Sunday newspaper round-up: Coronavirus, Storm Ciara, NMC Health, Centrica, M&S, Trenitalia
Britain could suffer a “major outbreak” of the coronavirus, which is likely to become a pandemic, according to the microbiologist who co-discovered ebola and the presence of Aids in Africa. Professor Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said he was “increasingly alarmed” by the rapid spread of the virus and the “huge” number of cases emerging daily. - The Sunday Times
Dozens of domestic and international flights have been cancelled as Storm Ciara is set to batter the UK later today with heavy rain and winds of more than 80mph. Weather warnings have been issued across the country for Sunday amid forecasts of very strong gusts and the risk of flooding. - Sunday Telegraph
Boris Johnson and Priti Patel are expected to outline immigration changes at a cabinet meeting on Friday. The prime minister and home secretary’s measures will include a drop in the salary threshold for some migrants, the BBC reported. As the legislation stands, skilled migrants from outside the EU must have a job offer with a minimum salary of £30,000. - Observer
America's most powerful private equity firm has held talks with senior executives at NMC Health about a £2 billion plus takeover of the embattled hospital operator. City sources told the Mail on Sunday that KKR – the former owner of pharmacy giant Boots that was immortalised in the bestselling book Barbarians At The Gate - discussed the possible buyout with NMC Health's management team in the past few weeks. - Mail on Sunday
Skilled migration to the UK will rise under radical reforms to immigration that Boris Johnson signed off last week. The prime minister and Priti Patel, the home secretary, met on Tuesday to finalise the details of Britain’s Australian-style points-based system, which will abolish the route into the UK for unskilled migrants from January 1 next year. - The Sunday Times
Centrica is preparing to appoint an insider as its new chief executive, as the British Gas owner struggles to tackle its debts by selling off its fossil fuel and nuclear arms. Sarwjit Sambhi, who heads its consumer business, is the front-runner in the contest to take over from departing chief executive Iain Conn, industry sources say. - Sunday Telegraph
A rise in the number of regular “lunchtime” vegan shoppers is fuelling sales of plant-based sandwiches and wraps, according to supermarkets. In a further sign that plant-based food is now firmly mainstream, retailers have reported rocketing sales of vegan takeaway foods, with ingredients such as hummus gaining popularity. - Observer
Marks & Spencer will stop issuing shopping vouchers to thousands of investors who hold its shares through stockbrokers as part of an investor communications overhaul. The move will affect about half of its small investor base - accounting for around 9 percent of all M&S stock - who hold shares through third-party brokers, such as Hargreaves Lansdown. - Mail on Sunday
A £550m deal to rescue a portfolio of Neil Woodford’s stakes in biotech start-ups has collapsed - a development that is likely to deal another blow to investors in his failed fund and lead to a fire sale of 20 promising companies. A boutique investment bank that had been racing to assemble a group of international investors to save most of Woodford’s illiquid holdings - and return money to investors trapped in his equity income fund in the process - is understood to have missed the deadline to complete the deal. - The Sunday Times
One of Europe’s biggest train operators could pull out of Britain after racking up a £20m loss, The Telegraph understands. Despite running the country’s most punctual service, the London to Essex c2c franchise - operated by Italian state railway Trenitalia - went into the red in 2019 after forecast passenger growth failed to materialise. - Sunday Telegraph
Boris Johnson will give the final go-ahead to the first phase of the controversial HS2 high speed rail link early this week - despite fears over spiralling costs and strong opposition from at least 60 Tory MPs. The prime minister is expected to make an announcement to parliament on Tuesday approving construction of the line between London and Birmingham, two days before conducting a wide-ranging reshuffle of his cabinet. - Observer
A fourth patient has tested positive for coronavirus in the UK after being infected in France by another British case. They are being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in Camden, north London, marking the first person suffering the killer infection in the capital. - Mail on Sunday
An Asian property giant could ride to the rescue of the troubled shopping centre group behind Lakeside in Essex and the Trafford Centre near Manchester as it plans a £1bn emergency cash call. Link Real Estate Investment Trust, listed in Hong Kong with a market capitalisation of about £17bn, is understood to be in talks with Intu Properties about becoming the “cornerstone” investor in a fundraising scheduled to be launched alongside Intu’s full-year results this month. - The Sunday Times
British holidaymakers skiing in France are being traced amid fears they came into contact with five Britons, including a nine-year-old boy, who have been diagnosed in the Alps with coronavirus. Six other British people staying at a shared chalet at Les Contamines-Montjoie near Chamonix have also been taken to hospital as a precaution, French authorities revealed yesterday. - Sunday Telegraph
An image of a windswept Donald Trump, which appears to show a dramatic forehead tan line through his blown-back blond hair, has gone viral - prompting the hashtag #orangeface to trend on Twitter. This image was posted late Friday afternoon to an unverified Twitter account called White House Photos, which describes itself as the account of a “White House Correspondent, Journalist, Photographer, Poet and Pesco Vegetarian” named “William Moon.” - Observer
The American woman accused of killing Harry Dunn was a CIA agent, the Mail on Sunday can reveal. Fugitive mother-of-three Anne Sacoolas, who fled Britain after crashing into the teenager’s motorbike outside an air base last August, is understood to have served as a senior spy. - Mail on Sunday