Monday newspaper round-up: Public spending boost, Atkins, Trump, BAE

The American consulting engineer playing a key role in Britain’s new High Speed Two rail route has approached its UK competitor WS Atkins about a possible $4 billion merger. CH2M is believed to have contacted its listed British rival, with whom it often partners on projects, at the end of last year to explore whether a tie-up could work. - The Times

British business leaders have spoken out against US president Donald Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries. The Institute of Directors (IoD) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) both agreed the ban would be bad for business while Sir Martin Sorrell, the head of advertising group WPP, expressed concerns about the effect on his workers and their families and said he had an “instinctive dislike” of such measures. - Guardian

The UK’s biggest defence and security company is hoping a £100 million contract with Turkey will pave the way to a more lucrative defence partnership with Ankara. Ian King, chief executive of BAE Systems was in the capital with Theresa May to sign an agreement to collaborate on the initial phase of the country’s first home-built fighter jet, TFX, with Turkish Aerospace Industries. - The Times

Sir Philip Green is understood to be close to a deal that will see him stump up more than £350m to fund the pensions of former BHS staff who have been left in limbo since the retail chain's collapse last year. Seven months ago the retail tycoon promised MPs that he would "sort" the BHS £571m deficit but talks between Sir Philip and the Pensions Regulator have been complicated by the watchdog's investigations into the former BHS owner. Telegraph

More than 770,000 high earners now work part-time, according to a report that shows how employers are becoming more open to using job shares in senior roles. The number of part-time staff on salaries over £40,000 has increased by 5.7% in the past year, said flexible-working group Timewise. - Guardian

The eurozone must break up if its members are to thrive again, according to a former European Central Bank official. Jürgen Stark, who served on the ECB’s executive board during the financial crisis, said it was time to “think the unthinkable” and work towards a “reset” of Europe that pulled power away from Brussels. - Telegraph

Greece is in trouble again, and failure to rein in its explosive debt and wrap up a key bailout review with creditors soon could push the country out of the euro, leading economists and the International Monetary Fund warn. The threat caps another failed bid by Greece and its creditors to resolve differences over a deadlocked review of Athens’s third bailout package of as much as €86 billion. - The Times

BT has fired the first shot in the battle for Champions League football, saying it is determined to keep a grip on the TV rights to European football’s blue-riband club competition and accusing arch-rival Sky of having too much dominance over pay-TV sports. BT is understood to have “done the rounds” of potential free-to-air partners, with Sky set to do the same, ahead of first round bids being submitted to the governing body Uefa in March. - Guardian

BT investors face a new problem from today, as the former French state telecoms monopoly Orange is released from a lock-up stopping it selling its 4pc stake in its British counterpart. Orange took the shares as part-payment for 50pc of EE, the mobile operator BT acquired for £12.5bn last year. - Telegraph

Old coal, gas and nuclear power stations are to receive subsidy contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds this week, under government plans to ensure the lights stay on next winter. The subsidies, which will be levied on energy bills, are to be awarded through the “capacity market” to companies that can guarantee their plants will be available when needed on winter weekday evenings. - The Times

The respected former boss of Newton Investment Management is joining the investment arm of insurance giant Legal & General with the task of helping the business build direct relationships with savers. Helena Morrissey, who stepped down as the chief executive of Newton last year, is moving to rival Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) at the start of May as the head of personal investing. - Telegraph

Spire Healthcare is planning to set up its own network of GPs at its hospitals and clinics across the country to address a growing demand for primary care services in the UK. The publicly listed hospital provider, which is 29.9pc owned by South Africa’s Mediclinic International, is trialling the service at four of its 38 hospitals. - Telegraph