MORRISON SUPERMARKET CHAIN OFFERS [pounds sterling]3 BN FOR RIVAL SAFEWAY.(Brief Article)

William Morrison Supermarkets Plc has agreed a new [pounds sterling]3 billion (Euro 4.2 billion) bid for rival Safeway Plc on December 15 to challenge for third position in the UK's supermarket sector. It brings the long-running takeover battle for Safeway into its final stages, nearly a year after Morrison first made its initial all-share [pounds sterling]2.9 billion bid in January. In September, Morrison was cleared by British regulators to bid for Safeway on condition it sold 52 stores in a ruling that also blocked the UK's three biggest supermarket groups, Tesco Plc, J Sa