More News: Minerva sees red

Minerva takes major hit from Scarlett Retail and Turbo Genset gets financing.

* Country and Metropolitan says it may receive a 300p-a-share offer and would recommend it.

* Ovoca agrees to buy 78% of Norplat and has options to buy whole company

* ML Laboratories sacks chairman Stuart Sim; names Ian Kent chairman and Kieran Murphy chief executive

* Infast halves final dividend to 0.6p making total dividend 1p vs 2p; first two months current year continuing operations turnover marginally higher ; exits manufacturing operations ahead of schedule at lower than expected cost; bank facilities renewed for 12 months.; full-year pre-tax pre-exceptionals £1.7 million vs £1.4 million

* Horizon full-year pre-tax profit €5.7 million vs €686,000; sees measured market recovery in 2004 continuing

* Bristol & London in deal with Carstar Accident for Mercedes-Benz repair; sees immediate impact on profits from deal

* Minerva first-half loss £20.6 million vs £4.4 million profit; first-half loss follows Scarlett Retail write-off of £21.9 million; net asset value at first-half end 365p vs 379.5p; interim dividend up 1.9% to 1.09p ; sees no further adverse impact from Scarlett Retail joint venture; appoints Andrew Rosenfeld executive chairman effective March 31; outgoing chairman Sir David Garrard to sell 13.5 million shares; appoints Ivan Ezekiel as finance director effective March 31

* Turbo Genset secures £7.1 million financing in convertible notes

* SHL full-year pre-tax profit £3.1 million vs loss £10 million; makes positive start to new year and sees continuing growth