OLDER PEOPLE MORE FINANCIALLY UPBEAT - Despite the falling markets and the banking crisis most Irish people feel that they are in a more comfortable position than they were three months ago. This is according to a survey carried out by Standard Life.
Standard Life chief executive Michael Leahy said the biggest increase in confidence was among those aged over 65, while confidence among the 35-44 group fell.
He said these were the people with the least amount of disposable income, and were most likely to have been squeezed by higher interest rates.
Mr Leahy said Dublin was no longer the most confident region, suggesting that quality of life issues such as traffic and schools may be responsible for this.
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NEWS IN BRIEF AND MARKETS - Gold has hit a 28-year high. The commodity always goes up in times of crisis because it is seen as a safe haven for investors. Its now worth $739 an ounce
Irish food group IAWS has announced results for the 12 months to the end of July. Its profit for the financial year was €120m compared with €103m in 2006.
Reports say at least a dozen banks have snubbed pleas to rescue troubled mortgage lender Northern Rock. Among them were AIB and Anglo Irish Bank. At the same time British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has praised the handling of the crisis by the boss of the Bank of England.
Shares in Asia have gained ground over night, taking their cue from an upbeat end to the week in the US on Friday. Markets in Australia and New Zealand were also up.
The euro is worth 69.15p sterling. The dollar has hit another record low against the euro, with the euro worth $1.4130.
