PRESS DIGEST-British Business - March 17
March 17 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
The Times
- France and Italy prepared to drop their suspension of the AstraZeneca AZN.L vaccine on Tuesday after the European regulator said it was "firmly convinced" that the benefits outweighed any risks. https://bit.ly/3cGEfk1
- Britain's financial regulator has launched a criminal prosecution of NatWest NWG.L, alleging that the bank accepted 264 million pounds of cash deposits from a gold dealer accused of being at the centre of money-laundering "on a massive scale". https://bit.ly/3cUwmrF
The Guardian
- Uber UBER.N is to guarantee its 70,000 UK drivers a minimum hourly wage, holiday pay and pensions after a landmark supreme court ruling. https://bit.ly/3eTcB6p
- Former head of the civil service, Bob Kerslake, and scientific advisers have spoken out in favour of a public inquiry into the UK's handling of Covid-19, raising pressure on Boris Johnson to finally launch the process as the UK's coronavirus fatalities rose to almost 126,000. https://bit.ly/3bUNZbn
The Telegraph
- The metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta was handed hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer support by the Scottish government even as alarm bells were raised about his strength as a buyer, The Telegraph can reveal. https://bit.ly/3lnLukY
- Boris Johnson has revealed his vision for Britain becoming "match-fit" for its post-Brexit future by using its agility, soft power and security expertise to thrive in the decade to come. https://bit.ly/3r30JBf
Sky News
- The payments giant Visa V.N is to hike fees for purchases made by UK-based customers from most of Europe – stoking fears of higher prices and fuelling the argument that Brexit is adding to the cost of trading with the EU. https://bit.ly/3rWJOkO
- The chief executive of Capita CPI.L will on Wednesday unveil a fresh restructuring of the embattled outsourcer alongside a plan to raise 400 million pounds from a string of disposals. https://bit.ly/3lmp6sh
The Independent
- Demand for the Oxford-AstraZeneca AZN.L COVID-19 vaccine in the UK remains "incredibly strong" despite a string of EU countries pausing use of the jab in their inoculation programmes, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. https://bit.ly/3cIYgqn
(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)