Wired Wessex

Starting at the BBC, the US and UK markets have rebounded after the US government promised to buy billions in bad debt. HSBC, meanwhile, has pulled out of a bid to buy up Korea Exchange Bank.

The Telegraph follows with reports that both the Russian and Chinese stock markets are also on the mend, thnks to a splurge in government cash. (But for how long?)

Next, The Guardian says that the big loser in this crisis will be the age of deregulated finance, while the Pound could be another casualty.

Meanwhile, The Times has news that petrol is going down in price thanks to a convenient (for the customer) supermarket price war. Alas, the same can not be said for the traditional high street shop, which may face extinction.

Over at The Independent, Lloyds TSB is champing at the bit, having trampled its HSBOS rival into submission (and ownership), while the value of brands is on the slide too.

And finally, The Register says that the first lithium-ion battery hybrid car in Europe is about to be launched by Mercedes, while Samsung is about to launch its own cheapo laptop.