RBS reports losses of £1.5bn - papers

Taxpayers now own 84% of the bank following an additional state hand-out of £33.5bn this week, the largest bailout of any bank in the world, the Times writes. RBS says operating losses had improved from second quarter reports of £3.5bn. Shares in RBS rose 1.3% to 35.7p. Today's report sees a decline in the bank's fortunes of nearly 60% on the £2.3bn profit reported in the third quarter of 2008. RBS says its impairment charges leapt from £1.28bn to £3.3bn, with a rise in write-offs on bad loans to £10.8bn from £2.7bn for the nine months of this year compared to the same period in 20...