Sunday Papers: Standard Life prepared to pay up to 800p to win Resolution

Standard Life prepared to pay up to 800p-a-share to win Resolution and Treasury officials have given green light for US hedge funds to enter takeover talks with Northern Rock.

SUNDAY TIMES
* Northern Rock bondholders are to meet this week in a bid to ensure the mortgage lender is not sold off cheaper
* Sainsbury chairman Sir Philip Hampton is understood to be planning his first meeting with the prime minister of Qatar
* Quintain to buy Wembley retail park from Capital & Regional for £85 million
* Japanese noodle chain Wagamama is preparing a £00 million-plus flotation
* The result of a Competition Commission inquiry into BSkyB's 17.9% stake in ITV is due to be published this week
* Activist fund-management group North Atlantic Value is poised to launch a $15 million takeover bid for Bionostics, the medical diagnostics firm
* Indonesian cigarette billionaire Putera Sampoerna has put his London casino Les Ambassadeurs up for sale 18 months after buying it

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
* Treasury officials have given the green light for US hedge funds JC Flowers and Cerberus to enter takeover talks with Northern Rock's board this week
* Phil Riley, former chief executive of Chrysalis Radio, fronts private equity offer for Emap's radio stations
* BSkyB faces more fallout on ITV stake
* British Airways nearer to Iberia deal as Spain shuts out French rival Air France/KLM
* Vincent Tchenguiz is working on plans for a possible break-up of Erinaceous
* Talent buyer Edmund Truell hits back at criticism of his controversial takeover of GEC Marconi's pension fund
* Should Equitable Life policyholders approve the sale of with-profits annuities to the Prudential?

THE OBSERVER
* Northern Rock's accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers is facing accusations of a damaging conflict of interest after it emerged that it earned bigger fees for helping the lender to sell on its loans
* HSBC rebels joint Knight Vinke lobby
* Emap considers pension sale to bring in bidders

MAIL ON SUNDAY
* Royal Bank of Scotland is this week expected to clinch victory in the battle for control of ABN Amro
* Barclays has pulled the planned sale of its First Plkus loan arm after failing to attract high enough bids
* Theo Fennell is close to entering mainland China with agreements to supply retailers in Beijing and Shanghai
* Trinity Mirror understood to have pulled the sale of its Midlands-based newspaper group
* All Leisure on slipway to £110 million float

SUNDAY EXPRESS
* Standard Life will offer as much as 800p-a-share to make sure it wins the race to land Resolution
* Fears are growing that an attempt to sell Northern Rock intact is doomed
* Network Rail seeks £500 million station partner
* Octopus Private Equity is understood to have hired Long Acre Partners to assess options, including a possible sale for up to £50 million
* Apax, through Incisive Media, to lead bids in Emap sell-off
* Vets group CVS plans £120 million float
* Airline Transaero set to become the latest Russian firm to stage and Initial Public offering
* Arena Leisure and Northern Racing rejoin race for the Tote
* Erinaceous facing breakup and bargain sell-offs
* New tie-up for Ted Baker

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
* Northern Rock tales £100 million in penalty fees
* Roger Allard, head of All Leisure, to pocket £10 million as group floats on AIM
* Vodafone set to play £1 billion game of pass the tax bill over Indian acquisition.