Thursday newspaper round-up: Iraq, UK house prices, Greece

11th Jun 2015 07:03

President Obama's election pledge not to drag the US into another war in Iraq was last night under increasing strain as he sent a further 450 soldiers to Anbar province to confront Isis. The move, which brings to about 3,550 the number of US troops in Iraq, underscores alarm at how the Iraqi army crumbled while fighting Isis last month, losing the city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar. - The TimesUK house prices are forecast to rise by 25% over the next five years and become "ever more unaffordable", largely because of an acute shortage of homes for sale, a leading property body has warned. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said the supply of homes for sale - as measured by the average number on a chartered surveyor estate agent's books - had fallen to its lowest level since records began in January 1978. - The GuardianAlexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, held another round of talks with his French and German counterparts on Wednesday night, with no signs that either side had moved closer to achieving a deal to release €7.2bn in bailout aid to his cash-strapped government. - Financial TimesDeveloping countries are facing a "structural slowdown" likely to last for years and are ceding their role as the world's growth engine to more mature economies such as the US, according to the World Bank. The Washington-based bank on Wednesday lowered its forecast for global growth this year to 2.8%, partly because the much-anticipated benefits of lower oil prices have been limited. - Financial TimesAstraZeneca's most senior scientist is leaving the drugs company in the middle of an effort to revitalise productivity in the group's laboratories. Briggs Morrison, the chief medical officer, is joining a "small, private venture-backed start-up", according to the company, and will relinquish his duties at the end of the week. His role will be filled, on an interim basis, by Pascal Soriot, the chief executive. - The TimesNorth Sea oil is facing a "recession of confidence" after an industry survey revealed that two-thirds of companies working offshore have cancelled projects because of the falling oil price. The survey by the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce found that 67pc of operators in the North Sea have been forced to cut projects since oil prices began to tumble last year. Oil trading at around $65 per barrel is thought to be too low for many companies in the North Sea because of the high costs associated with working offshore. - The Daily Telegraph