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Friday newspaper round-up: Co-op Group, London pubs, Luton airport

(Sharecast News) - Cross-Channel train services serving new destinations will be cheaper to run under a scheme to grow international rail travel from the UK. London St Pancras Highspeed (LSPH), which owns and operates the railway and stations from the capital to the Channel tunnel, said it would slash charges for operators planning new routes. Eurostar is the sole existing operator between the UK and Europe, with regular direct trains reaching only Paris and Brussels, as engineering work affects the Amsterdam route until May. - Guardian The Co-operative Group plans to open at least a further 120 grocery shops this year after profits rose more than fivefold, but told the government that "layering costs" on retailers could hit high streets and communities. The mutual, which owns more than 800 funeral parlours and an insurance and legal advisory business as well as operating more than 2,000 convenience shops, said changes to employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) and packaging regulations were expected to add £80m to its costs this year. It also lost £80m to shoplifters last year despite spending millions on new security measures. - Guardian

Pubs in London could stay open longer after Sir Sadiq Khan was handed fresh powers to overturn council bans on noisy bars amid a row over the capital's dying nightlife. The London Mayor will be able to "call in" blocked planning applications as part of a package of measures designed by ministers to boost the capital's hospitality industry, the Government said on Friday. - Telegraph

The Government has overruled the advice of planning officials to wave through the expansion of Luton airport. Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, approved the move to almost double the capacity of Luton on Thursday. Passenger numbers will rise to 32m by 2043 thanks to the creation of a new terminal. The increase will almost double the 16.7m passengers that passed through Luton in 2024. Ms Alexander has given the green light to the expansion despite the Planning Inspectorate urging her to reject it on environmental grounds. - Telegraph

One of Britain's biggest private companies has announced plans to double the size of a new factory in Texas to make even more products in the US in the wake of President Trump's announcement of his tariff regime. Staffordshire-based JCB, which has been making diggers and other machinery in America for more than 50 years, said plans for a 500,000 sq ft factory in San Antonio had been revised since Trump unveiled a 10 per cent tariff on all imported UK goods. The $500 million plant, which is due to begin production next year and will employ up to 1,500 workers, will now be 1 million sq ft. - The Times

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Thursday newspaper round-up: Liberty Steel, HSBC, NMC
(Sharecast News) - Liberty Steel has produced nothing at two of its key UK plants since July, in a sign of the deep financial difficulties for Britain's third-biggest steelmaker as it looks for rescue funding. The plants at Rotherham in South Yorkshire and Motherwell in Scotland have not produced any steel for about nine months because of a lack of funds to buy vital materials, with staff on furlough on 85% of their salaries for the duration, according to workers who spoke to the Guardian. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Thames Water, Anglian Water, Telegraph, Greenergy
(Sharecast News) - Two of Britain's biggest water companies, Thames Water and Anglian Water, face more than 50 criminal investigations between them as part of a crackdown on sewage dumping, the government has said. The utilities were subject to the bulk of a record 81 investigations into water companies between last July's general election and March 2025, according to new data. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Post Office, factories, ISAs
(Sharecast News) - Hundreds of former sub-postmasters will reportedly be compensated by the Post Office after it accidentally leaked their names and addresses in June 2024. According to the BBC, the Post Office has confirmed that individual payouts will be capped at £5,000 although higher claims may still be pursued. It comes almost a year after 555 victims of the Horizon IT scandal had their personal details published on a website. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Santander UK, Thames Water, Oxford Quantum Circuits
(Sharecast News) - Santander UK is freezing salaries, slashing bonuses and cutting jobs across its commercial banking arm as part of a wider shake-up that could help make the bank more attractive to potential buyers. The bank began unexpectedly changing bankers' job titles and shuffling staff into new teams earlier this month amid a larger review of the Spanish lender's UK business, where there is mounting frustration over regulations and costs. - Guardian

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