Monday newspaper round-up: House prices, Flybe, HS2
The world’s energy watchdog has warned the oil and gas industry that it risks a public backlash by failing to act on the climate crisis in favour of making short-term profits. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said oil companies must balance their desire for near-term returns and a long-term future by playing a much more significant role in combating the climate crisis. – Guardian
UK house prices rose over the last month at the fastest rate on record for the time of the year, as sellers felt more confident about the outlook for the housing market after the general election, according to Rightmove. The average price of properties coming on to the market jumped by 2.3%, the biggest rise for the period since the property website started its house price index in 2002. Nearly 65,000 UK properties were marketed over the month, with an average asking price of £306,810. – Guardian
Flybe is preparing to launch services on the lucrative route between Heathrow and German industrial heartlands, threatening to enrage further airline executives left fuming by a Government rescue last week. The planned Dusselfdorf service is part of a route overhaul that includes an additional service between Newquay and Amsterdam, according to industry sources. – Telegraph
Britain’s biggest construction companies have warned Boris Johnson that scrapping HS2 would cause “irreparable damage” to the sector and would jeopardise an “industrial renaissance” in the Midlands and northern England. The chief executives of Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Morgan Sindall, Costain, Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine are among signatories of a letter to the prime minister seen by The Times urging him to approve construction of the full high-speed rail project. – The Times
More than a thousand European financial firms have applied to enter Britain despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, data has revealed. The Financial Conduct Authority received a total of 1,441 applications between 2018 and 2019 from firms to use its temporary permission regime, which it put in place to allow European companies to operate after Brexit while they seek full authorisation. – The Times