IN BRIEF (Page 16)

Bid snubbed

Aer Lingus Group Plc rejected a 524 million-euro hostile bid from Ryanair Holdings Plc to buy the stock in the airline it doesn't already own, saying the low-cost carrier's second offer in two years is too low.

Ryanair, which already holds 29.82 percent of Aer Lingus, bid 1.40 euros for each share yesterday, half the price offered in 2006. Aer Lingus said antitrust questions that scuttled the earlier transaction remain in effect, and it "strongly advised" shareholders not to respond to the bid.