Banks rescue suicide billionaire's interests
Two days after the suicide of one of Germany's richest men -- who was apparently despondent over financial troubles -- banks agreed to rescue his business holdings, the companies said in a statement.

Japan lending more cash to banks
The Japanese central bank is providing banks with emergency loans in a new bid to stimulate its worsening economy.

Banks react to interest rate cut
Banks in Northern Ireland start to react to the latest cut in interest rates announced by the Bank of England.

U.S. Banks Offer Mortgage Rates Below 5% as Fed Buys Securities
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The largest U.S. banks are starting to offer fixed home loans below 5 percent after the government began buying mortgage securities to bolster the housing market.

Canadian Banks Ask for Changes to Capital Rules, Globe Reports
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian bank chief executive officers want regulators to change the rules regarding capital so that banks can lend more, the Globe and Mail reported, citing unidentified people.

France to Give Additional EU10.5 Billion to Banks (Update1)
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said the government is preparing to inject another 10.5 billion euros ($14.3 billion) into banks.

Australia?s Westpac, ANZ Banks Said to Plan Samurai Bond Sales
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Two Australian banks are preparing to sell government-guaranteed samurai bonds in Japan, while a third is considering a sale, in what would be the first issuance of yen bonds by foreigners since the market seized up in September.

Few banks and companies have used accounting rule change, EU finds
Most European banks and blue-chip companies are not using looser accounting rules that would have allowed them to revise upward the value of complex investments, which depreciated during the financial crisis, a group of European Union regulators said Wednesday.

FSA urges UK banks to make £1bn IT investment
UK banks will have to spend almost £1bn on IT systems under an FSA proposal to speed up compensation paid by banks to customers.

BSP closes 2 Pampanga rural banks
MANILA, Philippines?The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shut down on Thursday two Pampanga-based rural banks, the first ones to fall this new year, after the ailing lenders suspended operations voluntarily.

Banks must spend almost £1bn on IT in next 18 months
UK banks will have to spend hundreds of millions on IT systems under an FSA...

Training proposed for Banks work
A start-up group called the Gateway Consortium wants to start an apprenticeship program to train minorities and women in construction for The Banks riverfront project.

Hong Kong stock index falls almost 4 percent amid heaving selling in Chinese banks, Lenovo
HONG KONG - Hong Kong's main stock dropped nearly 4 percent Thursday as heavy selling in Chinese banks and computer maker Lenovo Group weighed on the market.

Domestic banks getting ready for new competition
VietNamNet Bridge ? Vo Van Chau, General Director of Phuong Dong Bank, once said that foreign banks were not tigers and domestic banks were not young rabbits. To Chau, the appearance of foreign banks in Vietnam is not too great a threat.

Banks told to spend £1bn on new IT to prepare for failure
How to ensure an orderly collapse of the banking system The Financial Services Authority is consulting with UK High Street banks about the need to improve their IT systems so that consumers will get their money back more quickly if a bank should fail.?

PDIC takes over two Pampanga-based rural banks
MANILA, Philippines - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has placed two more rural banks under the receivership of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) after declaring a bank holiday.

Banks May Need to Raise Fresh Capital In ?09, Analyst Says
U.S. banks will have to raise fresh capital in 2009, and a sharp increase in credit-rating downgrades on mortgage-related securities will lead to further stresses on the companies? capital, according to prominent banking analyst Meredith Whitney.

Loans extended by foreign currency units of RP banks rise
MANILA, Philippines - Loans extended by the foreign currency deposit units of Philippine banks rose in the third quarter of 2008 on higher borrowing activity, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Thursday.

Murray: Banks don't tell Rangers what to do
Rangers chairman David Murray claims it was his decision to sanction the sale of Kris Boyd. And he insists the club is under no pressure from the banks to sell their top players.

Banks Agree to Extend Credit Lines to Talbots
Talbots shares jumped 24 percent on Tuesday, a day after the women?s apparel retailer said it entered into agreements with three banks to secure a total $150 million in committed lines of credit.