The man seeking to raise £1bn in 11 days - today's papers

Nathaniel Rothschild emphasised his status as one of the most powerful brokers in the booming commodities market yesterday as he unveiled plans to raise £1bn in just 11 days.

The financier has assembled a cast of oil industry and City heavyweights - including the former BP chief executive Tony Hayward - to launch Vallares, a company that will buy assets in the oil and gas sector.

Vallares announced its intention to float yesterday and expects to close its fundraising by 20 June, an unusually short period in which to attract so much money. MORE...

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs' dealings with Muammar Gaddafi's regime have come under scrutiny from US regulators investigating whether they broke anti-bribery laws.MORE...

Elsewhere, the high street stalwart Marks & Spencer handed its outgoing chairman Sir Stuart Rose a pay packet worth £8m last year, although the sum paled against the almost £14m spent on luring Marc Bolland to the group. MORE...

HM Revenue and Customs has launched 16 criminal investigations as a result of the closure of its recent tax amenities. MORE...