The contest for ABN Amro will take a new twist on Friday when a vital court ruling is delivered on the sale of the Dutch bank’s US business LaSalle, it was announced today.

Around £1.2bn (€1.78bn) was wiped from BAE Systems shares today after the defence giant said it faced an anti-corruption probe by the US Department of Justice.

Barclays was given a fillip today in its fight to fend off a counterbid for ABN Amro when a senior Dutch legal officer said the sale of American bank LaSalle did not need to go to shareholder vote.

A New York-based activist investor has called on British bank Barclays to drop its takeover of Dutch rival ABN Amro.

A consortium headed by Royal Bank of Scotland is likely to announce details of a takeover offer worth £49bn (€66bn) for Dutch bank ABN Amro tomorrow.

Barclays’ rivals in the battle for ABN Amro today said they would reveal their hand over a potential counter-bid for the Dutch bank on Tuesday.

The battle to take control of ABN Amro intensified today after the Dutch bank rejected an €18bn bid proposal for its American banking business LaSalle from a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland.

Royal Bank of Scotland was today reported to have made a £12bn (€17.6bn) offer for LaSalle, the US bank at the heart of the ABN Amro takeover saga.

A Royal Bank of Scotland-led team competing with rival Barclays to buy ABN Amro is expected to hold fresh talks with the Dutch bank over the weekend.

Attempts by Royal Bank of Scotland to lead a buy-out of ABN Amro were boosted today when a court blocked the Dutch bank’s sale of its US business LaSalle.

Royal Bank of Scotland has turned up the pressure on ABN Amro after today revealing it intended to make a hostile bid for the Dutch group.

Royal Bank of Scotland squared up to Barclays today by announcing its intention to launch a rival takeover bid for Dutch bank ABN Amro.