Source: Sharecast
A nationwide US aviation shutdown that resulted in roughly 17,000 flight cancellations was triggered by an infrastructure upgrade replacing copper wiring with fibre-optic cable, according to The Telegraph. US authorities said the failure occurred at a remote Federal Aviation Administration facility and have ruled out a cyber attack.
US transport secretary Sean Duffy said investigators were examining whether the disruption stemmed from human error, installation issues or faulty equipment supplied by contractor L3Harris. The grounding order, only the second nationwide US flight stoppage since the September 2001 terrorist attacks, continued to cause widespread disruption over the weekend, The Telegraph reported.
Royal Mail owner Daniel Kretinsky personally joined talks with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds earlier this month as discussions intensified over the future of the postal operator, according to The Times.
The newspaper said Royal Mail executives and union representatives used the meeting to call for stronger regulatory intervention in the parcels market, arguing that increasing competition from rival operators is adding pressure to earnings. The Times noted that letter volumes have fallen from 20bn in 2005 to 5.6bn, while adjusted annual operating profit stood at just £5m on turnover of £8.4bn.
KPMG has launched a recruitment drive to expand its deals business as it looks to strengthen its position in post-merger advisory services, The Times reported.
According to the newspaper, the Big Four accounting firm is targeting transaction specialists from rival consultancies, including Deloitte, EY and PwC, amid growing demand from private equity firms and corporates for support integrating and improving acquired businesses. A City source told The Times that investment in the expansion could reach £100m.
The NHS is on course to miss its interim cancer treatment targets in England, with nearly 10,000 additional patients set to miss timely treatment unless performance improves significantly, according to analysis reported by The Guardian.
The newspaper said only 70.7% of cancer patients began treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral in September, down from 71.9% in August and well below the NHS target of 80% by March 2027. Analysis by Radiotherapy UK, cited by The Guardian, suggests an additional 2,850 patients would need to be treated on time each month to close the gap.
Asia is set to become the centre of global diplomacy this week as political leaders gather for a series of high-level summits against a backdrop of intensifying competition between the US and China, The Guardian reported.
The newspaper said Donald Trump is due to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, where a trilateral meeting involving Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin is also expected. While some commentators have compared the gathering to a modern-day "Yalta", The Guardian said analysts believe any major decisions on issues such as Ukraine or Taiwan remain unlikely.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com