Barclays was accused of ignoring anger over bonuses and running “business as usual” as it revealed a £1.5bn (€1.8bn) pot for investment bankers yesterday.

The bonus plans of Britain's biggest banks were under the spotlight again today as the City watchdog revealed it was stepping up pressure to curb excessive payouts.

It can no longer be "business as usual" for UK banks when they decide how much to pay out in bonuses this year, an influential shareholder group warned today.

Police chiefs and political leaders were struggling to restore calm to England’s streets today after riots spread across the country.

Banking giant HSBC was rebuked by shareholders today over plans that could see chief executive Stuart Gulliver earn up to £12.5m this year.

Taxpayer-backed Lloyds Banking Group is expected to face tough questions at its annual meeting tomorrow over a multi-million-pound pay deal for its new chief executive.

Oil giant BP is expected to face further shareholder ire at its annual general meeting over “wholly unacceptable” boardroom pay packets awarded in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.

Oil giant BP is facing a wave of protests as it holds its annual general meeting in London days before the first anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

BP’s €11.3bn share-swap with Russian government-owned Rosneft was dealt another blow today after a tribunal blocked the deal until further notice.

European judges rewrote the rule book for insurance companies today by banning risk assessment based on gender.

Thomas Cook shareholders rebuked the company’s board today for shifting bonus targets in the wake of the volcanic ash cloud.

Tesco faces investors at its annual general meeting later today amid mounting pressure on the UK’s biggest supermarket.

Tesco defended the pay packet of its US boss today after a lobby group urged shareholders to register a protest vote at the supermarket’s annual meeting.

Dublin Airport is to remain closed until at least midday due to the volcanic ash cloud, while Donegal airport will now be closed until 2pm.

Oil giant BP today signalled it would press on with a controversial Canadian tar sands project despite facing a showdown with environmental campaigners and shareholders.

Oil giant BP faces a showdown with environmental campaigners over controversial Canadian oil sand projects when it holds its annual shareholder meeting today.

Consumer confidence in the UK took a dive during the final quarter of 2009 as people worried about their job security, research showed today.

Flood-hit communities were today facing up to the devastation caused by the torrential downpours as homes and businesses were cut off by collapsed or damaged bridges and schools closed.

Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester's move to defer part of his £9.6m (€11.14m) pay package for an extra two years was welcomed today by a shareholder lobby group.

Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Rose reported better-than-expected sales today after seeing an "improving trend" in the retailer's performance.

Furious investors are calling for Royal Dutch Shell bosses to hand back recent bonuses amid an escalating row over the oil giant’s pay awards, according to reports today.

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell suffered a dramatic shareholder revolt today amid fury over its recent pay awards.

Oil major Royal Dutch Shell could face protests over its huge awards for top directors despite failing to meet performance targets, it was revealed today.

INSURANCE companies are bolstering their fraud investigation teams due to a “significant and worrying” increase in suspicious claims involving high-end luxury cars, lorries and unoccupied properties.

With the slowdown in the economy one might expect the rate of insurance claims to go down.

Some businesses in the North are turning down work because they cannot obtain insurance amid the economic downturn, it was revealed today.

Investors in Barclays will meet today to approve a £7bn (€8.2bn) fund-raising which could put almost a third of the bank in the hands of Middle East investors.

British bank Barclays said today that executive directors will not receive any annual bonus this year as the bank seeks to pacify investors over its £7bn (€8.3bn) fundraising.

Barclays’ plans to tap Middle Eastern investors for a multi-billion boost came under mounting pressure today as a major shareholder group raised concerns over the deal.

LIMITS could yet be placed on the number of teenage passengers that a teenage driver is allowed in his or her car.

Bradford & Bingley’s major shareholders were today stepping in to salvage the lender’s £400m (€505m) funding plan after a US private equity firm walked away from the deal.

The FTSE 100 Index fell almost 3% today after investors were spooked by a sudden spike in oil prices and fears over inflation in the UK and US.

A controversial bonus scheme which could net five senior directors of banking giant HSBC more than £120m (€152m) over the next three years received substantially less than unanimous backing from shareholders today.

Marks & Spencer bowed to investor pressure today by unveiling a series of concessions over the proposed promotion of boss Stuart Rose.

Marks & Spencer is today expected to offer a series of concessions to investors over its controversial plans to promote chief executive Stuart Rose.

British banking giant HSBC was today accused by a rebel shareholder of misleading investors over share rewards for senior directors.

UK businesses in areas at risk from flooding may face higher premiums or even have their cover withdraw altogether, Europe’s biggest insurer warned today.

Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Rose will have to meet tougher targets to earn this year’s potential £4.2m (€6.2m) share bonus after the retailer succumbed to shareholder pressure, it emerged today.

A shareholder revolt over the pay package of BP boss Lord Browne today threatened to overshadow his last annual meeting as chief executive of the oil giant.

An insurance firm is offering investors the chance to bet against a catastrophic flood devastating London.

I HAVE been attempting in recent times to highlight the contribution of Irish-based insurance companies to our poor road safety record by insuring provisional licence-holders to drive cars unaccompanied by a qualified driver.

BA said it aimed to return misplaced luggage caught up in the British terror-alert chaos to 5,000 passengers by the end of today.

Owners of homes and businesses damaged in the Buncefield explosion will be covered, the Association of British Insurers said tonight.

Supermarket boss Ken Morrison is set to come under intense investor pressure this week amid claims today he is delaying the modernisation of the group’s board.