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World’s Best Banks: Europe Country Winners

Europe Capital Performance The past year has been one of continuing struggle for much of the European banking sector. After a bruising 2009, which was characterized by banking failures and government bailouts, 2010 brought the European sovereign debt crisis. ...

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FSA Plans To Go Out With A Bang

MILESTONES: UNITED KINGDOM By Anita Hawser Before the 2008 financial crisis ripped through the world’s markets, the UK’s Financial Services Authority was renowned for its light-touch approach to regulation. Davies, RPC: Big jump in FSA fines In ...

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Portugal’s Leaders Left With Few Option

MILESTONES : PORTUGAL By Anita Hawser Sovereign debt in the eurozone is back in the headlines again, with Portugal going cap in hand to the European Union and asking for an emergency bailout. Debt burden leaves little ...

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Tremonti Swats Away Accusations Of Protectionism

NEWSMAKERS : ITALY By Luca Ventura When the dairy giant Parmalat, a household name in more than 30 countries, collapsed in 2003 with a $20 billion hole in its accounts, Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti fittingly dubbed the ...

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BEST BANKS 2011 BY REGION

Global Finance Announces Best Banks by Region 2011 NEW YORK, April 8, 2011 Global Finance magazine has announced its annual...

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Ireland: New Government Hopes For Export-Led Recovery

NEWSMAKERS: IRELAND By Dan Keeler When Ireland’s voters unceremoniously booted out the Fianna Fail-led government in early March election, they were hoping that new leadership would give the country a fresh start. IDA’s O’Leary: Confident Humbled by ...

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UK/US: Derivatives Traders Assess New Regs

MILESTONES: UNITED KINGDOM / UNITED STATES By Anita Hawser Banks are scrambling to launch electronic trading platforms for derivatives transactions such as credit default swaps (CDSs) in an attempt to get ahead of planned regulatory changes aimed at ...

Features

Britains Big Gamble

FOCUS: UK RECOVERY STRATEGY By Justin Keay The UK government’s savage spending cuts and deep austerity measures have been touted as a model recovery strategy for stumbling Western economies. Faltering growth is raising questions over the strategy’s validity. ...

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Canada / UK: Friction From Toronto-London Exchange Deal

MILESTONES: CANADA / UNITED KINGDOM By Erik Heinrich London Stock Exchange: Dominant partner? The proposed merger between the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has prompted criticisms that it would not be, as the ...

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Europe: Maintaining Focus On Development Aid

NEWSMAKERS: EUROPE By Justin Keay Piebalgs: Pressing Europeans to give more Spare a thought for Andris Piebalgs, the EU's development commissioner. At a time when politicians across Europe are telling people to tighten their belts during the toughest ...

Features

SEPA Update: Slow Progress

UPDATE: SEPA By Anita Hawser Proponents of the Single Euro Payments Area are considering stringent measures to encourage companies to hop on board. As eurozone countries busy themselves implementing liquidity measures designed to calm market fears about ...

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UK: Businesses Brace For Bribery Crackdown

NEWSMAKERS: UK By Anita Awser High risk: UK bribery law will affect companies worldwide In a sign that regulators are clamping down on bribery and corruption in international business, from April 2011 the UK will implement what legal ...