The Times
Lawyers in Brazil mine deaths inquiry ‘too close to BHP’: BHP Billiton is facing fresh criticism for its part in Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, amid claims that the firm it hired to investigate the incident suffers from a conflict of interest.
‘Vodafone is bullying us for £1 billion over O2 takeover’: The Owner of the Three mobile phone network has complained to the European Commission that Vodafone, its rival, is seeking to bully it into coughing up £1 billion to drop objections to its takeover of O2.
Deutsche cuts links with Cypriot lenders over fears of Russian ties: The biggest bank in Germany has severed ties with two of the leading lenders in Cyprus, amid concerns about their links with Russia.
American genetics start-up delivers cut-price cancer screening to U.K.: A do-it-yourself genetic testing kit is being launched in Britain next week with the promise to slash the cost of tests for breast and ovarian cancer mutations from thousands of pounds to about £220.
American duo ring Liberty’s bell: An American company that provides customised online wedding and party invitations has teamed up with the quintessentially British Liberty of London.
National Grid’s bright idea: pay firms for using power: Businesses will be paid to use more electricity for the first time next month, as National Grid launches a scheme designed to boost the flexibility of the nation’s power system.
Australian stationery chain doubles U.K. openings to 200: Its name is a mash-up of “smile” and “giggle”, it is targeting global retail domination through the sale of brightly coloured pens, notebooks and gadgets to young children and it is about to step up the pace of what is already a rapid expansion. Smiggle, the Australian children’s stationery company, boasts 40 stores in the U.K. and plans to have opened 100 stores by Christmas.
PPI deadline ‘would cost elderly people chance of a payout’: Older people could miss out on millions of pounds in compensation for mis-sold payment protection insurance if the financial regulator introduces a deadline for new claims, an industry body has warned.
Investors step on board with Direct Ferries: A family-owned company that has described itself as a seafaring equivalent of Gocompare.com has secured private equity backing as it seeks to build on last year’s ticket sales of £85 million.
Diageo searches for successor with Humer ready to call time: Diageo confirmed that the search for a new Chairman was under way as Franz Humer prepares to step down after eight years at the helm of the FTSE 100 drinks group.
The Independent
Food producer insolvency triples amid supermarket price wars: The number of food producers that have gone bust have tripled over the last five years as a result of the supermarket price wars, a report said.
Daily Mail publisher considers bid for Yahoo backed by private equity: The Owner of the Daily Mail is in early discussions over a bid for the ailing U.S. internet company Yahoo.
Financial Times
De La Rue denies knowledge of Panama link: De La Rue’s current management had “no knowledge” of the company’s dealings with a secretive Panama-based firm until the relationship was revealed in leaked legal documents last week, a spokesman for the banknote printer said on Sunday.
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Elsevier magazine name-change proposal draws fire: An attempt by FTSE 100 publisher Relx to strip the Dutch magazine Elsevier of its name has triggered a backlash from the publication’s journalists and an unlikely coalition of Dutch business grandees.
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U.K. publishers look to consolidate in print battle: On Sunday, Johnston Press completed a deal that has puzzled many observers of the U.K.’s shrinking newspaper industry.
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Beazley and Munich Re join up in cyber insurance push: Beazley and Munich Re are teaming up to launch a major new push into cyber insurance. The move comes despite growing concern that the industry could be on the hook for enormous costs in the event of large scale attacks.
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RBS to close Indian banking operations: Royal Bank of Scotland is to close its banking operations in India, having given up on efforts to find a buyer amid concerns about an extended regulatory approval process for a deal.
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Singapore start-up trials autonomous drones: A multinational energy services company is launching a pilot project to operate drones that can recharge and transmit data without the use of human handlers, potentially slashing one of the growing costs of the new industry.
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Vectura: rose 7.4% to 175p on news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had accepted Hikma Pharmaceuticals’s application to make an inhaler that will use Vectura’s technology.
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Lex:
Disney-Netflix: a costly cure-all: As BTIG points out, there is a unified solution: Netflix. Acquiring the video-on-demand company would bring 75 million subscribers, the perfect hedge against cord cutting and, in Founder and Chief Executive Reed Hastings, an accomplished leader who has proven better at navigating the new media landscape than anyone else. So far, so attractive.
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The Daily Telegraph
China not to blame for U.K.’s steel crisis, says ambassador: China is not to blame for the U.K.’s steel crisis and has been made a “scapegoat” in the ongoing debate on global over-supply, the country’s ambassador has claimed.
Beijing risks ‘ERM-style’ currency crisis as deflation persists: A top adviser to the Chinese government has warned that Beijing risks a currency blow-up akin to Britain’s traumatic ordeal in 1992, if it continues trying to defend its exchange rate peg amid a deepening deflation crisis.
Digital-only mortgage broker to take on U.K. rivals: The first ever online-only mortgage broker is set to challenge the traditional brokering model after clinching £1.55 million in seed funding.
The Range to move into Germany for the first time: Chris Dawson, Founder of out-of-town retailer The Range, has revealed an audacious expansion plan to take his retail chain to Germany.
Britain’s only growth engine is about to stall: Brexit fears and growing global uncertainty acted as a brake on growth in the first quarter as the U.K.’s dominant services sector stuttered, according to the British Chambers of Commerce.
Negative rates could fuel fresh ‘boom and bust’, IMF warns: Negative interest rates could fuel another dangerous “boom and bust” cycle if policymakers start to rely on them to boost growth, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
New North Sea explorer poised to snap up bargain assets: A new entrant to the North Sea sector is set to join existing small-cap explorers in snapping up low-cost oil assets in the aftermath of the global oil market collapse.
Maker of life-saving motorbike suit secures debt finance to race ahead of rivals: A maker of hi-tech, life-saving motorcycle gear is the first company to raise debt finance from a new division of Clydesdale Bank, which was launched to find and support the nation’s top technology start-ups.
The Guardian
IMF expected to cut growth forecasts in latest outlook: The International Monetary Fund will sound fresh alarm over the state of the global economy this week when it reveals its latest forecasts for growth against a backdrop of slower world trade and jittery financial markets.
Javid to address MPs as deal to save Scunthorpe steel plant beckons: Sajid Javid will address MPs about the crisis in the steel industry as a deal securing thousands of jobs at Tata’s Scunthorpe plant is expected to be secured.
Potential Tata Steel buyer says he could still walk away: The Executive Chairman of the commodity group that has expressed interest in buying Tata’s U.K. steel operations has said he is not “married” to the plan and could still walk away.
HMRC Chief was partner at law firm that acted for Cameron offshore fund: The Boss of Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the government department overseeing a £10 million inquiry into the Panama Papers, was a partner at a top City law firm that acted for Blairmore Holdings and other offshore companies named in the leak.
Tesco results: analysts expect strong start to the year: Tesco is expected to reveal its first quarter of underlying sales growth for more than three years when the supermarket reports its full-year results on Wednesday.
Daily Mail
Italy facing a £4 billion bank bailout after country’s lenders lose nearly half their stock market value since start of the year: Italy is facing a £4 billion bailout for its troubled banking system.
Amazon delivery tie-up with Barclays fuels hopes for High Street bank branch network: Barclays has teamed up with internet shopping giant Amazon to use its outlets as collection points for deliveries in an attempt to breathe new life into its branch network.
Daily Express
Poundland sowing seeds of expansion: Discount retailer Poundland is expected to feel the strain of tougher trading on the high street when it posts a full-year update on Thursday.
The Scottish Herald
Economy drifts as manufacturers take the strain: Scottish manufacturing contracted at its fastest rate in over five years last month, as the downturn in Scotland’s private sector economy deepened.
Agarwal heads Scottish fund Manager league again: Vinay Agarwal, Manager of the Stewart Investor Indian Subcontinent fund, has held onto top spot in the Scottish fund Manager league table and climbed to a heady thirteenth place in the rankings of over 4000 U.K. and European Managers.
Pinsent Masons nears target number of female partners: International law firm Pinsent Masons has announced the promotion of 18 people – three in Scotland – to its partnership. Of the 18, eight are women, taking the proportion of females in the partnership to 23% and closer to a 2018 target of one in four, as set out in the firm’s gender balance programme “project sky”.
Changing faces in KPMG’s senior Scottish management team: A number of changes have been made to KPMG’s senior leadership team in Scotland. Following Blair Nimmo’s appointment as head of restructuring for the U.K., Catherine Burnet has been named senior partner for the firm’s Edinburgh office, having been with the firm for 21 years.
The Scotsman
Oil and gas woes continue to weigh down businesses: The economic backdrop dragged on Scottish businesses last month as the struggles faced by the oil and gas sector continued to take their toll, according to two reports published.
Liberty House Chief ‘not married’ to steel takeover: The Executive Chairman of the commodity group which has expressed interest in buying the whole of Tata’s U.K. steel operations has said he is not “married” to the plan and could still walk away.
RP Adam takes to the skies with ‘significant’ airline deal: Selkirk-based chemicals firm RP Adam is flying high after its subsidiary Arpal Gulf won a £2 million contract to support the in-flight catering arm of Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi.
City A.M.
Stock Spirits Group board will continue to pursue M&As despite shareholder rebellion from Luis Amaral: Stock Spirits Group’s board of Directors has said the company will not change its strategic direction, despite facing the beginnings of a shareholder rebellion last week.
M&A: Willis Towers Watson merger believed to be able to survive inversion rule changes unscathed: The announced changes to the U.S. inversion rules will not turn one of the insurance industry’s most high-profile mergers on its head, the firm involved announced late last week.
Macquarie gearing up to sell Thames Water in a deal that could reach more than £3 billion: Australian bank Macquarie is gearing up to sell British utilities giant Thames Water in a deal that could reach more than £3 billion.
Copper records worst price fall since January: Concerns are rising over the outlook for metal prices after copper last week recorded its biggest weekly loss since January due to fears demand in China will fail to return.
Steel group warns over China’s continued steel production: The government must do more to combat the flood of cheap steel coming from China, the Director of sector trade body U.K. Steel has warned, after it was revealed China’s planned cuts will not remove an on-going supply glut.
U.K. cyber security company Darktrace embarks on funding round to secure $400 million valuation: U.K. cyber security company Darktrace has turned to Silicon Valley in a bid to secure funding which would see the company valued at $400 million (£283.2 million).
Barclays seems confused after news that the bank’s execs are trying to boost morale: Barclays is denying claims that the bank’s senior staff want employees to boost morale with a friendship survey.
Treasury planning crackdown on bitcoin and cryptocurrency anonymity in bid to tackle criminal use of digital currencies: Ministers at the Treasury are planning a shake-up in the world of cryptocurrencies that will mean bitcoins and other virtual currencies can no longer be purchased anonymously.
