Covid-19 dominates this week’s front page with only one business story making the cover. Roisin Burke reports that a former content moderator for Facebook is suing the company for “serious psychological injuries” he suffered as a result of being exposed to explicit content while working for the social media giant. Sean Burke, alleges that as part of his job he was required to “repeatedly view extremely violent, graphic and upsetting material, some of which involved children”. The move follows permission from the Personal Injuries Board for a group of former Facebook moderators to sue the company in the High Court.

After last week’s announcement that pubs are to remain closed, the Vintners’ Association has hit out at the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) over the research it used to inform its decision. The Association claims that Nphet has not been able to show evidence of outbreaks in the hospitality trade in Ireland, most of which has been open since 29 June. “Has the hospitality sector had any contribution towards the infection rate of the country?” asks Donall O’Keefe, chief executive of the association. “It doesn’t seem so.”

On page five Ian Guider reports that Bank of Ireland is considering “shrinking its presence” in the Northern Ireland as part of a strategic review of its UK operation. The news comes on foot of an interview with Bank of Ireland chief executive Francesca McDonagh who told the paper that “all options are on the table” as the bank looks to improve returns from its UK business.

After clearing its rent arrears with landlord Johnnie Ronan Bewleys, the iconic Grafton Street café, reopens at the end of this month. Roisin Burke talks to owner Paddy Campbell who says he doesn’t want a state handout and hopes the support of the public will help the business survive. “We aren’t looking for the government to nationalise or government support,” he tells the paper. “We have always felt that the business should avoid that.”

• Tito, the Irish ticket selling platform, has raised €855,000 in fresh funding

• Fexco, the Kerry-based financial services giant, is expected to cut jobs in the UK

• The Dept. of Transport is reviewing the viability of Shannon Airport owner, the Shannon Group 

Former billionaire Seán Quinn could face charges for trespassing on company land he once owned, according to a report on the front of the main paper. Apparently Quinn, who has already received warnings and a solicitor’s letter for trespassing, was seen driving around Quinn Industrial Holdings last Tuesday. According to Maeve Sheehan’s report, the events are being interpreted as “an escalation of tensions” between the Quinns and the company.

Onto the business pages and the top story is that US medical device manufacturer, Integer, has applied for planning permission to build a new €100m facility in Galway. The company already employs around 360 people in Galway and it is hoped the new development will see it take on hundreds more.

Ireland is facing a “wood crisis” according to another top business story. Ferghal O’Connor reports that hardware and DIY stores across the country will run out of Irish wood if the crisis in the forestry sector is not resolved soon. The problem is tied to the state’s licensing system with massive delays in issuing permits to fell trees. “This is a real crisis,” warned Martin Markey, chief executive of the Hardware Association of Ireland. “By November you won’t be able to make a matchstick in Ireland without importing the timber,” he said.

In Brief

• The value of gold stored for Irish clients by broker Goldcore is up 68% this year to over €100m

• Gigable, an Irish gig-economy app, has expanded into the UK

• 90% of employers can manage under a hybrid part-remote, part-workplace working arrangement according to a new survey

“Trump raises stakes in China fight” is the lead headline on this week’s FT. The paper reports that President Trump has “sharply escalated his campaign against Beijing” by imposing sanctions on Chinese and Honk Kong officials and barring US companies from doing business with leading Chinese tech companies. The paper describes the move as “unprecedented” with one leading observer quoted as saying Trump is “actively trying to engineer a strategic confrontation” with China.

Sweden’s economy has weathered the impact of Covid-19 better than most of the rest of Europe according to new figures. The Swedish economy contracted by 8.6% in the past three months compared to a 12% contraction for the eurozone over the same period. Sweden was one of the few countries not to impose a formal lockdown in tackling the virus.

PizzaExpress has put its UK business up for sale and warned of 1,100 job cuts as it attempts to stave off collapse. The company, which trades under the Milano brand in Ireland, said it was going to close 67 restaurants in the UK and would also offload its Chinese business.

The unemployment rate in the US fell to 10.2% in July as US employers added 1.8m jobs according to this week’s WSJ. It means the unemployment rate is down from a peak of 15% in April. However, the report quotes one economist as saying it will take “at least a couple of years” before the jobs market returns to its pre-pandemic level.

Nintendo has seen its profits soar as consumers turned to video games to entertain them through lockdown. Sales of “Animal Crossings: New Horizons” for the Switch console helped send second quarter profits for the company soaring to $1bn, six times higher than the same period last year.

Finally Facebook’s Instagram has taken aim at TikTok by launching a short-video feature on its US platform. The new feature, called “Instagram Reels” is not the first time Facebook has taken inspiration from its rivals. Four years ago it copied Snapchat by rolling out “Instagram Stories” which allowed users to post photographs which disappear after 24 hours.