Standard Chartered and Royal Bank of Scotland among those approached

First-quarter profit of Europe’s biggest lender helped by favourable credit spreads move and drop in operating expenses

Board unanimous on keeping HQ in UK, decision follows uncertain 10 months

Europe’s biggest bank to offload unprofitable Brazilian operations to Banco Bradesco

Five years after Gulf of Mexico disaster, the former BP boss is causing controversy

Birmingham location of retail head office fuels speculation about rebadging

UK bank could announce thousands of job cuts at a strategy day next week

Bizarre case of Mike Coupe criminal conviction in Egyptian court – and two-year prison sentence – emerged out of the blue

Background: Regime began in UK in 1799 and still applies in Ireland

Recorded comments appear to contrast with bank’s public statements

Gulliver faced more than two hours of hostile questioning at House of Commons

Politicians seek to follow UK lead but any approach is almost certain to be rebuffed

Head of UK tax authority defends organisation in face of MPs’ complaints

Deal with France to allow UK use leaked HSBC files to pursue financial advisers

Annual profit slumps 17 per cent to $18.7 billion at banking giant

Bank put its ‘Guardian’ advertising ‘on pause’ during Swiss leaks investigation

Fallout from tax evasion activities of bank’s Swiss operations not abating

Financial services group publishes letter in British newspapers addressing Swiss leaks

Pre-tax earnings dropped 12 per cent to $12.3 billion from $14.1 billion a year earlier

Dixons in talks with Carphone Warehouse

Profits at Europe’s largest bank rise by 9 per cent but still miss analysts’ estimates

HSBC is Europe’s biggest bank with a market value of $200bn