A chain of private UK rehab clinics best known for helping wean celebrities off their addictions has been sold to private equity in a deal worth up to £925m (€1.1bn), it was announced today.

Royal Bank of Scotland today sold a majority stake in the UK's biggest credit card payment firm.

Discount clothing retailer Matalan has drawn interest from at least five major buy-out firms in the opening stages of a £1.5bn (€1.7bn) auction, it was reported today.

The former chief executive of Alliance Boots, Richard Baker, has been appointed as an operating partner at private equity firm Advent International.

Barclays led a downturn for the London market today after fears grew about the banking group’s exposure to the US sub-prime mortgage market.

Banking giant Lloyds TSB sold part of its business to a private equity firm today in a deal worth £550m (€803m).

DAYS before Esat Digifone got the licence to run the country’s second mobile phone network in May, 1996, Norwegian executives feared businessman Denis O’Brien would use his Dermot Desmond connection to gain control of the consortium, the Moriarty Tribunal heard yesterday.

ANTI-BIN charge protesters received a solicitor’s letter threatening legal action an hour after announcing they would picket Dublin Castle to coincide with the appearance of businessman Denis O’Brien before the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday.

THERE was no suggestion from evidence made available to the tribunal that former Communications Minister Michael Lowry interfered with the Government committee that selected the winner of the country’s second mobile telephone licence, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty said yesterday.

BUSINESSMAN Denis O’Brien pledged that Esat Digifone would remain Irish-controlled and there would be a three-to-one voting ratio in favour of the Irish investors, the Moriarty Tribunal heard yesterday.

The Moriarty Tribunal has been told that Esat finished third out of six in a provisional assessment of bids for the second mobile phone licence in August 1995.