Banking shares rose today after Britain’s biggest lenders were given until 2019 to meet new standards on financial health set by the Bank of England.

Britain’s government published proposals to give the Bank of England new legal powers to control residential mortgage lending yesterday, but said it wanted more evidence before deciding on a BoE request to regulate lending to landlords.

The Bank of England gave a clean bill of health to Britain’s flagship mortgage guarantee scheme yesterday, sparing the government from potential embarrassment in the run-up to a national election.

Britain’s banks and financial firms are taking part in a major cyber “war game” exercise today to test their defences against the mounting threat of online attack.

Taxpayer-backed Royal Bank of Scotland is reportedly poised to slash hundreds more jobs to further shrink its investment banking division under plans to boost its balance sheet.

Britain’s banks must plug a £25bn (€29.4bn) capital shortfall as they face a potential £50bn (€58.9bn) hit over the next three years from eurozone shocks, bad debts and mis-selling scandals, the Bank of England warned today.

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.

Barclays is reportedly planning to pay its investment banks an estimated £5bn (€5.8bn) this year despite calls for restraint from Bank of England governor Mervyn King.

A bleak warning from Bank of England governor Mervyn King, eurozone uncertainty and worse-than-expected US unemployment data ended the rally on the London market today.

A new financial watchdog in the UK considered making life easier for banks by relaxing tough balance sheet rules in a bid to encourage lending, documents revealed today.

British banks must strengthen their balance sheets against potential future crises without damaging the wider economy, the British government’s new financial watchdog warned today.

A FERTILITY clinic which requires couples seeking a treatment to be married is sticking with its position despite one of its doctors being brought before the Medical Council over its stance.

THE Medical Council has adopted new procedures after a High Court judge criticised its modus operandi, but has declined to say what those changes involve.

A SPECIAL meeting of the Medical Council will take place on January 16to discuss the implications of a High Court ruling that overturned its findings of professional misconduct against two obstetricians.

THE Medical Council is facing a substantial bill after the High Court yesterday directed it to pay the legal costs of two consultant obstetricians who successfully challenged findings of professional misconduct against them by the council over their 1998 reports on the work of Dr Michael Neary at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

By ruling against the medical council’s findings, Mr Justice Kelly has cast a harsh spotlight on their disciplinary practices, writes Conor Ryan.

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are to introduce a new awards scheme for the GAA championship season in an effort to encourage on-field discipline and sportsmanship.