Thursday newspaper round-up: Brexit, bookies, strikes, ITV

European leaders were divided last night before a critical meeting that will determine the future of Theresa May’s Brexit plans. Some EU countries are pressing for the leaders to engage with British proposals, which they see as a “positive” step towards reaching a deal, [but are] being challenged by the European Commission and the leaders of France and Germany, who are said to be unwilling to make the concessions demanded by the British. - The Times

Theresa May has tried to threaten EU leaders over dinner at a special summit in Salzburg by telling them the UK would not seek to delay Brexit, prompting European leaders to warn that the two sides remained far apart on trade and the Irish border despite months of negotiations. The prime minister told her counterparts “that the UK will leave on 29 March next year” and as a result “the onus is now on all of us to get this deal done” by the end of an emergency summit in mid-November. - Guardian

One of Theresa May’s most loyal allies has said her Chequers plan is “dead as a dodo” as he accused the Prime Minister of trying to “blackmail” her own MPs into supporting it. Former minister Sir Mike Penning, who helped to orchestrate her 2016 leadership campaign, said Mrs May was “deluded” if she thought she could persuade Tory Eurosceptics to vote in favour of any Brexit deal based on Chequers. - Telegraph

The majority of EU workers in the UK would not be eligible to work in the country following Brexit if they were subject to proposals put forward by the government’s chief migration advisers. EU citizens currently in the UK are expected to be protected under the terms of the UK-EU withdrawal agreement but findings by the Institute for Public Policy Research illustrate how proposals by the Migration Advisory Committee will potentially restrict businesses recruiting migrants from the EU in future. - Guardian

Gambling companies will be banned from advertising on television during live sports if Labour wins the next general election, as part of a crackdown designed to tackle an addiction “epidemic”. Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, accused the government of letting the UK’s estimated 430,000 problem gamblers down, as he announced a number of policies that would tighten up betting regulations. - Guardian

A regulator’s report into the travel chaos that left thousands of passengers stranded earlier this year has criticised the rail industry, concluding that “nobody took charge” even when it became clear months before the biggest ever changes to UK timetables that the project was in serious trouble. In an interim report into the timetable debacle, the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) singled out the train operators Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Northern, Network Rail and the Department for Transport (DfT) for criticism, saying their mistakes had led to the “collapse” of services. - Guardian

The owner of Alton Towers is ready to agree a multimillion-pound compensation settlement three years after a rollercoaster crash resulted in two young women each losing a leg. Lawyers for Leah Washington, 20, from Barnsley, and Vicky Balch, 23, from Leyland, in Lancashire, have lodged a claim in the High Court against Merlin Entertainments, which runs the theme park in Staffordshire. - The Times

Staff at JD Wetherspoon, McDonald’s and TGI Fridays are to strike next month in an unprecedented action by employees in the hospitality sector, where a campaign to recruit new trade union members is gathering pace among workers who have traditionally not been organised. The industrial action takes place on 4 October and includes staff from a number of McDonald’s branches in London and two branches of the pub chain on the south coast. - Guardian

ITV is in talks with potential partners for its planned British streaming service and hopes to agree an outline deal over the coming months. Dame Carolyn McCall, its chief executive, said yesterday that she was aiming to have drawn up a battle plan to counter Netflix and Amazon Video by February, when ITV publishes its annual results. - The Times

New petrol and diesel car sales in Europe must be phased out before 2030 if the auto sector is to play its part in holding global warming to the Paris agreement’s 1.5C goal, a new analysis has found. Forecourt plug-in hybrids will also have to disappear by 2035 at the latest, according to analysis by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). - Guardian

Leaseholders will be able to buy the freehold of their property more easily under plans for an overhaul of what is seen as a stressful and costly system of home ownership. At present a leaseholder must wait two years before buying the freehold and can extend the lease only once, by 50 years and at high cost. - The Times

KPMG has refused to agree to the size of a fine handed down against it for misconduct in relation to its reports to financial regulators on the client asset reporting compliance of BNY Mellon, the custodian bank. It admitted during talks with the Financial Reporting Council that its work had fallen “significantly short of the standards” expected of auditors, but claimed that the proposed fine decided by the regulator was too high. - The Times

Van hire company Northgate has suffered a shareholder rebellion over the way the company's senior executives are remunerated. Almost 60pc of shareholders who voted at Northgate's annual general meeting (AGM) voted against proposed changes to executive bonuses. - Telegraph

Europe's competition commissioner has shifted her sights from Google to Amazon, after revealing she is seeking fresh details of how the retail giant uses data gathered from smaller rivals to gain an edge in online sales. In her latest tilt at the US tech giants, Margrethe Vestager warned Amazon the European Commission plans to examine how the group collects data from third-party merchants on its site, and whether it uses that data to secure a competitive advantage. - Telegraph

An energy supplier has shelled out nearly £680,000 to help compensate its customers for mis-selling and failing to provide annual statements. The industry watchdog Ofgem said that Green Star Energy broke supply licence rules, after failing to make clear that it had hired a third party to market and sell its tariffs. - Daily Mail

A Canadian marijuana producer almost doubled its market value at one point to $22 billion in a single day yesterday as the pot-stocks bubble continued to inflate. The share price was boosted by bullish comments from its chief executive and news that America’s drugs regulator would allow the company to export a cannabis-based drug to the United States. - The Times

Irish homeware and fashion brand Orla Kiely, famous for its distinctive floral prints reminiscent of the 1970s, is going into liquidation, having closed its stores, shut down its website and made 40 staff redundant. The retailer's shops in London's Chelsea and Covent Garden and Kildare in Ireland have closed, with all 20 staff losing their jobs. - Telegraph

Jack Ma has reneged on a promise to create one million American jobs, citing a breakdown in US-China relations. Ma promised the recruitment drive during a meeting with Mr Trump in January 2017 but made a U-turn amid an ongoing trade war, a move that is certain to rattle President Donald Trump. - Telegraph

Danish wind power giant Ørsted has sold a stake in its Hornsea offshore wind farm at a bumper price of £4.5bn to a New York based investment fund. Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) will pay a third more than analysts expected for a 50pc stake in the Grimsby-based project which is guaranteed a revenue stream of almost three times the current market price. - Telegraph

An explosive internal memo suggesting Theresa May will be forced to “stand down soon after March 2019” and detailing the pros and cons of her potential successors has been leaked. The excruciating dossier is being widely circulated among Tory MPs analysing the leadership prospects of her cabinet colleagues and other contenders including leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg. - Telegraph