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 Telegraph

UKRAINE SANCTIONS MOVE UPSETS OLIGARCHS

Russian oligarchs with extensive interests in Britain have been attempting to lower the risk to their assets from sanctions, which it is expected the European Union will impose over the Ukraine crisis. ( Href="Link">http://link.reuters.com/wan67v)

VODAFONE COULD AGREE ONO TAKEOVER NEXT WEEK

Vodafone's VOD.L 6-billion-pound ($9.98 billion)acquisition of Ono could be completed as early as next week after it moved closer to an agreement with the Spanish operator's shareholders. ( Href="Link">http://link.reuters.com/san67v)

BERNIE ECCLESTONE SAYS HE WILL SELL HIS FORMULA ONE SHARES WITH CVC

Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that he will sell his 5.3 percent stake in Formula One when its controlling shareholder, the private equity firm CVC Href="NewsSearch">CVC.UL , exits the business. ( Href="Link">http://link.reuters.com/van67v)

The Guardian

MANUFACTURERS PLAN RECRUITMENT BOOM AS RECOVERY BECOMES MORE ENTRENCHED

Manufacturers are planning to hire workers at the fastest rate in more than a decade in the coming months, as recovery in Britain's factories becomes more firmly entrenched, giving Finance Minister George Osborne some positive news before Wednesday's budget. ( Href="Link">http://link.reuters.com/zan67v)

PRIMARK TO PAY 6 MLN STG MORE TO VICTIMS OF RANA PLAZA FACTORY IN BANGLADESH

Primark is to pay out a further $10 million in compensation to victims of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh weeks before the anniversary of the disaster in which more than 1,100 garment workers lost their lives. ( Href="Link">http://link.reuters.com/xan67v)

The Times

RIO TINTO TO KEEP PWC ON ITS BOOKS

Rio Tinto RIO.L RIO.AX has bucked the trend set by its FTSE-100 peers and decided not to put its audit contract on the market this year, despite increasing pressure from domestic and European rulemakers to do so. ( Href="Link">http://link.reuters.com/cen67v)

LENDERS URGED TO FIND ALTERNATIVE FOR REJECTED SMES

British Finance Minister George Osborne is considering forcing banks to refer credit-starved small and medium-sized companies to alternative providers of finance. ( Href="Link">http://link.reuters.com/qan67v)

SMITHS NEWS TAKES ON NEW NAME AS IT SEEKS FRESH HORIZONS

Smiths News SNWS.L has shifted its focus to distributing a variety of products, including books and paper towels for hospitals, as it seeks to reduce its dependence on the newspaper and magazine industries which are generating fewer editions as more readers move online. (http://link.reuters.com/fen67v)

($1 = 0.6014 British Pounds)

(Compiled by Richa Naidu in Bangalore)

((richa.naidu@thomsonreuters.com)(within UK +44 20 7542 1810, outside UK +91 806 749 4939)(Reuters Messaging: richa.naidu.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: BRITAIN PRESS/BUSINESS