Tuesday newspaper round-up: Rents, EU-US trade, tourism, gas

Average UK rents have fallen for the first time in more than seven years, with London seeing the biggest decline, according to new data. The slowdown in the rental sector mirrors a similar picture in the housing market, with figures showing that property prices have fallen for the third month in a row. - Guardian

The prospect of a revived EU-US trade deal is in “deep freeze”, according to Brussels sources, undermining reports that the EU has been inching ahead of the UK in the race for an arrangement with Washington. Neither Donald Trump nor European officials raised the possible resumption of talks during the US president’s visit to Brussels last month, EU sources said. - Guardian

Shares across the leisure and airline sectors fell sharply yesterday as bosses admitted that the resilience of Britain’s tourism industry would be sorely tested by the latest terrorist attack at London Bridge. One leisure sector boss said: “London carried on doing well after Westminster, as overseas visitors had already booked and the weak pound acted as a draw, but we face a dip in business of four to five months. Paris tourism was down 30 per cent and I’m expecting something similar in London.” - The Times

Household spending growth slowed in May as British shoppers selectively cut back purchases, as the rise of inflation threatens living standards. Spending in May was up 2.8pc on the year, the slowest rate of growth since last July, Barclaycard figures show. - The Times

Qatar has become a key supplier of gas to Britain over the past decade, as the decline of North Sea production makes the UK more reliant on imports. Shipments of liquefied natural gas from the Gulf state provided nearly 30 per cent of UK gas imports in recent years, second only to pipeline imports from Norway. - The Times

An activist investor has revealed a stake in Ocado just a day after the online grocer disclosed its first deal abroad, a long-awaited expansion overseas that nevertheless met with a lukewarm reaction in the City. Crystal Amber, one of Britain’s leading homegrown activist funds, which is led by Richard Bernstein, unveiled a 0.5pc shareholding in the FTSE 250 company worth about £9.3m. Ocado is now the fund’s seventh-biggest investment. - Telegraph

British Airways has ordered an independent investigation into the systems meltdown that left 75,000 passengers stranded over the bank holiday weekend. The actions of a technician who switched off and then reconnected the power supply to BA’s data centre are expected to form the centre of the inquiry, which will be carried out by an as-yet-unnamed external company. - Guardian

The image of British Airways was damaged by the systems failure which grounded an estimated 75,000 passengers last month, Willie Walsh, the head of its parent company, IAG, has admitted. Mr Walsh, who was attending the summit of the aviation trade body, the International Air Transport Association in Cancun, voiced confidence that there would be no long-lasting harm. - Telegraph

The London Metal Exchange has presented an “open door” to competition by increasing trading fees, a challenger has claimed. NFEX Markets is to start trading in base metals on a digital platform next year. The platform has been designed by Autilla, a start-up. - The Times

Whistleblowers should receive payouts for revealing misconduct in the City and should no longer be treated “as if they’re snitches”, according to the Liberal Democrats. Baroness Kramer, the party’s business spokeswoman, said she was troubled that Jes Staley had remained chief executive of Barclays after it emerged that he had twice tried to unmask an anonymous whistleblower. - The Times

Russian intelligence agents hacked a US voting systems manufacturer in the weeks leading up to last year’s presidential election, according to the Intercept, citing what it said was a highly classified National Security Agency (NSA) report. The revelation coincided with the arrest of Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a federal contractor from Augusta, Georgia, who was charged with removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet. It was not immediately clear if the incidents were related. - Guardian

KPMG has written to hundreds of its present and former partners to warn them about a dispute with the taxman over a bill dating from seven years ago that could lead to them being hit with millions of pounds in demands for tax. In a letter last week to 518 senior staff, the accounting firm gave them estimates of the “worst-case” bills they face, which for some partners could stretch into tens of thousands of pounds. - The Times

Channel 4 has appointed Alex Mahon of the special effects software company Foundry as its next chief executive, to steer it through choppy political and commercial waters. Ms Mahon, 43, will be the first woman to be the permanent holder of the role, which attracts a pay package worth almost £900,000, since Channel 4 was established in 1982. - Telegraph

A boardroom exodus at Genel Energy gathered pace yesterday when Nat Rothschild, the financier, followed Tony Hayward, the former BP boss, in quitting the troubled oil explorer that they brought to market six years ago. The departure of Mr Rothschild, one of Genel’s biggest shareholders, was accompanied by that of Simon Lockett, the former Premier Oil chief who served as a non-executive director. - The Times