Royal Bank of Scotland today announced the sale of its metals, oils and European energy business for $1.7bn as it looks to meet EU demands following its multi-billion pound state bail-out.

Plans to prop up part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will be put to a shareholder vote today.

British Chancellor Alistair Darling today defended British government plans to pump another £30bn (€33.2bn) of public money into banks - insisting the taxpayer was getting a "better deal".

The second homes market is set to grow in the UK in the next decade as people snap up extra properties in Britain rather than abroad, a new report predicted today.