Friday newspaper round-up: Crossrail, Boeing, Beyond Meat, Checkout.com

Crossrail was driven over its budget and schedule because its management team clung to an unrealistic opening date, according to a National Audit Office report into the delayed transport project. The NAO said that although problems had emerged as early as 2015, Crossraildid not take opportunities to change approach nor produce a sufficiently detailed delivery plan to track its progress. – Guardian

Richard Mester worked for Boeing in South Carolina as a flight safety inspector for five years before being suddenly fired – along with two other employees – in November 2018 for allegedly failing to report a bird strike. However, the bad news also came shortly after the company was told Mester had been elected a union steward. “I have 30 years’ experience as an engine guy, so I was taken back by it because I don’t miss bird strikes,” Mester told the Guardian. – Guardian

Shares at vegan startup Beyond Meat have rocketed on their trading debut, surging more than 140pc in its opening minutes. The California-based firm, which sells meat-like vegetarian burgers and plant-based alternatives to staple mealtime meats, opened at $46 a share and soared as high as $63.30 on the Nasdaq Composite. – Telegraph

London-based payments company Checkout.com has landed a valuation of almost $2bn (£1.5bn) in its latest funding round, in a further sign of the booming fintech sector in the capital. Checkout.com, which was launched just seven years ago, provides technology for companies including Deliveroo and Samsung which allows them to process payments from different regions and methods, such as online banking, debit or credit cards and PayPal. - Telegraph

The largest shareholder in Dignity has secured a seat on the board of the struggling funeral provider amid pressure for wider changes at the top of the company. Phoenix Asset Management Partners, which has built a 26.7 per cent stake amid a slump in Dignity’s share price, has succeeded in having James Wilson, a partner and research analyst, appointed as a non-executive director. – The Times

Two regulators are scrutinising Sports Direct over its accounts and its compliance with rules on inside information. The retailer’s latest accounts have been queried by the Financial Reporting Council over concerns about how its auditor, Grant Thornton, valued its holding in Debenhams, which almost collapsed last month. – The Times