Monday newspaper round-up: Covid testing, John Laing, BAE, casinos, Sirius Minerals, TikTok
By Josh White
Date: Monday 03 Aug 2020
(Sharecast News) - Two new tests for Covid-19 that are said to deliver results within 90 minutes are to be introduced across NHS hospitals and care homes, to speed up diagnosis ahead of winter and differentiate coronavirus infection from flu, the government says. But some experts were surprised by the government's decision, saying the particular tests were not well-known. No data had been published concerning their evaluation. The government had made mistakes in buying tests that turned out to be substandard in the past, they said. - Guardian
The sale of a £400m stake in inter-city express rolling stock running into and out of London King's Cross on the main line to and from Edinburgh is set for the green signal, with bids due to arrive today for the train ownership and maintenance contracts. The 30% stake in the 65-strong fleet of Azuma trains, operated by London North Eastern Railway, is being sold by John Laing, the listed infrastructure investment group that was the original investor with Hitachi, which assembled the trains at its factory in Co Durham. - The Times
Up to 6,000 jobs are at risk from Boris Johnson's eleventh-hour reversal on re-opening casinos, gambling leaders have warned. Bosses accused the prime minister of "swinging a wrecking ball right through the middle of our industry" as plans to re-open casinos on August 1 were put on ice on Friday. - Telegraph
BAE Systems is poised to rescue suppliers and other aerospace companies that are struggling because of the crisis in the aviation industry. Chief executive Charles Woodburn has said the defence giant is open to buying firms to 'strengthen its portfolio', even though coronavirus is squeezing its own finances. - Daily Mail
Donald Trump will take action in coming days to tackle an array of national security risks presented by TikTok and other Chinese software companies, Mike Pompeo has said, as Microsoft revealed it was pursuing a deal after speaking to the US president. Microsoft said late on Sunday that - after a conversation between Trump and its CEO, Satya Nadella - it would move quickly on acquisition talks with TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, completing talks no later than 15 September. - Guardian
Two former top bosses of Sirius Minerals were paid almost £2.2 million in bonuses before it was sold to Anglo American in a deal that inflicted heavy losses on many retail investors. Chris Fraser, 46, who was chief executive of the fertiliser miner, received about £1.3 million and Thomas Staley, 39, the finance chief, was paid more than £870,000, according to its accounts. - The Times
Developers and landowners will be required to pay more towards building schools, hospitals and local infrastructure under a major Government shake-up of the planning system. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick will this week propose a new system of contributions from developers which will require them to handover more of the profits generated from rising land values. - Telegraph
Huawei has become the biggest maker of smartphones after rivals took a hit from the Covid crisis. The Chinese company, whose brand ambassadors include Wonder Woman film star Gal Gadot, shipped 55.8 million phones in the second quarter of this year, outpacing Korea's Samsung for the first time. - Daily Mail
Major cities such as London face more economic pain as some companies resist the government's efforts to encourage workers back to their desks this week, and its discounted meal deal begins. Pablo Shah, a senior economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), fears that the capital could have lost its aura as a "fun" place to work, particularly in the digital and creative industries. - Guardian
Pro-Brexit and right-wing academics feel forced to censor their political views, putting free speech at universities under threat, a report has said. Campuses are increasingly governed by unwritten rules that mean lecturers are under pressure to muzzle unfashionable opinions for fear of being ostracised or passed over for promotion, the Policy Exchange think tank said. - The Times
The Bank of England is under pressure to open up about its controversial flirtation with negative interest rates as markets cut the odds on a dip below zero next year. City economists said the Bank's monetary policy report this week should set out Threadneedle Street's initial verdict on a policy tool already used for years by major institutions including the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank. - Telegraph
The government could be poised to seal off coronavirus-hit regions by imposing domestic travel bans, it emerged last night. The radical proposal is under discussion as Downing Street shakes up its crisis response in the wake of localised flare-ups. - Daily Mail
Furloughed workers are three times more likely than other employees to have defaulted on a payment last month, in a sign of the economic distress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the UK government started unwinding the furlough operation that has paid millions of workers 80% of their salary, a survey by Which? has found that those still relying on the scheme are starting to feel the financial heat. - Guardian
A major incident was declared in Greater Manchester last night after coronavirus infection rates continued to rise. Gold command meetings of senior figures from the police, local officials and other agencies were held at the weekend. - The Times
Spain embarked on a secret lobbying drive to push US congressmen into supporting a plan to strip Britain of sole sovereignty over Gibraltar, The Daily Telegraph can reveal. Seven current and former members of the House of Representatives told this newspaper the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC pushed back after they signed a resolution backing Gibraltar's British status or visited the territory. - Telegraph
Mass developments could be rushed through without full consultation from locals under the government's radical overhaul of the current planning system, experts fear. Boris Johnson is planning to revolutionise the process as part of a 'once-in-a-generation' reform that will divide the country into three types of land: areas earmarked for 'growth', those for 'renewal' and others for 'protection'. - Daily Mail
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