Sunday newspaper round-up: General election, Brexit, Arcadia Group, Saudi Aramco, Kier, Sports Direct

Boris Johnson faces a double threat to his Downing Street hopes today — a new poll shows Labour has enjoyed a bounce in support since the election campaign began, and remain parties have finalised an electoral pact to thwart him. A YouGov survey for The Sunday Times found that Labour had gained six points between Wednesday and Friday. Jeremy Corbyn’s party is now on 27%, 12 points behind the Tories, while the Liberal Democrats have slipped three points to just 16%. - The Sunday Times

Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are only eight points ahead of Labour, according to a poll for The Sunday Telegraph. The ORB International survey for the newspaper puts the Tories on 36 per cent, with 28 for Labour, 14 per cent for the Liberal Democrats and 12 per cent for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party. - Sunday Telegraph

Boris Johnson has apologised to Tory members who voted for him to become party leader for not taking Britain out of the EU on 31 October. The delay was a matter of “deep regret”, the prime minister said, describing extensions as “painful” because they caused the country uncertainty. - Observer

John McDonnell was confronted with Jewish fury over the wave of anti-Semitism wracking Labour today. The shadow chancellor admitted he was 'saddened' as he was shown the front pages of newspapers lambasting Jeremy Corbyn on the BBC's Andrew Marr show. They included coverage of a top rabbi warning that the Jewish community's way of life is at risk if the veteran left-winger becomes PM. - Mail on Sunday

The prospective sale of The Daily Telegraph has attracted unexpected interest from America. Steve Bannon, the mastermind of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, hopes to assemble a consortium to turn the newspaper into the global voice of Trumpian populism. “It’s one of the great untapped properties,” said Bannon, who co-founded Breitbart News, the US platform that has been accused of encouraging racism and white supremacy. - The Sunday Times

Beleaguered rail commuters are to net tens of millions of pounds in previously unclaimed compensation for delayed or cancelled services with the rollout of upgrades to a popular train booking app. Trainline is putting the final touches to new technology that will automatically process so-called “delay repay” claims on passengers’ behalf, handing a financial boost to thousands of commuters that forget to claim for disruption to journeys. - Sunday Telegraph

Up to 20,000 patients in the UK are to be given medical cannabis over a two-year period in an initiative that aims to create the largest body of evidence on the drug in Europe. The move, to be unveiled on Thursday, is backed by one of the UK’s leading medical bodies and it is hoped it will persuade the NHS to prescribe the drug for a range of conditions. - Observer

Nigel Farage today dramatically revealed he will not stand at the snap election - but warned the Brexit Party will fight the Tories. Mr Farage said he had agonised over the decision but wanted to focus on supporting candidates up and down the country. The announcement, in an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, came as the MEP launched an excoriating attack on Boris Johnson's deal with the EU. - Mail on Sunday

Sir Philip Green is racing to raise more than £300m before Christmas so he can repay a loan secured against Topshop’s flagship store on London’s Oxford Street. Arcadia Group, his retail empire, which also includes Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge, is understood to be in talks with specialist lenders, including American private equity firm Apollo, about refinancing the £310m mortgage, which is due for repayment next month. - The Sunday Times

Saudi Aramco is set to unveil its record-breaking stock market flotation tomorrow after crown prince Mohammed bin Salman finally gave the green light for the listing. Advisers were today drumming up support from investors in last-minute meetings as the Saudi Arabian state-run oil producer closes in on a share sale that will make it the world’s most valuable publicly listed company. - Sunday Telegraph

A pledge to end the dumping of human waste on railway tracks in England and Wales by the end of the year will no longer be met, Network Rail and train firms have admitted. Although Network Rail’s former chief executive, Mark Carne, said in 2017 he had secured government agreement to end the “disgusting practice” by 2019, several companies will continue to use trains whose toilets flush directly onto the track. - Observer

Fund management titan Martin Gilbert has advised international investors to buy into UK assets ahead of Brexit. Speaking at a controversial event in Saudi Arabia last week, Gilbert – the outgoing deputy chairman of Standard Life Aberdeen – described the UK as 'cheap' at the moment. 'I think it's good value,' he said, pointing to sterling, UK-listed firms and British property as good areas in which to invest. - Mail on Sunday

Asset management giants have been warned that their funds could be suspended and wound up after just three months if they do not ditch riskier stocks in the wake of Neil Woodford’s downfall. The threat has been issued by so-called depository companies such as Northern Trust, which safeguard and monitor the assets in funds, as the City watchdog ramps up scrutiny of the sector. - The Sunday Times

One of the country’s biggest builders of schools, roads and railways faces a fight for survival this winter as Kier’s heavy debts become the target of opportunistic hedge funds. The Sunday Telegraph has learnt that lenders are attempting to offload Kier loans to specialists in distressed debt at knockdown prices, in a signal they believe the risks to its future are rising. - Sunday Telegraph

A new coal mine in Cumbria has been given the green light by the government in the same week that the Treasury launched a review into how the UK can end its contribution to global heating. The developer, West Cumbria Mining, said the £165m mine would create 500 jobs. The Cumbrian MP Tim Farron called the decision “a kick in the teeth in the fight to tackle climate change”. - Observer

Sports Direct hatched an audacious plot to persuade US President Donald Trump to endorse its business plans, according to documents filed in a New York court. Papers obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveal the idea to solicit Trump to praise a Sports Direct deal on Twitter and help deliver a 'massive increase in sales'. Sports Direct's US boss Howard Moher outlined the plan in an email to Justin Barnes – a trusted lieutenant of the retail giant's owner Mike Ashley – in early 2017 as they closed in on a key American acquisition. - Mail on Sunday