Insurance giant Aviva today said it had agreed to sell its Australian life and wealth management businesses in a deal worth around €530m.

Royal Bank of Scotland today confirmed it was in talks to sell ABN Amro’s Australian and New Zealand operations.

The Australian owner of two historic British regional banks, Yorkshire and Clydesdale, has announced plans to close 100 branches in the UK.

ABOUT 1,700 jobs are to be axed in Britain after the Australian owner of two historic regional banks announced plans for a radical overhaul yesterday.

DANSKE BANK is to separate Northern Bank and National Irish Bank into two stand-alone units.

MERGERS and acquisition deals involving Irish companies soared in 2004 to €10.4 billion, up 33%.

THERE was cross-party unanimity that the banks seem to have got off scot free connection with the recent banking scandals that rocked the Irish financial services sector.

THE surprise €1.4 billion purchase by Denmark’s Danske Bank of the Northern Bank and National Irish Bank (NIB) from National Australia Bank (NAB) will not result in any jobs losses among the workforce of 3,100.

NATIONAL Australia Bank has informed the bank officials union, the IBOA, it will be January before any final decision is taken on the sale of Irish subsidiaries Northern Bank and National Irish Bank.

BANKING sources still insist Halifax Bank of Scotland will end up buying the Northern and National Irish Bank.

THE union representing staff at National Irish Bank (NIB) and Northern Bank will hold crunch talks with management today to find out more about plans to sell both banks.

NATIONAL Australia Bank has dismissed weekend stories about 400 jobs being lost in the Irish divisions as a bid by potential buyers to talk down the price.

THE future of National Irish Bank (NIB) will not be decided until the new year, the troubled bank's Australian parent said yesterday.

National Australia Bank has confirmed that there will be no immediate sale of its Irish subsidiaries National Irish Bank and Northern Bank.

POTENTIAL bidders in the race to buy National Irish Bank (NIB) remained tight-lipped yesterday as the deadline passed for submitting outline offers for the troubled bank and its sister operation in Northern Ireland.

NATIONAL Australia Bank (NAB) could complete the sale of the Northern Bank and National Irish Bank (NIB) for up to €1.7 billion by November 10 next, it emerged yesterday.

THE Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA) has written to various banks concerned that hundreds of jobs may be under threat if they buy National Irish Bank (NIB).

NATIONAL Irish Bank (NIB) may not be sold immediately by its Australian parent company.

THE future of National Irish Bank (NIB) will only be determined as part of on ongoing review and no decision is expected in the short term, the bank’s Australian parent said yesterday.

THE union representing staff at National Irish Bank (NIB) will meet senior executives from the bank’s parent company within 10 days to seek reassurance on the bank’s future.

PUBLICATION of the report into the National Irish Bank’s affairs may be delayed, it emerged yesterday.

NATIONAL Australia Bank (NAB) could sell its Irish and British assets soon, despite denials of such a plan by chief executive, John Stewart yesterday.

The chairman of National Australian Bank (NAB) has quit as a director of News Corporation, as his NAB chair remains under siege.

Despite needing "a lot of management attention," National Irish Bank (NIB) will not be sold by its parent, National Australian Bank (NAB).

National Australia Bank (NAB) has said its board has approved a plan to set up a committee to manage the bank's proposed extraordinary general meeting (EGM) and consider resolutions submitted by board member Catherine Walter.

NATIONAL IRISH BANK (NIB) will not be sold off by its Australian parent, employees were told yesterday.

National Irish Bank parent National Australia Bank (NAB) has released a report by the Australian banking regulator into irregular currency options trading at the bank.

National Australia Bank, parent company of National Irish Bank, and Australia's biggest bank has said that the final loss arising from the foreign currency options trading fraud remains at A$360m (€213m), and that it has put into action a plan to ensure a non-reoccurrence of the scandal.

Banking giants HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland may be set for a bidding war for the Irish banking operations of National Australia Bank, which owns fellow Scottish bank Clydesdale.

The chief executive of National Australia Bank (NAB) has stepped down in the wake of the recent shock currency trading losses.

ROGUE trading losses at National Irish Bank's Australian parent were $360m (€222m), double the amount forecast last week, the bank said yesterday.

National Australia Bank (NAB) said today that losses resulting from a rogue trading scandal were twice as high as forecast at AU$360m (€222m).

National Australia Bank (NAB), the parent of National Irish Bank, has failed to update the market on the extent of losses arising from the revaluation of its currency options portfolio.

AIB Bank and Bank of Ireland may become takeover targets for National Australia Bank when a former Barclays’ Bank deputy chief executive takes over NAB’s European operations in August.

NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK has appointed a top banker to run its British operations, increasing prospects of a bid for an Irish bank.

National Australia Bank has emerged as the next possible merger partner for Bank of Ireland.

Bank of Ireland has said savings generated by a proposed merger with Abbey National would reach as high as €631m before tax if it was accepted.

Speculation surrounding the future of Abbey National continued today with reports that Bank of Ireland is planning to offer shareholders up to €2.3bn cash as part of its merger proposal.

THE board of the British bank Abbey National plc may be forced to re-think its rejection of Bank of Ireland's takeover offer if institutional shareholders decide they like the Irish bank's plans.

BANK OF IRELAND is still very much in the race to take over Abbey National despite the slamming of the gate on a buyout by the board of Britain’s sixth-biggest bank yesterday.

Share prices were sharply higher in midday trade following a rebound on Wall Street overnight on speculation about the possibility of a further US Fed interest rate cut this year, dealers said.