzo Nobel and Henkel for $16 billion.
The chemical and paint maker had rejected Akzo's earlier
offers.


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Pound May Fall as Traders Trim Bets Bank of England Will Raise Rates Again

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. pound may fall as investors
lower expectations the Bank of England will raise interest rates
again this year.

Interest-rate futures trading shows investors have scaled
back their forecasts for how high the U.K. central bank will lift
rates on concern borrowing costs at a six-year high of 5.75
percent will begin to slow economic expansion. A report today may
show industrial production growth slowed in June.


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TREASURIES-Extend gains in Asia, market eyes Fed

(Reuters) - "Yields of Treasuries have fallen sharply, but investors
don't seem to be cautious about prices going too high amid
safe-haven rallies," said Ryuji Shimazu, a market analyst at
Shinko Securities.




"Market players seem to be building positions for possible
Fed rate cuts in the future."


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ICI, Sainsbury, Morgan Sindall, Standard Life: U.K., Irish Stock Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or fall
in U.K. and Irish markets today. Stock symbols are in parentheses
and prices are from yesterday's market close.

The benchmark FTSE 100 Index lost 76.00, or 1.2 percent, to
6224.30. The FTSE All-Share Index declined 34.49, or 1.1 percent,
to 3223.84.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

JGBs surge on Treasury gains due to subprime woes

(Reuters) - Such concerns battered U.S. stocks late last week, when
Standard & Poor's 500 index and the Nasdaq Composite Index
on Friday posted their worst one-day percentage drops
since a global sell-off in equities in late February.




"JGBs are at the mercy of external factors," said Tetsuya
Miura, bond strategist at Shinko Securities.


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Taiwan Government Bonds Climb as Stock Losses Spur Demand; Currency Falls

(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan's 10-year government bonds
advanced on speculation a decline in stocks prompted investors to
seek the safety of debt's fixed income. The currency weakened.

Yields, which move inversely to prices, were the lowest in
three weeks on concern defaults on U.S. subprime mortgages are
spreading to the broader economy. Regional equity markets fell,
with the island's Taiex index of shares dropping as much as 2.1
percent.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Singapore Dollar to Rise 10 Percent to Record $1.38, BNP Paribas Predicts

(Bloomberg) -- The Singapore dollar may rise 10
percent to a record in a year as an influx of tourists and
bankers supports economic growth, BNP Paribas SA said.

The currency may reach S$1.38 per dollar by June 30, passing
the record of S$1.3835 reached in 1995, as the Monetary Authority
of Singapore seeks gains to curb inflation, said Thio Chin Loo,
senior foreign-exchange strategist in Singapore at France's
largest bank by market value.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

PRESS DIGEST-Financial Times, Wall St Journal Asia editions

(Reuters) - --World markets face a nervous start to the week following
the plunge in stocks in the United States on Friday as concerns
mounted about fallout from the US mortgage market turmoil. The
late sell-off in New York followed comments by the chief
financial officer of Bear Stearns , who said credit
markets were as bad as he had seen in 22 years.




--Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe,is expected to
reshuffle his cabinet and convene an extraordinary session of
parliament at the end of the month to try to keep his job after
his party's trouncing in upper house elections.


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Samsung Electronics, Exporters, Oil-Dependents: South Korea Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following shares may rise or fall
in South Korea. Prices refer to the previous close. This preview
includes news announced after markets shut yesterday. Stock
symbols are in brackets after the company names.

The Kospi index rose 1.3 percent to 1,876.80. The Kosdaq rose
1.6 percent to 798.86. Kospi 200 futures expiring in September
increased 1 percent to 236.00, while the underlying index rose 1.3
percent to 236.91.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Fed's Bernanke May Alter Rhetoric, Not Interest Rates After Market Turmoil

(Bloomberg) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S.
Bernanke may respond to the latest squall in financial markets
the same way he did when turbulence hit four months ago: with a
change in words rather than policy.

Bernanke and his colleagues may suggest after their
meeting tomorrow that the risks to economic growth have
increased following the rout in stock and credit markets -- just
as they did after their March meeting.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Bear Stearns co-president Spector resigns: WSJ

(Reuters) - Citing a person familiar with the matter, the Journal said directors agreed that Alan D. Schwartz will for now be sole president of Bear.




The article also said that Samuel Molinaro, the firm's longtime chief financial officer, will assume the role of chief operating officer and that Jeffrey Mayer, co-head of fixed income, will take Spector's seat on the executive committee.


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ABN, RBS consortium say to continue takeover talks

(Reuters) - "ABN AMRO and the consortium have agreed to continue the constructive dialogue to resolve any outstanding questions regarding the offer of the consortium for ABN AMRO, and to maintain a level playing field," ABN and the RBS-led consortium said in a joint statement.




RBS , together with its partners Belgian-Dutch Fortis and Spain's Santander , is battling against Barclays to buy ABN in what would be the biggest ever bank takeover. Barclays' offer is worth about 65 billion euros.


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BA execs to be named in price fixing probe: report

(Reuters) - "These executives could be prosecuted in the criminal courts in the U.S.," it said.




Two BA executives were identified when they resigned last October -- former commercial director Martin George and former public relations boss Iain Burns -- although no wrongdoing by either has been announced.


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Dubai's Istithmar raises Barneys bid to $900 mln

(Reuters) - "If this offer is not accepted, Istithmar is entitled to our break-up fee of $22.7 million," Istithmar said in a statement.




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