Thursday newspaper round-up: House prices, Berendsen, WPP, Philip Green

Oil industry company Halliburton has been branded “obscene” for advertising unpaid UK internships, which critics say give an unfair advantage to people from privileged backgrounds. In an advert on its recruitment site, Halliburton said it was seeking “people who want to innovate, achieve, grow and lead” for student internships at its office in Chiswick, west London. – Guardian

Oil industry company Halliburton has been branded “obscene” for advertising unpaid UK internships, which critics say give an unfair advantage to people from privileged backgrounds. In an advert on its recruitment site, Halliburton said it was seeking “people who want to innovate, achieve, grow and lead” for student internships at its office in Chiswick, west London. – Guardian

UK households put the brakes on plans to move home in May, as uncertainty over the general election put them off making big spending decisions. Buyers and sellers opted to “wait and see” ahead of today’s election according to estate agents surveyed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Enquiries from new buyers fell and the number of properties placed on the market dropped for a 15th month. The number of sales agreed also fell. – Guardian

Berendsen has succumbed to a takeover proposal from French rival Elis, after the offer was raised for a second time to £2.2bn, in spite of earlier comments made by the British laundry giant's board that there had been no "basis for any further discussions". The new offer would value Berendsen at £12.50 per share excluding an interim dividend, at a premium of 45pc to its uninterrupted share price, and ahead of the previous offers of £11.73 a share and £11.00 a share tabled in late April and May. – Telegraph

WPP shareholders have sought to increase the pressure on the company to identify a successor to its 72-year-old chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell over fears his exit could destabilise the global advertising empire he has built. Standard Life, which owns a 1.5pc stake in WPP worth £322m, teamed up with Royal London, owner of £106m in shares, at the company's annual general meeting to demand more progress towards a "post-Sorrell future". - Telegraph

Sir Philip Green’s retail empire suffered a sharp decline in British sales last year as the tycoon complained that clothing was becoming a less important part of household budgets. Revenue at his chains, which include Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Evans, declined to £1.7 billion in the year to August 27, down from £2.2 billion the year before, accounts for Taveta Investments, the holding company, showed. – The Times

The Greek government has rejected a compromise proposal by the International Monetary Fund to resolve the impasse over the country’s debts, raising the possibility of a sovereign default within weeks. Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister, and his ruling Syriza party said that the proposal offered Greece a “less than an honourable solution”. – The Times