Press Digest: British Business - June 22

AstraZeneca

Yesterday 01:56

June 22 (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 owner of David Lloyd gyms is weighing up a possible London listing of the chain at a valuation of 4 billion pound($5.29 billion) in a rare glimmer of hope for Britain’s capital markets.
- Health officials are back in commercial discussions with AstraZeneca AZN.L and its Japanese partner over possible NHS reimbursement of a breast cancer drug at the heart of a previous breakdown in government relations.
     
     
The Guardian
 - Lloyds Banking Group LLOY.L has launched an artificial intelligence recruitment drive for 300 tech experts, weeks before its chief executive, Charlie Nunn, announces a strategic plan for the 261-year-old lender.
     
        
The Telegraph
 - Pennon PNN.L, the owner of South West Water, has paid a 270,000 pound bonus to the executive in charge during the scandal in which drinking water contaminated with parasites was supplied to thousands of homes in south-west England.
Regulator Ofcom has urged operators including BT BT.L, Vodafone VOD.L and Virgin Media O2 to be cautious about how they deploy the technology amid concerns it could trigger outages if it goes wrong.
     
     
Sky News
 - British technology firm Ocado Group OCDO.L is preparing to appoint a successor to chief executive Tim Steiner.
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was considering his political future on Sunday, after rival Andy Burnham's decisive election victory to parliament prompted more ministers in the governing Labour Party to call for him to go.
     
     
The Independent
 - The Spanish owner of Santander UK SANS_pa.L has revealed aims to cut costs by more than 500 million euros ($573.40 million) by accelerating the use of artificial intelligence across its global operations.
     
     
     
     
($1 = 0.7557 pounds)
     
($1 = 0.8720 euros)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)
((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))