(Fortune Magazine) -- Heated exchange

The first time Nasdaq courted the London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq's shares weren't enticing enough, and it didn't have the cash to make up the difference--so it settled for a 25.1% stake. Come October, British law allows Nasdaq to vie for the rest. Pundits expect Nasdaq to barrel in with a hostile bid to overcome LSE CEO Clara Furse's desire to stay independent. But look for Nasdaq to play it cool--at first. Nasdaq's stock has jumped since it initially went after LSE (up 20% since June 13), while LSE shares are down 5% from their May peak. Nasdaq isn't allowed to lower its original offer until next May, but at that point it might scoop up LSE at a bargain price.

Addicted to online gaming?

Later this year, China's online gaming market - expected to reach $970 million in 2006 - will overtake South Korea's to become the world's largest after the U.S., according to Shanghai's iResearch firm. That may be good for the gaming industry, but inside China it's stoking fears of Internet addiction. A survey last year estimated that 13% of Chinese web users ages 13 to 35 were addicted to the Net, mostly to online gaming. News of excesses, such as the suicide of a 13-year-old who wanted to join his cyberheroes, have added to worries. Within months the Chinese government hopes to roll out a monitoring system to deter excessive gaming among minors.