UK and banks push on to seal asset bail-out plan

Britain's Treasury and top banks were hammering out final details of a plan to limit lenders' losses on about 500 billion pounds ($728 billion) of risky assets, which the government said should help prevent full nationalisation. Britain has pledged to unveil the scheme this week and is expected to announce terms for part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group when they report results on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Firm details of the asset protection scheme - dubbed "Operation Broom" - have not yet been agreed. The key issues are the scale of losses banks will take before the insurance kicks in, and how the banks will pay for the insurance, people familiar with the talks said. Finance minister Alistair Darling said the aim was to allow banks to lend more, and he played down fears the lenders will be fully nationalised.