Seven staff members at a Dublin-based aircraft leasing firm last year shared a pay-pot of $4.23m (€3.74m).

Italian prosecutors are seeking to indict 297 people and the Bank of China in connection with a massive money-laundering investigation.

The five staff at a Dublin-based aircraft-leasing firm have each received average salaries and bonuses totalling more than $1.5m (€1.1m) over the past two years.

New international sanctions aimed at thwarting North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme are having unintended consequences.

South Korea has said North Korea has fired three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters.

A last-minute package of rescue loans that saves Cyprus from a banking collapse and bankruptcy helped push Asian stock markets higher today.

IN the two weeks ending last Friday, global equity markets experienced their worst performance in several months.

Asian stock markets jumped today following a surge on Wall Street triggered by a Federal Reserve pledge to keep interest rates super low for the next two years to help the ailing US economy.

Singapore’s long-time ruling party has won an overwhelming parliamentary majority in elections, but the opposition made historic gains after mounting its biggest challenge since independence in 1965, according to returns.

American Express is making travellers’ cheques available in Chinese yuan, it announced today.

Two employees of Bank of China’s Hong Kong subsidiary were charged in connection with sales of financial products linked to collapsed Lehman Brothers.

Two former Bank of China managers and their wives were sentenced for their role in an elaborate plan to embezzle $482m (€363m) and launder the money in other countries.

A further loss of confidence in the banking sector dragged the FTSE 100 Index down 5% today in a grim day for stock markets worldwide.

Royal Bank of Scotland has announced the sale of its entire stake in Bank of China for £1.6bn (€1.8bn).

The Bank of England’s widely anticipated cut in interest rates failed to breathe life into the FTSE 100 Index today as it came under further pressure.

A financier who tried to broker an alternative deal to the proposed takeover of HBOS conceded defeat today.

Two former bank chiefs hoping to derail Lloyds TSB’s takeover of HBOS refused to back down today despite Gordon Brown’s dismissal of their calls for the bank to stay independent.

Gordon Brown today dismissed calls for Lloyds TSB’s takeover of HBOS to be scrapped – insisting it was the only “serious” bidder.

The Bank of China has emerged as a potential bidder for an alternative takeover of HBOS, it was reported today.

Heavyweight commodity stocks helped the FTSE 100 Index gain some ground today after China unveiled a multi-billion plan to help its economy.

The world must work together as never before to deal with the global economic crisis, the president of the European Commission warned today.

The decision of the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates is to be warmly welcomed. Other banks have followed suit, including the Bank of China, Bank of Japan, and Swiss National Bank.

Asian stock markets plunged today as government bank bailouts in the US and Europe failed to alleviate fears of a global financial crisis that would depress world economic growth.

Two major Chinese banks that own £4bn (€4.9bn) in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities welcomed Washington’s bailout of the troubled mortgage lenders but declined to say today whether they expect to lose money.

A stock market bloodbath saw the FTSE 100 Index nosedive by 5.5% today as fears of a US recession sparked a global sell-off.

Royal Bank of Scotland said today it was in good shape after half-year profits hit £5bn (€7.4bn) and it eased worries about recent market turbulence.

A Saudi Arabian tycoon today emerged as a major shareholder in HSBC after spending £3.3bn (€4.84bn) on a 3.11% stake in Europe's biggest bank.

Talks on disarming North Korea’s nuclear programme broke down in Beijing today with the country’s chief nuclear envoy leaving after a dispute over money frozen in a Macau bank.

International talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme stalled again today.

A fresh round of international nuclear talks opened today with negotiators inching closer toward setting a timetable for North Korea’s disarmament after the biggest obstacle hindering discussions was removed – £13m (€19m) in frozen North Korean funds.

Investors are pinning their hopes on another good year for the FTSE 100 Index in 2007, buoyed by fresh takeover activity and higher commodity prices.

The FTSE 100 Index powered through the 6,200 barrier today to close at its highest level since February 2001.

ULSTER Bank hosted The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Bank of China (BOC) Joint Investment Forum at Dublin’s Westin Hotel yesterday.

Royal Bank of Scotland boss Fred Goodwin highlighted his company’s organic growth record today after revealing further progress in the year to date.

Investors in London held their nerve today as momentum seeped back into the markets following the worst month for more than three years.

BRITAIN’S big five banks unveiled combined profits of £33.4 billion (€49.68bn) last year — a figure which has fuelled outrage among consumer groups.

Royal Bank of Scotland is set to raise the bar for profits by a UK bank over the past year by reporting a haul of around £8.1bn (€11.8bn) today.

U2 front man and activist Bono was today poised to unveil his latest effort to combat the spread of Aids in Africa while Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was to give a speech about the war on terror.

A MAJOR seminar designed to give insights into doing business with China is to take place on October 20, in Dublin’s Berkeley Court Hotel.

Energy stocks led the FTSE 100 Index to a sixth consecutive day of losses today after the price of oil fell off its record highs.

A fall in the cost of oil from its recent record highs helped take the steam out of the FTSE 100 Index today.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) announced a major move into China today after it led a group of investors in the purchase of a stake in the country’s second largest bank for $3.1bn (€2.5bn).

A ROW between Japan and China intensified yesterday as the Asian powers each demanded protection for their nationals and Beijing insisted Tokyo did not deserve a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

The London market suffered a late sell-off today after the United States said its trade deficit had ballooned to a record $61bn (€47.4bn) in February.