Virgin out of RBS race; Harrods sold - papers

Part of Richard Branson's business conglomerate, Virgin had been one of four remaining bidders for what could rank as Britain's sixth biggest bank, in a deal expected to fetch more than £1bn, Reuters reports. The three bidders remaining are Spain's Santander, widely seen as the front runner, BBVA, and National Australia Bank. The branches of the 83% state-owned RBS are up for sale in of a series of forced sales to comply with European Union rules on state aid. Virgin's plans for the branches, which are seen by the government as the potential platform to build a major competitor for...