PRESS DIGEST- British Business - Aug 15
Aug 15 (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
- The joint heads of the newly merged Standard Life Aberdeen have vowed to continue in their shared role for another ten years. Martin Gilbert insisted that he and Keith Skeoch, his fellow joint chief executive at the fund manager, made a "powerful combo". bit.ly/2vDb5fI
- Beny Steinmetz, an Israeli billionaire who has interests in iron ore and diamond mines, has been detained on suspicion of money laundering. Israeli Police said that Steinmetz and four others were being held for allegedly drawing up false contracts and property deals to launder money. The list of suspects includes David Granot, the chairman of Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Corp. bit.ly/2vDsaGu
The Guardian
- Brexit is being blamed for a decline in the number of job vacancies in the City and a drop in applications for key posts compared with last summer. According to headhunters Morgan McKinley there was an 11 percent slide in the number of City jobs in July, compared with a year ago, and a 33cent fall in professionals seeking positions. bit.ly/2vDxutH
- The squeeze on cash-strapped British households is expected to be illustrated this week by official figures to be released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday, followed by labour market data the next day which are expected to show wage growth stagnated while unemployment continued to fall. City economists are forecasting that the consumer price index rose at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in July, up from 2.6 percent in June. The figures will bit.ly/2vWmnhI
The Telegraph
- A "Japanese fungus" which is resistant to drugs has spread to at least 55 hospitals across the UK, public health officials have warned. National Health Service trusts have been ordered to carry out deep cleans of all affected areas after more than 200 patients were found to be infected or carrying the potentially fatal pathogen. bit.ly/2vDLYJU
- J Sainsbury Plc's is shelving making a 130 million pound ($168.42 million) bid for convenience chain Nisa until UK's competition watchdog has ruled on Tesco's 3.7 billion pound ($4.79 billion) takeover of Booker in late October, according to insiders. bit.ly/2vDgwLL
Sky News
- British Government will propose a new UK-EU customs union as an interim measure to avoid a "cliff-edge" for manufacturers after Britain leaves the bloc. The proposal is contained in the Government's first "future partnership paper", published on Tuesday by the Department for Exiting the European Union. bit.ly/2vDEXbO
- Uber Technologies Inc users will be able to leave drivers a tip via the ride-hailing company's smartphone app - but could also now be charged for keeping cabs waiting. The firm has announced a number of changes aimed at appeasing drivers, including in the UK where it has fought drivers claiming an entitlement to minimum pay and a holiday wage. bit.ly/2vDutJy
The Independent
- Uber has been accused by the Metropolitan Police of failing to report one of its drivers accused of sexually assaulting passengers. ind.pn/2vCW3GR ($1 = 0.7719 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)