A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

Hypo Real Estate gets extra €20bn

Germany's troubled Hypo Real Estate Group has been granted a further €20 billion in state guarantees on top of the €50 billion rescue package agreed last month to guarantee liquidity - and is likely to apply for more.

The Munich-based group faced collapse last month because of liquidity problems in its Dublin-based subsidiary, Depfa.

Yesterday, the bank said in a statement that the additional €20 billion would be used to "to collateralise debt securities to be issued, which must be due for repayment by January 15th, 2009, at the latest".

The charge for using the state guarantee fund will be 1.5 per cent per annum.

Analysts predict further applications from the bank, noting its "ongoing" negotiations with the state guarantee fund, operated by the Bundesbank in Frankfurt.

Berlin last month announced a €400 billion three-year guarantee to improve general interbank liquidity and an €80 billion recapitalisation fund until the end of 2009 for all banks operating in Germany.

Contractor in court over pension issue

An engineering contractor appeared in Waterford District Court yesterday charged in connection with failing to supply information regarding an employee to the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman.

John O'Mahony, Corbally More, Dunmore East, Co Waterford, allegedly failed to supply the pay slips of former employee Jerry Murphy of Riverstown, Tramore, from 1998 to 2004 to the board.

Mr Murphy was at the time working for Mr O'Mahony's company, O'Mahony Civil Engineering Ltd. The accused entered a plea in relation to failing to supply the information.

Solicitor Brian Chesser made an application to have the matter adjourned to afford his client a chance to comply with the request. The matter was adjourned to December 19th.

CRH finishes €1.5bn debt refinancing

Building materials firm CRH has completed a refinancing of €1.5 billion in debt due to mature next year. Declining to name its lenders, the company said the terms of the renewal and extension of the debt were confidential.

Dell profits better than expected

Dell, the world's second-largest PC maker, has posted a better-than- expected quarterly profit, crediting cost cuts and new products, sending its shares up 9 per cent.

Dell was facing subdued expectations for the October quarter. The company warned in September, just weeks after reporting second-quarter results, that it was seeing "further softening" in global demand.

Net profit in the fiscal third quarter to October 31st fell 5 per cent to $727 million (€579 million), or 37 US cents a share, from $766 million, or 34 cents a share, in the same period last year. Per-share earnings rose as Dell bought back shares.

Revenue in the period fell 3 per cent to $15.16 billion, below the average analyst estimate of $16.3 billion.

The company said in a statement that it believed global IT demand would continue to be "challenging". - (Reuters)

Reox dismissal case resolved

A High Court action by the managing director of the property division of Reox Holdings plc, formerly Dairygold, to prevent his dismissal has been resolved.

Michael Hogan, Ennis Road, Limerick, managing director of Carraigdubh (Holdings) Ltd, trading as Alchemy Properties, had brought his action against Carraigdubh and Reox Holdings plc.

An application to restrain his dismissal pending the outcome of a full hearing was due to be heard yesterday but Mark Connaughton SC, for Mr Hogan, told Mr Justice Peter Charleton the case was resolved.

No details were given.