banks News

Commentary by Gordon Brown:* Europe Risks Going the Way of Japan

The good news is that Europe is no longer going the way of Greece. The sad news is that it is threatening to go the way of Japan. After years of hesitation punctuated by panic, Europe has finally accepted the …

Cyber Surveillance Virus from Mideast Can Spy on Bank Transactions

A new cyber surveillance virus has been found in the Middle East that can spy on banking transactions and steal login information for social networking sites, email and instant messaging, according to a leading computer security firm, Kaspersky Lab. Dubbed …

U.S. Regulators Angered By N.Y. Action Against StanChart

The U.S. Treasury Department and Federal Reserve were blindsided and angered by New York’s banking regulator’s decision to launch an explosive attack on Standard Chartered Plc over $250 billion in alleged money laundering transactions tied to Iran, sources familiar with …

UK Bank May Have Hidden $250 Billion in Iran Deals; May Lose U.S. License

New York’s top bank regulator threatened to strip Standard Chartered Plc of its state banking license, saying the British bank was a “rogue institution” that hid $250 billion in transactions tied to Iran, in violation of U.S. law. The New …

Obama Tightens Sanctions on Banks Helping Iran Sell Oil

President Barack Obama announced new U.S. sanctions on Tuesday against foreign banks that help Iran sell its oil and said the measure would increase pressure on Tehran for failing to meet its international nuclear obligations. Obama’s decision, in an executive …

Recession, Libor, Facebook Punish Europe’s Banks

Leading European banks reported dismal profits on Tuesday, blaming everything from the continent’s debt crisis and Spain’s property market crash to Facebook’s disastrous stock market debut. Within a space of an hour UBS of Switzerland, Deutsche Bank, BBVA of Spain …

Geneva Association’s Fitzpatrick Warns against Mixing Bank and Insurance Regs

After 39 years of gathering, collating and disseminating the facts and figures relevant to the global insurance industry the world’s leaders and shakers are finally paying attention to the findings and recommendations of the Geneva Association. “There’s now a growing …

ECB Head Sends Strong Signal Bank Will Act to Protect Euro Zone

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi pledged on Thursday to do whatever was necessary to protect the euro zone from collapse, sending a strong signal that inflated Spanish and Italian borrowing costs were in his sights. Fears about the euro …

Geneva Association Survey Targets ‘Inappropriate Regulation,’ Economic Crisis

A bulletin from the insurance think tank The Geneva Association notes that “leaders of the insurance industry have significant concerns about the effects of inappropriate regulation and the effects of the current economic crisis,” according to a survey it conducted. …

Euro Zone May Be Fragmenting Faster than EU Can Act

Signs are growing that Europe’s economic and monetary union may be fragmenting faster than policymakers can repair it. Euro zone leaders agreed in principle on June 29 to establish a joint banking supervisor for the 17-nation single currency area, based …