DENVER, Aug.

The German government is considering taking over Hypo Real Estate, a mortgage lender under investigation for insider trading, an official said. The investigation is on-going, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority said. The German Cabinet will discuss the possibility of nationalizing the mortgage lender Wednesday, Deutsche Welle reported Monday.

If the $700 billion mortgage bailout plan in the U.S. was supposed to calm global investors, someone forgot to tell Europe. Stock indexes from Paris to Frankfurt plunged as much as 9% on Oct. 6 over worries of a spreading crisis among European banks.

By Matt Moore Associated Press STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Germany became the latest country to move to allay fears about the financial meltdown, enhancing a rescue plan for Hypo Real Estate AG and guaranteeing private bank accounts as European governments scrambled on their own Sunday to save failing banks.

By Michael Howie ALISTAIR Darling, the Chancellor, was last night under pressure to extend state protection for bank depositors in the UK, after the German government announced it would guarantee all private savings deposits.