Friday newspaper round-up: House prices, Isis, Gatwick

House price growth in the UK’s biggest cities will return to double digits this year as activity in markets that have been slow to recover from the financial crisis begin to heat up. The average cost of a home in Britain’s 20 biggest cities leapt by 9.4 per cent in the year to November to an average of £229,300, up from 8.4% in October and 6.6% in May, said Hometrack, the residential analyst, which believes the figures will be back in double digits by the end of the year. - The Times

Western intelligence agencies were forced to rethink their operations and reassess their ability to track Isis on Thursday as French officials confirmed the organiser of Friday’s Paris attacks had been operating under their noses. - Financial Times

Increased numbers of long-haul transatlantic services have helped to send passenger numbers at Gatwick to new highs with half-year profits soaring. Such demand, Stewart Wingate, the airport’s chief executive, claimed, is proof that the government will be misguided if it goes with the Davies commission recommendation on aviation expansion and gives the green light to a new runway at Heathrow rather than at Gatwick. - The Times

Royal Bank of Scotland today said it was scrapping bonuses for customer-facing employees. The state-backed lender said the move, which takes effect from 1 January, will mean workers based in branches and call centres at its personal and business banking operations would be “fully focused on helping customers with their financial needs”. - Scotsman

Former top managers of HBOS could be banned from working in the City after a damning report into the near collapse of the bank seven years ago laid the blame squarely on its former board and senior directors. At least 10 former executives – including chairman Lord Stevenson and chief executives Andy Hornby and James Crosby – could be subject to formal investigations after a decision not to pursue them before now was described as “materially flawed”. - The Guardian