Press Digest: British Business - April 24
24/04/2026 06:23
April 24 (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 - BP's BP.L new chief executive and Chair failed to get shareholder backing for two board-proposed resolutions at their first public outing at the annual general meeting. - Meta Platforms META.O and Microsoft MSFT.O said they would cut thousands of jobs as the companies ramp up spending on artificial intelligence, highlighting the growing financial strain of an intensifying AI arms race. The Guardian - U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will retaliate with a "big tariff" if Britain continues to target U.S. social media firms with its technology tax. - More than 200,000 people have signed petitions urging the British government to end public contracts with U.S. tech firm Palantir PLTR.O, reflecting growing unease over the company's role in public services including the NHS. The Telegraph - Warner Bros Discovery WBD.O shareholders backed the company's proposed $111 billion merger with Paramount Skydance PSKY.O,despite a widespread backlash in Hollywood. - British supermarket group Sainsbury's SBRY.L would welcome a regular police presence in its stores to deter shoplifting and violence and abuse against staff, its boss said. Sky News -British education company Pearson PSON.L is facing fresh shareholder resistance over proposals that could deliver multimillion-pound pay increases to senior executives over the next three years. - Natalie Black, a senior executive at Ofcom, is in the running to become chief executive of the British government's Office for Investment. The Independent - Britain is investigating how data from a health charity came to be advertised for sale on China's Alibaba 9988.HK, a government minister said, including one dataset that appeared to contain information from 500,000 people. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom) ((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))