The Nifty 250: news of the day in so many words

A man suffered a fractured skull when he was beaten by at least five men during a stag party in Liverpool city centre.
The 50-year-old was found collapsed in Renshaw Street in the early hours of Sunday.

is in hospital in a stable condition. His 22-year-old son and a friend also suffered minor injuries.

Officers believe the men may have been targeted by a gang because of their Hawaiian shirts.

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Liverpool FC has moved a big step closer to a buy-out deal, according to reports. Potential buyer Yahya Kirdi flew to London last week for crunch talks with the club's new chairman Martin Broughton and co-owner George Gillett.
Kirdi, an International Unicef representative who has been commended by UEFA, is reported to be working around the clock to pave the way for the £400m deal with a proposed new Gulf-based regime.

Nursery pupils in Knowsley are being banned from eating sweets and cake on their birthdays under a healthy-eating scheme with a strict 'no sweets on birthdays' rule.
The scheme, called the Pre-School Nutrition Project, was set up to promote healthy living in children, aged between two and five, after a 2006 survey revealed nutritional standards in nurseries were poor.

But critics today said the move was 'spoiling childhood' all together.

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LIVERPOOL’S deposed Liberal Democrats have written to Nick Clegg asking to be consulted about any decision he takes on forming a coalition with the Tories.
Senior board members, including Warren Bradley, signed up to a letter which began: “Dear Nick, the Lib-Dem executive board had discussions this morning about talks you have entered into with the Conservatives.”

It urged the party leader to recognise the damage that an “inconceivable” association with the Conservatives could do to the local party.

It added: “Can we ask that dialogue is taken with us prior to a final decision?”