Daily Dispatches: AMP puts more pressure on Axa

AMP chief Craig Dunn yesterday tried to turn up the heat on Axa Asia Pacific to accept his $11bn takeover proposal, saying he would press on with securing a deal despite an initial rejection. (Courier Mail)

The group representing Australia's $1 trillion funds management industry has questioned the credibility of the Federal Government's landmark inquiry into superannuation and criticised comments by its chairman, Jeremy Cooper. (Business Day)

Merrill Lynch retail analyst David Errington was today named Asia Money's top Australian analyst and his team were voted the top in consumer goods and retail sector. (The Australian)

Standard & Poor's has hit out at new rules set down by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, saying they could ''undermine the global consistency'' of its ratings and force it to disclose confidential information. (The Age)

With the recovery tenuous, deflation afflicting all levels of commerce and the country at risk of sovereign debt crisis, it seemed an odd time for Japan's biggest and most austere banking group to be telling its staff to knock off early. Particularly when they realised how they were supposed to be using the extra one hour and 50 minutes of free time. The national birth-rate is low, ran the round-robin e-mail that landed in people's in-boxes on Monday, so let's all enjoy "family time". (The Australian)