Poor RBS.

The troubled Royal Bank of Scotland announced today the devastating news they are to cut 9,000 jobs worldwide. 4,500 of those are in the UK. The jobs cut will be ‘backroom staff’, eg employees who cannot under any circumstances be blamed for the crisis the bank finds itself in.

Cheney proves he is still deluded.

Dick Cheney is still the Dick Cheney we got to know, but not love, for eight years. In an interview with CNN’s John King, he strenuously defends George W. Bush and the policies implemented during the administration Cheney was such a big part of. He also launches an outright attack on President Obama, saying that the new administration’s politics will leave America vulnerable to attack.

Another poor Bush decision to be put right.

President Barack Obama will today announce the lifting of restrictions on government funding for stem cell research. The restrictions were imposed eight years ago by George W. Bush, saying that such research would cross a ‘moral line’.

Brown feels snubbed by low-key Obama.

Gordon Brown met with President Obama today, to discuss the world economic crisis. Mr. Brown’s aides were quick to emphasise that this was a ‘low-key visit’ when it became clear that there would not be any formal press conference to the White House press after the talks. The omitting of this tradition might take away some the importance and significance of being the first European leader to hold talks with the newly elected President.

Brown admits recession will be bad for Labour.

In a private meeting of the Parliamentary Labour party at Westminster on Monday night, Gordon Brown accepted that his party has suffered badly in recent months as the recession has hit the UK. He warned MPs to ‘brace themselves for a fresh battering from voters in the coming weeks as the recession deepens’.

Sarkozy not impressed by Brown.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, is not impressed by Gordon Brown’s measures to tackle the UK financial crisis. Mr. Sarkozy told a domestic television audience Thursday that he will not follow the British Prime Minister in cutting VAT, claiming that it had ‘absolutely no impact.’

Miliband and Clinton on ‘special relationship’.

Britain’s foreign secretary, David Miliband, is in Washington and has had talks with Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state. Miliband was the first foreign secretary to hold face-to-face talks with Clinton, which emphasises the hope of continue the strong bond between the two nations. Mrs. Clinton said at the news conference after the talks that the relationships between the US and the UK was ‘certainly special in my eyes’, although she admitted there had been a slight change. Without elaborating, so it leaves me to speculate if the end of Tony Blair’s range and the arrival of Gordon Brown did make for more caution actions on the UK’s behalf.

Obama’s Gitmo dilemma.

Two of Barack Obama’s advisers have told the AP news agency that he will order an issue to close the controversial prisoner camp during his first week in office. This pledge comes just a day after Obama seemed to back track from his campaign promise of a speedy closure, saying that the termination of the camp is ‘complicated’.

Will desperation save us all?

To me it seems like a slightly desperate act to lower the VAT by 2.5%, as it is reportedly expected to be in Alistair Darling the British chancellors pre-budget speech. In my mind it is just going to reinforce the idea that buying worthless crap is really the meaning of life.

But, at least this is a stimulus package that will reach the consumer directly and not have to filter through banks as cheaper lending.