Spain’s most prestigious banker and 11 of his relatives are being investigated over possible income tax fraud.

Former building societies Abbey and Alliance & Leicester are to be merged under a £1.26bn (€1.5bn) deal announced today.

Spanish police are investigating a small plane loaded with drugs that crashed into the estate of one of the country’s most prominent bankers today, killing two people on board.

BANK shares traded higher in Dublin yesterday after speculation in the Financial Times that AIB could be in the sights of Spain’s largest bank, Santander.

The Spanish owner of Abbey National was today said to have ruled out a bid for Alliance & Leicester as it looked to make a further raid on the UK banking sector.

The corruption trial of Spain’s most powerful banker, who bought Britain’s Abbey National, was suspended just hours after it started today when the defence presented new evidence.

The takeover of Abbey National cleared a major hurdle today after shareholders in Spanish bank Santander Central Hispano (SCH) voted to approve the deal.

Abbey National today welcomed the appointment of a Spanish banker at its helm as Santander Central Hispano (SCH) outlined its plans for the banking giant.

Spanish bank Santander Central Hispano today pledged to give up its two boardroom seats at Royal Bank of Scotland if it lands Abbey National.

Spain’s Santander Central Hispano (BSCH) says it will cut about 3,000 jobs at takeover target Abbey National to cut costs if the deal is approved.

Abbey National staff were today expected to discover how many jobs will go in the bank’s planned takeover by Spanish group Santander Central Hispano (SCH).