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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Sunday newspaper round-up: EasyJet, Direct Line, Cairo

(Sharecast News) - EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji.Ioannou has called time on his long-running feud with the "scoundrels" running the carrier. Haji-Ioannou has admitted that his war with easyJet boss Johan Lundgren was motivated by his fear that it would not get through Covid-19. His latest remarks come as the company is preparing to re-enter the ranks of the FTSE 100. They also come after attempts by easyJet to fill the gap in the market left by the collapse of Monarch and Thomas Cook, with Lundgren and chairman Stephen Hester having tried to shift focus towards selling holidays instead of just flights. - The Sunday Times Sir Peter Wood believes that Direct Line, the insurer he founded in 1985 has been "terribly" managed for years, leaving it a potential target for bidders. Indeed, given a decent price, that is exactly what he thinks should happen, Wood told the Mail on Sunday. Belgium's Ageas tabled a £3.1bn bid during the previous week, but that was not enough, Wood added. Wood further described the share and cash deal offered by Ageas as "messy". He was also "sure" that other offers would materialise. - Financial Mail on Sunday

A delegation of Hamas officials arrived in the Egyptian capital for talks to try and reach a ceasefire deal. It followed indications that Tel Aviv was ready to accept a phased six-week agreement for the release of hostages and a truce before the start of Muslims' holy month of Ramadan. Negotiators from Qatar and the U.S. had also arrived in Cairo to take part in the talks. A response from Hamas was anticipated on Sunday or Monday. - Guardian

Ministers are under pressure to present their plans should Thames Water collapse, an outcome that could cost taxpayers billons of pounds. The rescue plans drawn up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are known as "Project Timber" and according to Thames Water executives have a value of £5bn. The supplier is facing a £190m loan in April that its bosses have already said that it will not be able to meet. - The Sunday Telegraph

St.James's Place has put aside £426m to cover compensations to clients who allege that it fraudulently charged for annual reviews of client portfolios that were never conducted. The provision also follows the 15,000 complaints lodged with law firm AMK Legal on their behalf over the past three months. - The Sunday Times

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Friday newspaper round-up: Energy bills, triple lock, ONS data crisis
(Sharecast News) - Consumers will pay higher energy bills unless the UK government speeds up work on a vast programme of upgrades to the electricity grid to enable the switch to renewables, the public spending watchdog has warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) said that without faster action the extra costs associated with managing the ageing power network, which are ultimately passed on to the public, could reach £7.8bn a year by 2030. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: Migration, air traffic control, triple lock
(Sharecast News) - Andy Burnham must overhaul Shabana Mahmood's migration reforms or risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentiment, the TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, has warned. Speaking ahead of the TUC's annual congress in Brighton next week, Nowak welcomed the "sense of optimism" around Burnham's fledgling government, but he urged the PM to act in a series of areas, including migration and the cost of living. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Air traffic control breakdown, Bet365, consumer finance claims
(Sharecast News) - Flight delays and cancellations were expected to continue into Wednesday at UK airports after another air traffic control failure kept planes grounded for hours, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. At least 177 flights scheduled for Wednesday to and from UK airports had been cancelled, plane tracking site Flightradar24 said, "nearly all at London Heathrow". More than 1,000 were cancelled by about 8pm on Tuesday. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: UK retailers, Volkswagen, stock market funds
(Sharecast News) - UK retailers plan to create up to 100,000 short-term placements for young people not in employment, education or training (Neet) over the next three years to give them a first step on the ladder to paid work. In partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), more than 40 retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Pets at Home, Asda and the John Lewis Partnership, will offer Neets aged 18-24 placements of two to four weeks to gain "the skills and confidence needed to take their first step into work". - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.