Credit to Jenkins the Transformer, but isn’t this the old Barclays in disguise?

Business leader: Antony Jenkins talks and acts sincerely about changing his bank – but there are some very familiar faces still on the board

The lessons I learned from my week with Japan’s power-brokers

Will Hutton: The new Bank of England governor should heed Japan's efforts in trying to emerge from its lost decade

George Osborne promises to make it easier to move bank accounts

Chancellor says customers will be able to switch banks in seven days from September to encourage competition

A strong banking sector ringfence provides certainty for investors

Ignore the bankers: an electrified fence splitting retail and investment activities is the only kind worth building

RBS bankers must pay Libor fine, says George Osborne

Chancellor insists Royal Bank of Scotland, not UK taxpayers, must take up estimated £500m fine for Libor rigging

George Osborne threatens to break up banks

The chancellor will issue separation warning to institutions that flout the rules over high street and investment banking divisions

Italy rocked by scandal at world’s oldest bank

Monte dei Paschi di Siena asks for €3.9bn bailout amid scandal over loss-making derivatives contracts and alleged fraud

Barclaycard agrees deal to sponsor Hyde Park events

Five-year deal worth as much as £7.5m signed by finance brand with the Royal Parks Agency and AEG. By Mark Sweney

Santander Isa causes six-month saga

Bank finally admits to a catalogue of errors, then has to be chased for a goodwill cheque

World Bank urges poor countries to boost growth

Chief says poor countries cannot rely on high-income nations to drag them along

Business and markets in 2012: what we have learned

A series of banking scandals, outrage over tax avoidance and more eurozone procrastination have implications for next year

New Bank of England head to earn £874,000 a year

Mark Carney will take home larger package than heads of Bundesbank, European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve

Ghana expatriates return home to seize opportunities from booming economy

Banker Julian Opuni and his fashion designer wife, Rebekah, are among a growing number of Ghanaians returning to their homeland to work and build a better life

Libor founder Minos Zombanakis condemns rate manipulators

Those who are 'violating their own dignity' by dragging index into disrepute deserve fines, says syndicated finance pioneer

George Osborne needs positive forecasts to avoid triple-dip recession

With major obstacles to recovery remaining, the chancellor will be closely monitoring both economic and weather bulletins