Afternoon:
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Uncertainty about the future of the thousands of British jobs at Vauxhall and its suppliers deepened today as it emerged that owner General Motors may not be selling it after all.
Talks over the sale of GM's European Opel division, trading as Vauxhall in the UK, have dragged on for months as two bidders - Canadian car parts group Magna and investment firm RHJ International - have battled for the prize in politically charged negotiations.
With tens of thousands of jobs at stake across Europe the sale has become a major political problem for several European states, particularly Germany, which favours the Magna bid.
But today it emerged that advisers to GM back in the US were now counselling the board to consider retaining Opel in order to keep a European and Russian presence for the group.
The decision to sell had been taken by previous management at GM.
The car giant's advisers are urging the board to consider seeking aid from European governments, including the UK, to restructure the business while retaining ownership.
Such a plan would probably involve Business Secretary Lord Mandelson negotiating some sort of aid package from the UK to protect jobs at the Vauxhall plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.
GM's advisers are reluctant to give the operation away on the cheap just as European car markets are showing signs of bouncing back.
GM has also yet to see the benefit of its recent heavy investment in Russia - expected to be a big growth market for Opel - they have argued.
A German government spokesman described as "speculation" the question of whether GM would scrap the sale.
A GM board member had been invited to Germany to discuss Opel this week, he added.
