While tighter security is essential in preventing terrorism so, too, is addressing its root causes. This includes tackling disaffection with globalisation, which must be seen to benefit the wider community.

The UK’s Financial Services Authority has set the template for regulation around the world but it has recently come in for criticism from politicians and market players for overdoing the red tape. How justified are the claims? asks Nick Kochan.

Having rewritten Lloyds TSB’s poor growth story, CEO Eric Daniels now wants to strengthen the bank’s franchise, he tells Karina Robinson.

The building society sector has survived demutualisation and clung on to sizeable shares of the mortgage and savings markets. But could there be more mergers in the pipeline? Michael Imeson reports.
The day after Tony Blair was returned as UK prime minister for a third term last month, the outcome of a markedly different sort of election was announced. Philip Williamson, chief executive of the Nationwide Building Society, was voted chairman of the Building Societies Association (BSA) for 2005/6.

The UK’s Barclays is investing close to £3bn in South Africa to get control of that country’s biggest retail bank, Absa – the biggest foreign purchase ever by the British group. The deal has been approved by regulators and has the support of sufficient shareholders to be successful, after almost a year of behind-the-scenes talks.

The authorisation of the first fully Shariah-compliant bank in the West has created considerable interest. Michael Ainley looks at the FSA’s approach and what lies ahead.

As the bidding war rages for the London Stock Exchange, Geraldine Lambe looks at how the 200-year-old-institution lost its lead in the European charts.

When a company gets a bid approach, analysts are entitled to come to one of two conclusions: either the management was underperforming and a would-be owner can see hidden value that could be achieved by new management; or the management did a great job in making assets attractive for sale and getting a great price for shareholders. With London Stock Exchange (LSE) in play again, things are more complicated.

The Banker’s listing of Foreign-owned Banks in London, shows the UK capital still has pulling power.

The Bank of England isproposing reform of the sterling money markets in a bid to reduce the volatility of short-term interest rates. In what the bank says are the “most far reaching reforms for a quarter of a century or more”, it will replace the present system, which involves frequent bank intervention to stabilise rates, with an arrangement modelled on best practice that should minimise interest rate swings.