Thursday newspaper round-up: Vice Presidential debate, Brexit talks, Greene King, BDO, Tesco
Kamala Harris and Mike Pence both ducked tricky questions in a running-mate debate that was vastly more civil than the chaotic showdown between the principal candidates, but may be best remembered for a fly that landed on the vice president’s head. The nominees delivered their main attacks - Ms Harris on the administration’s “failure” to handle coronavirus and Mr Pence on her record as the “most liberal senator” - but seemed more concerned to avoid coming across as aggressive after the ugly clash in Cleveland between President Trump and Joe Biden. - The Times
Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, has urged the British government to come good on a Brexit deal but admitted it was currently “difficult to feel optimistic” amid legal wrangling over the withdrawal agreement. “Obviously the legislative move in the UK creates tension,” said Conte, referring to Boris Johnson’s tabling of a bill that violates key elements of the agreement reached with Brussels last year. - Guardian
Nearly two thirds of black and Asian business owners felt unable to access state-backed loans and grants in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic - leaving many on the brink of financial ruin, research conducted for MPs suggests. - Telegraph
Fears for the future of pubs under a 10pm curfew and other restrictions on trading have intensified after Greene King announced up to 800 job losses. The brewer and pub operator said that it had made “the difficult decision” not to reopen 79 sites, including 11 Loch Fyne restaurants, but it left open the possibility that two thirds may reopen eventually. - The Times
Accountancy firm BDO is facing the prospect of a significant financial hit after its Spanish sister company was ordered by a court to pay part of a €126.8m (£115m) penalty for its alleged role in an accounting scandal. The Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s highest criminal court, named BDO among firms and individuals convicted of involvement in falsifying the accounts of Galician fishing firm Pescanova between 2010 and 2012. - Guardian
Mortgage rates for first-time buyers have rocketed in the wake of the Covid crisis, dealing a major blow to Boris Johnson as he promises to get a generation of young people on to the housing ladder. - Telegraph
Cabinet divisions over when to trigger local lockdowns helped to delay the introduction of a new three-tier system. The overhaul, which is supposed to simplify the patchwork of restrictions affecting 13 million people in England, was due to be announced today. - The Times
Pubs and restaurants in swathes of the north of England could face restrictions within days in a scramble to stem an alarming rise in coronavirus cases, after Nicola Sturgeon announced a nationwide crackdown on indoor drinking in Scotland. UK ministers will meet again on Thursday to try to come to a resolution, along with local leaders, on what harsher measures should be imposed, following what Sturgeon described as “short, sharp action” for Scotland. - Guardian
Blanket social distancing and the closure of schools may have cost more lives than if herd immunity had been allowed to build slowly in the community, a study suggests. - Telegraph
Profits at Tesco have surged on the back of an online shopping boom, encouraging the supermarket to boost its dividend by a fifth despite receiving £585 million of taxpayer support. Britain’s biggest supermarket is handing its shareholders a £399 million reward, increasing its interim dividend by 21 per cent to 3.2p a share. The decision to maintain the progressive dividend policy has meant that Ken Murphy, 53, Tesco’s chief executive, risks wading into a backlash within days of taking the top job. - The Times
Purdue Pharma, the OxyContin prescription opioid painkiller maker controlled by members of the wealthy Sackler family, is nearing an agreement to plead guilty to criminal charges as part of a broader deal to resolve US justice department investigations into its alleged role in fueling the nation’s opioid crisis, six people familiar with the matter said. Purdue lawyers and federal prosecutors are brokering a plea deal that could be unveiled as soon as within the next two weeks and include billions of dollars of financial penalties, four of the people said. They stressed that talks are fluid and that some of the terms could change as discussions continue. - Guardian
Britain's biggest airport group will axe almost 900 jobs after a second spike in coronavirus snubbed out hopes of a recovery. Manchester Airports Group, which also owns Stansted and East Midlands airports, has launched a consultation on the cuts. - Telegraph