European governments look set to lose the backing of their biggest group of creditors, with some of the region’s banks likely to trim the €1.72tn they own in low-yielding government debt in coming quarters, in a bid to boost profitability.

GLANCING at Naomi Watts’ curriculum vitae, one could be forgiven for presuming that the 43-year-old actress has a penchant for American political intrigue.

BRITISH building society, Nationwide — which formally starts trading here today — is confident of building a strong customer base in Ireland but has no interest in growing through acquisition.