PRESS DIGEST-British Business - June 16

Signet Jewelers Limited
Alphabet Inc. Class A
Apple Inc.

Signet Jewelers Limited

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Alphabet Inc. Class A

GOOGL

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Apple Inc.

AAPL

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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

- Apple AAPL.O and Google GOOGL.O will be forced to carry out age checks on children using their phones under plans being drawn up by ministers after Sir Keir Starmer announced a ban on social media for under-16s.

- Doncasters Group, a Derby-based specialist engineer founded in 1778, unveiled plans on Monday to float in the U.S. and raise up to $747 million.

The Guardian

- The EU’s trade deficit with China has reached a record €1 billion ($1.16 billion) a day, according to official trade data, fuelling concerns over the future of Europe’s “industrial backbone”.

- The Australian pharmaceutical group Sigma Healthcare SIG.AX has dropped its pursuit of the UK retail chain Boots, abandoning a takeover estimated to be worth $10 billion.

The Telegraph

- The British Army is battling delays to a new fleet of tanks. Project leaders working on the £1 billion ($1.34 billion)Challenger 3 upgrade programme are understood to be grappling with engineering problems caused by a weak gearbox.

- Britain's Rolls-Royce RR.L will build mini nuclear power plants for Sweden in a major boost to the British engineering giant’s ambitions in Europe.

Sky News

- PureGym chief Clive Chesser will step down after just 18 months at Britain’s largest health and fitness club chain, which employs more than 7,000 people and has 2.5 million members.

- The debate over Heathrow Airport’s expansion has reignited with Sky News obtaining a letter from Unite general secretary Sharon Graham reiterating support for a third runway proposal sponsored by Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), costing close to £50 billion ($67.03 billion), including associated investment in existing infrastructure.


($1 = 0.8630 euros)


($1 = 0.7459 pounds)