Wired Wessex

First up,  Guido Fawkes says that HBOS is about to be snapped up by Lloyds, while rumours abound that the Treasury leaked information to stop HBOS collapsing in the first place.

Next, the BBC reports that the HBOS/Lloyds TSB merger would create a £30 billion monster, while the US Federal Reserve salvages the smoking ruins of insurers AIG.

Meanwhile, The Times reports that unemployment is on a sharp rise, while the post-Lehmans collapse shockwave is sapping momentum from John McCain’s presidential bid.

The Guardian has one columnist calling for an inquiry into the current crisis, as Woolworths starts to unravel.

Over at The Telegraph, the aviation industry is about to undergo a massive cull, while the BBC is buying up Steve Coogan’s production company. (Of Alan Partridge and Mighty Boosh fame.)

And finally, The Independent says that BAA is about to flog Gatwick airport, while savers are being asked not to panic.