Basell to buy Lyondell for $48 a share

(Reuters) - Lyondell shares closed on Monday at $40.12.




Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Iraq War Refugees Recreate Baghdad's Enmities in an Uneasy Damascus Exile

(Bloomberg) -- In Iraq, Shiite and Sunni Muslims
live uneasily close to each other as bitter foes in a bloody
conflict. In Sayeda Zeinab, a working-class district on the
outskirts of Damascus, they live uneasily close as refugees.

More than a million Shiites and Sunnis have crossed the
border into Syria, where the ruling Baath Party pursues a pan-
Arab ideology. Even though they now live under a government that
downplays religious differences, the two groups have created a
little replica of Baghdad in the Syrian capital -- one so
reminiscent of the city they left that mainly Sunni and Shiite
areas are segregated by a thoroughfare called Iraq Street.


Read more at Bloomberg Exclusive News

Lend Lease May be Target of a Leveraged Buyout, Credit Defaults Swaps Show

(Bloomberg) -- Lend Lease Corp., Australia's biggest
property developer, may be the target of a leveraged buyout,
according to traders betting on the creditworthiness of companies.

Speculation that private equity firms are poised to bid has
increased the risk of holding Lend Lease debt to the highest
since August 2005. Credit-default swaps are financial instruments
based on corporate bonds and loans used to speculate on a
company's ability to repay debt.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

UPDATE 1-Hoganas Q2 just shy of consensus, keeps outlook

(Reuters) - The firm, whose products are used in the auto industry,
posted pretax earnings of 160 million Swedish crowns versus a year-ago 107 million and a mean forecast of
166 million seen in a Reuters survey of 6 analysts.




Hoganas said sales rose to 1.52 billion crowns from 1.31
billion a year ago, above the 1.43 billion seen by analysts.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

U.K. Natural Gas Falls From 7-Month High as Supply Adequately Meets Demand

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. natural gas for delivery a day
ahead retreated from yesterday's seven-month high as supply
adequately met demand even after halts at two sub-terminals for
North Sea gas on the east coast of England.

Day-ahead gas fell as much as 5.2 percent to 32.9 pence a
therm, according to prices on Bloomberg from broker ICAP Plc. It
traded at 33 pence a therm at 8:19 a.m. A price of 33 pence a
therm is equivalent to $6.73 a million British thermal units. A
therm is 100,000 Btus.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Tokyo Electric Ordered to Keep Kashiwazaki Nuclear Plant Shut After Quake

(Bloomberg) -- Japan's government ordered Tokyo
Electric Power Co. to keep its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power
station, the world's biggest, shut pending safety checks after an
earthquake caused a radioactive leak.

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Niigata prefecture in
central Japan, killing nine people, toppling houses and causing
contaminated water from the No. 6 reactor building to escape into
the sea. Trade Minister Akira Amari today handed the order to
utility President Tsunehisa Katsumata, the ministry said. Tokyo
Electric shares dropped to a seven-month low.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Asian Stocks Rise, Led by Taiwan; Japan's Shares, Millea Drop on Quake

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose, paced by Taiwan's
biggest companies after UBS AG raised its estimate for the
nation's benchmark. Japanese stocks fell, led by insurers and
power producers, after yesterday's earthquake.

Taiwan Cement Corp. and Cathay Financial Holding Co. paced
gains after the brokerage raised its 12-month estimate for the
nation's Taiex index to 12,000.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News