Monday Papers: JPMorgan in talks for RBS power trading book - tips, comment and bids

Financial Times

* JPMorgan Chase is in talks to acquire another part of RBS Sempra Commodities.

* Bright Food, the Chinese food group, is in exclusive talks to buy United Biscuits in a deal that would value the maker of Jaffa Cakes and Hula Hoops crisps at almost £2.5 billion including debt.

* TPG plans to hold a “beauty contest” next month to choose investment banking advisers for the likely sale of Mey Icki, which has more than doubled its earnings to more than $200 million since being bought by the US private equity firm in 2006 for $810 million.

* The private equity industry’s rush to put its money to work has seen a near doubling of buy-out activity in the first nine months of the year, according to data from Mergermarket; buy-outs jumped from $77.9 billion in value to $144 billion in the first nine months of the year.

The Lex Column

* Games makers - Be careful of all those new devices being waved about on trains.

* TPG - Minority stakes in strategic Russian companies are fraught with risk.

* Louis Dreyfus - Commodities group not alone in being thirsty for public capital.

Other Comments

* Lead from the centre, Mr President - The row over the Bush tax cuts perfectly illustrates Obama’s strategic blindness.

* Could any country risk a eurozone bail-out? No euro member would want to borrow from the facility.