Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has posted a pre-tax loss of £691m during the first six months of 2008, the second-biggest loss in UK banking history.
Spain's Marsans is forging ahead with its purchase of 61 Airbus planes despite the looming sale of its subsidiary Aerolineas Argentinas, which was due to take around 40 of the aircraft, a spokesman for the travel firm said on Friday according to press reports from Spain.
Argentina's government bond spreads', which gauge investors' aversion to risk, widened sharply on Friday as confidence in the economic outlook and the political management of the country began to be questioned.