News round up: Research in Motion, Apple, Google, Bank of England, TKN-BP, First Group, Lonrho and Banks.

Research in Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM), the maker of BlackBerry phones, is preparing for a major restructuring that could cut up to 6,000 jobs from its worldwide workforce of 16,500 as it continues to struggle against Apple Inc's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and Google Inc's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android

Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper cited several people close to the company saying that at least 2,000 jobs would go in the next round of layoffs that was planned for around Friday 1 June – a day before the smartphone maker's first financial quarter ends – though some expect the announcement even earlier. One source close to the company told Reuters that the impending layoffs could hit as many as 6,000 and affect legal, marketing, sales, operations, and HR.

The job cuts come on top of 2,000 that were announced last July – reducing the workforce by 11%. A string of high-level employees have departed RIM recently, including global head of sales Patrick Spence, who is set to take a senior job at networked audio company Sonos. Several sources close to the company told Reuters that RIM had been letting more junior staff go for several months in what have come to be known internally as "Goodbye Thursdays", because the cuts typically come on that day of the week, writes the Guardian.

Bank of England

The Bank of England is poised to cut interest rates or launch another round of quantitative easing if the euro collapses, it emerged on Monday. A senior official for the Bank said the measures would "again play [their] part in mitigating the impact" of Greece or other countries leaving the single currency.

The comments come after the head of the IMF suggested last week that British interest rates may have to be cut to zero if the economic situation deteriorates. The Bank has already completed a quantitative easing programme, effectively printing more money worth £325bn and this may be extended again. Yesterday, David Cameron hosted a meeting with Sir Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank; Lord Turner, the chairman of the Financial Services Authority; and the Chancellor, to discuss contingency plans to deal with the collapse of the euro, according to The Telegraph.

TKN-BP

The fault-lines that have riven BP’s Russian joint venture reopened yesterday after Mikhail Fridman resigned as chief executive. A person close to the Russian consortium that owns half of TNK-BP said that Mr Fridman had left amid a loss of faith in BP as a partner and that the two sides were heading "towards some kind of disengagement". The move triggered suggestions that the Russian partners, led by Mr Fridman, were trying to reopen a route to breaking up the venture after a $32bn sale of their interest to BP and Rosneft collapsed last year, says The Times.

First Group

First Group chairman Martin Gilbert was yesterday urged to "hit the phone" and talk to shareholders as some key investors raised concerns about his position at the helm of the transport giant. Gilbert, who has been chairman of the Aberdeen-based group since 1995, is also chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, and one unnamed major shareholder was reported to be seeking talks with him “over whether it is appropriate for him to hold two big jobs”.

One analyst, who did not want to be identified, told The Scotsman: "He’s been at FirstGroup for a long, long time. The business has got too big and a number of issues have arisen in the last few years that might not have happened with tighter management and a business that wasn’t such a juggernaut."

Lonrho

Former trade minister Sir Richard Needham has quit the board of Lonrho on the eve of tomorrow's AGM after a blistering row over pay and corporate governance at the Africa-focused group. Sir Richard resigned his non-executive post after a bust-up with executive chairman David Lenigas over a proposed hike in his annual salary from £500,000 to £750,000. In his resignation letter, he said that under Mr Lenigas’s leadership the company risked again being "dubbed an unacceptable face of capitalism".

Sir Richard said that he had only been told of the planned salary increase at a board meeting in April and informed by Mr Lenigas that he was expected to approve it immediately because “the accounts are going to the printers in three hours,” The Telegraph explains.

Banks

Banks will be required to display notices in branch and on websites that tell customers how much of their savings are protected if the bank goes bust, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) said today. The plans - outlined in December - will also apply to building societies and credit unions.

They will see stickers and posters displayed prominently in branches to draw attention to savings protection limits. UK savers' deposits are protected up to £85,000 under the savings safety net - the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Foreign banks with branches in the UK which are not covered by the scheme will need to make this clear while stating which national scheme is providing protection, according to The Daily Mail.