Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsSouth Korea declares emergency martial law – liveNatWest CEO Paul Thwaite says the bank is on a “fast trajectory to private ownership”, with the government likely to fully exit its stake within the first half of 2025.Kicking the FT Banking Summit at the Convene Centre near London’s St Paul’s Cathedral this morning, Thwaite said this will be “symbolic” for both NatWest staff and the entire banking sector, allowing the industry to close another chapter of the fallout from the 2008 banking crash.“Absent some big kind of dislocation and economic events, you know, we’ll be back to private ownership next year, maybe as early the first half of the year, and that will be a great moment”“It means we can talk about the future of the bank and the potential of the bank, rather than having to talk about its past. So yeah, all, as you say, All things being well, but I think we’re on a very fast trajectory to private ownership, and I’m very proud of that” Continue reading...