Wednesday Papers: US Fed ready to extend aid for banks into 2009 -- other news

* Dow advances 152 points and Nasdaq gains 44 points

* US May pending home sales index falls to 4.7% to 84.7 vs 86.4 expected

* US May wholesale sales up 1.6%; inventories up 0.8%

* The US central bank may continue to support struggling investment banks and dysfunctional financial markets into 2009, according to chairman Ben Bernanke

* US Fed Reserve member Jeffrey Lacker sees positive growth in 2008, but warns Fed must be wary of inflation

* Oil price dips over $5-a-barrel prompted by easing concerns over an Atlantic hurricane and a rise in the dollar

* European Union backs weekly release of oil data

* Consumer confidence fell to a new low in June, according to Nationwide

* Total and Eni each plan to bring nuclear power to countries in the Middle East

* US and Allied navies hold Gulf exercises to protect oil terminals

* Russia warns of military response to US missile shield on Czech soil

* Iran threatens to attack Tel Aviv, US shipping in the Gulf and American interests round the world if it is subjected to an attack aimed at crippling its nuclear plans

* The credit crunch has cut off a big source of profits for private equity groups in Europe this year by shutting down the option for them to add new debt to companies they own solely to pay themselves a dividend

* Banks are set to cushion the blow of more credit-related losses by using an accounting rule that enables them to record exceptional gains when their financial health deteriorates

* Alliance & Leicester close to naming Alan Gillespie, chairman of Ulster Bank, as its chairman

* Lending for house purchases rose slightly in May, but new loans for remortgaging fell steeply

* US advertising spending would grow at roughly half the pace originally fore this year year, according to leading media services group

* 3 looks to double its customer base

* Waitrose to open convenience stores in pursuit of £27 billion market

* Primark's Oxford Street store has taken £200 million since it opened

* Twenty warns full-year results to be materially below market hopes and sees small full-year loss

* Finance director RJ Piper resigns from Ultima Networks

* Man Group's AHL fund net asset value down 1.02% vs last week

* Sir John Templeton, founder of Templeton Mutual Funds, has died in Nassau, aged 95.