Friday newspaper round-up: House sales, fuel prices, The Telegraph

(Sharecast News) - House sales are expected to accelerate over the next four months as buyers seek to benefit from tax breaks that are due to run out in April 2025, according to the online property website Zoopla. The number of home sales increased across the UK this year, pushing up prices by 1.5% in the year to October. Next year prices are expected to rise by 2.5% and transactions will jump by 5%, the website said. - Guardian UK motorists are paying more than they should for petrol and diesel even as global energy market prices have fallen in recent months, the competition watchdog has warned. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) repeated its call for the new government to take action "as soon as possible" to end the "persistent" overcharging, six months after it found that motorists paid £1.6bn more than they should have last year alone. - Guardian

The UK's gambling regulator is preparing to settle a £200m claim for damages brought by media baron Richard Desmond over the running of the National Lottery. The Telegraph understands that the Gambling Commission has requested a so-called mediation meeting with Mr Desmond's business, Northern and Shell, at which it will propose settling the legal claim out of court. The showdown is expected to take place in the coming weeks. - Telegraph

The sale of The Telegraph has been thrown into limbo after the leading bidder was handed an effective open-ended extension to takeover talks. Dovid Efune, the little-known publisher behind The New York Sun, is in exclusive discussions to buy The Telegraph from Abu Dhabi fund RedBird IMI in a deal expected to be worth £550m. - Telegraph

George Osborne has boosted the personal fortune he has made since leaving politics after he was one of a trio of investment bankers that shared in a £30 million pot following record profits at the City firm where he works. Accounts for Robey Warshaw, the influential advisory business the former chancellor joined in 2021, show the Mayfair-based firm enjoyed profits of £70 million in the 12 months to the end of March, up sharply from £31.8 million a year earlier. - The Times