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. ()
VODAFONE COULD AGREE ONO TAKEOVER NEXT WEEK
Vodafone's 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. ()
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, exits the business. ()
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. ()
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. ()
The Times
RIO TINTO TO KEEP PWC ON ITS BOOKS
Rio Tinto 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. ()
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. ()
SMITHS NEWS TAKES ON NEW NAME AS IT SEEKS FRESH HORIZONS
Smiths News 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. ()
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