Thursday newspaper round-up: Rail franchises, customs deal, Capita, buy-to-let

Britain will tell Brussels it is prepared to stay tied to the customs union beyond 2021 as ministers remain deadlocked over a future deal with the EU. The Prime Minister's Brexit war Cabinet earlier this week agreed on a new "backstop" as a last resort to avoid a hard Irish border, having rejected earlier proposals from the European Union. - Telegraph

The transport secretary was under pressure to act over at least four struggling rail operators last night after announcing plans to renationalise services on the east coast main line. Chris Grayling was warned that other companies were in trouble after failing to improve rail services or attract enough passengers, amid suggestions that the entire privatised system must be overhauled. Those in the firing line include Northern Rail, South Western, Transpennine Express and Greater Anglia. - The Times

President Trump will use post-Brexit trade talks to force the NHS to pay more for prescription drugs in an attempt to lower prices for American patients that could cost Britain billions. A few weeks ago Theresa May refused to rule out opening up NHS services to private American companies as part of a trade deal. - The Times

Theresa May is under pressure to row back on a multi-billion-pound deal to buy the new generation of US fighter jets in a row being likened to the Westland affair. The British Government is committed to buying 138 F-35 fighter aircraft from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has so far bought 48 aircraft at a cost of £9.1 billion but is now reconsidering its pledge to buy a further 90 F-35s. - Telegraph

The outsourcing giant Capita has put patients at risk of serious harm after taking over NHS England’s administration service, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found. Failures resulted in 87 women being notified incorrectly that they were no longer part of the cervical screening programme and may have compromised patient safety, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). - Guardian

British-based clearing houses should not be forced to move to the European Union after Brexit, a senior European Parliament lawmaker has said in a sign of a softening of Brussels’ hardline stance over the institutions' euro transactions. The EU is mulling changes to its rules for clearing houses, the majority of which are in London, which could lead the biggest being forced to establish EU headquarters. - Telegraph

Buy-to-let lending has fallen by a fifth over the past year as taxes on second homes, the removal of interest relief and tougher standards for lenders drained credit from the market. Lenders issued 5,500 buy-to-let mortgages for new purchases in March, a drop of 19.1 per cent on a year earlier, according to UK Finance, the umbrella organisation for banks and building societies. The value of loans fell by 20 per cent to £800 million. - The Times

The government will announced its final decision on whether to curb stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) on Thursday, with the maximum bet widely expected to be cut to £2. The machines have become a focal point for campaigners’ concerns about problem gambling and the potential for racking up large losses on machines that currently allow players to bet £100 every 20 seconds. - Guardian

James Murdoch will leave 21st Century Fox after most of its assets are sold to Disney, handing executive responsibilities to his elder brother Lachlan. The maker of Family Guy and The Simpsons confirmed the operations of the “New Fox” due to be formed by the sale of its film and television studios, and a clutch of international assets including Sky, will be led by 46-year-old Lachlan. Rupert Murdoch will remain joint chairman. - Telegraph

Mothercare will tomorrow reveal it has rehired former boss Mark Newton-Jones just over a month after he was sacked, in a surprise move which will see him take the helm of the troubled retailer as it embarks on a major restructuring. The baby chain, which will lay out details of the overhaul in its results on Thursday, ditched Mr Newton-Jones as chief executive last month, with then-chairman Alan Parker having said although he had "done a good job, we think we can do even better going forward". - Telegraph

David Cameron is in talks to take on a third private sector job since his departure from Downing Street nearly two years ago. The former prime minister is discussing an as yet unspecified role with Greensill Capital, a London-based provider of specialist financial services, six months after it was confirmed that he would lead a new £750 million “UK-China” private equity fund. - The Times

Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to appear before the European parliament at a closed-door meeting possibly as soon as next week, according to the parliament president, Antonio Tajani. The Facebook founder’s decision to meet MEPs will be seen as a snub to the UK parliament. British MPs have asked him to appear to explain the company’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal where the personal data of tens of millions of people was used without their permission. - Guardian

The Co-op is to end “last-minute” sales of fresh produce to reduce the volume of edible food going to waste in its stores every day. Two hours before closing time, the national supermarket chain will remove items with a use by or best before date for that day, so they can be donated to thousands of charities and small community groups in time for them to be frozen or turned into meals. - Guardian