Banker's pension row rumbles on

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The row about the pension of the former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin still preoccupies many of the papers.

The Daily Telegraph says despite threats of legal action by the government, Gordon Brown is powerless to strip Sir Fred of his annual pension of nearly £700,000.

A leading pensions lawyer says the former RBS boss would be on strong ground in the event of any legal challenge.

The Daily Express is equally dismissive, describing the prime minister's threat of legal action as empty words.

An expert tells the paper that any move to take away the pension would be against the Human Rights Act.

The Guardian says ministers were hoping to claw back half of Sir Fred's £16m pension pot.

It also hints at a further possible scandal with the revelation that the board of HBOS may have walked away from the bank with payments of up to £4.5m - when it was rescued by Lloyds TSB.

Obama effect

The Financial Times says HSBC is planning to raise more than £12bn through a share issue, to shore up its capital buffers to cope with the global economic downturn.

It says details are expected to be unveiled alongside the bank's results for 2008 which are due to be released on Monday.

The Times says Gordon Brown is planning to pin hopes for his own political recovery on President Obama.

It says the prime minister will use a two-day visit to Washington, next week, to bond with the new president.

He will also try to garner support for a co-ordinated economic policy and backing for the massive use of state-funded stimulus packages to revitalise stricken economies.

Goody pictures

The Daily Mail claims the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, is at the centre of a favours-for-friends row.

It says he had a number of meetings with an acquaintance who was working as a lobbyist representing the airports operator, BAA, in the run up to the Heathrow expansion announcement.

Lord Mandelson's department has told the BBC he never met the man to discuss Heathrow when he was business secretary.

The Sun, Daily Mirror and Daily Star all lead with pictures of Jade Goody leaving her home in Essex for a hospice. They say she has been admitted for two days to regulate her medication.

Under the headline "Iraq Hero goes on the war path", the Independent leads with the attack by Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry on the government, for failing to support soldiers who return from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from mental trauma.