Question: Can you tell me why there are often no Northern Rock accounts in your best buy tables. I have just opened a bond account and would have missed the rate of 6.9% if I had used your tables. You say your tables are compiled for you by a third party and I would appreciate an indication as to why Northern Rock rates do not appear to be included when its rates often indicate that they should be.

Answer: Our savings tables are compiled by Sylvia Morris, savings correspondent for the Daily Mail.

We only include financial institutions in our tables that offer complete security to our readers and fully transparent savings rates. In the case of Northern Rock, we decided to exclude it from the savings tables until there was more certainty over its future.

Although we recently decided to include the beleagured bank in our tables again following its nationalisation, this was after the 6.9% Fixed Rate Access Bond was released.

UPDATE: Asia Stks Down; Yen Higher; Important US Data Due

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Asian stocks are broadly lower Monday, with several indexes erasing any gains logged during February, as traders focus on the U.S. economy and continued trouble in the financial sector in a week laden with key economic data and central bank meetings. The declines follow a sharp retreat in U.S. markets that served as a timely reminder for some traders, said UOB Kay Hian analyst K Ajith. The drop in U.S. stocks "underscores the point that major markets are in a bear trend," Ajith said. Meanwhile, the Japanese yen has made notable gains against a raft of currencies, reflecting broad U.S. dollar bearishness and the risk aversion caused by weaker equity markets. The U.S. dollar has dropped under Y103 to touch its lowest levels in three years. The action in currency markets is showing up in the price of gold, which has hit another record high.

Crisis: America's missing cukes!

They're simply telling potential customers about an article, which just happens to be an article spreading scandal about the Clintons. In the same way, ads for some Michael Moore films just happen to undermine George Bush. But, unlike Michael Moore films, the enterprise these Google ads are promoting is itself typically exempted from the campaign finance regime under the so-called "media exemption." So why doesn't some unabashedly non-neutral rich person buy up a lot of media properties--and then start spending tens of millions on ads promoting "scoops" that just happen to damage candidates the rich person opposes? Ron Burkle may be on to something. (Murdoch too, of course.) ... The upshot (I think): Attempts to control so-called 'independent' expenditures are doomed. Even if they're misguidedly upheld by the Supreme Court they will increasingly be seen as irrational and unfair, thanks to loopholes like this one.

Local stocks close down almost 3pc

It's a fairly stock standard reaction to the US and apart from the morning which was really busy with people scrambling to get out because they're expecting a big move,'' IG Markets dealer Ranjan Sing said. Today's market performance mirrored others in Asia including Japan's Nikkei 225, which shed 3.5 per cent, while the Hang Seng was also trading lower. It followed sharp Wall Street losses on Friday which sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index down by 2.5 per cent. US investors dumped stocks on the back of weak manufacturing activity data and a record loss by insurer American Insurance Group. In Australia today, almost every industry sector was trading in the red with sentiment further soured by the likelihood of another interest rate rise tomorrow. Many of the banks fell to near recent lows with the Commonwealth, ANZ and National Australia Bank all down by more than 4 per cent this afternoon.

A game of what ifs ends in stalemate

WHAT IFS and maybes. The Dundee United goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska wondering what would have been if the ball hadn't bounced just in front of him to allow Hibs to level the score just 25 seconds into the second half. Steven Fletcher thinking that maybe he should have taken a shot himself instead of squaring for Dean Shiels in stoppage time.That late effort had been Hibs' best opportunity to steal three points and record their first league win in ten attempts. It would have been a harsh blow for United, who were the better side and could have been out of sight by the time Hibs' John Rankin scored his debut goal for the Easter Road side.A CIS Insurance Cup final place already secured, Dundee United turned their attention back to league duties and began the match in a manner that suggested that the horrible monotony of last week's performance in Paisley had been an aberration.