Sunday newspaper round-up: Al-Assad, Argentina, Aviva

(Sharecast News) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime appeared to collapse on Sunday morning, after rebels entered the capital Damascus. Assad's whereabouts are not clear but Moscow or Tehran are possibilities. One source told Reuters that Assad's plane disappeared off the radar when it was headed towards the country's coastal region. It made an abrupt turn before vanishing from the map. The pilot may have turned off the transponder but it's more likely that it was shot down. - Sunday Times The last year has been tough for business owners in Argentina. President Milei's austerity has been harsh. Inflation however has fallen from 211% at the end of 2023 and is expected to have averaged 120% by the end of 2024. This year however it is forecast to slide to just 40%. Furthermore, Christopher Sabatini at Chatham House says that "people see him as on their side" and many assessments of his performance thus far are broadly upbeat. The economy is expected to grow over the next three years with inflation falling to 20% by 2027, alongside a sharp reduction in government debt. - The Sunday Times

Aviva boss Amanda Blanc is plotting more acquisitions following the group's purchase of Direct Line. A source close to the matter said that beefing up its protection and health arm was a possibility. A City source meanwhile said that Direct Line's chief executive, Adam Winslow, was expected to leave when the deal completed due to the bad blood between him and Blanc. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

BT has lost out to IBM and Samsung for a £900m contract to upgrade radios for ambulance and police. BT and joint bidder Leonardo from Italy to run IT services for the emergency services network had previously been considered to be the frontrunner. BT subsidiary EE's bid to provide the network infrastructire for the ESN at a cost of £1.3bn did however win out. - The Sunday Telegraph