Jan 14 - 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
- Quiz Clothing is to open its 300th outlet this year and plans to expand its estate to more than 500. The company recently moved into a larger distribution hub on the outskirts of Glasgow and has about 280 shops and concessions in Britain and overseas.
- The Scottish economy remains stuck in the slow lane, with few signs of it accelerating in the coming months. Scotland's GDP rose by only 0.1 percent in the third quarter of last year, behind the 0.4 percent increase in the same period for the UK, according to Scottish government figures published yesterday.
The Guardian
- The European Union and United States are expected to formally lift sanctions against Iran this weekend, dismantling an intricate network of punitive measures built up over nearly a decade and reconnecting Tehran to the global economy.
Telegraph
- Home Retail Group Plc HOME.L said that it was finalising sale documents with Perth-based Wesfarmers WES.AX , one of Australia's largest companies and owner of the Coles supermarket chain. Premier Oil Plc PMO.L has swooped on the UK North Sea assets of German energy giant E.ON EONGn.DE in a deal worth 120 million pounds ($172.88 million). Under the deal, Premier will take stakes in five separate oilfields, including 100 percent control of the Huntington field. News
- HM Revenue and Customs boss Dame Lin Homer has been accused of allowing HSBC Holdings Plc HSBA.L to "get away scot free" after she said it was unlikely to pursue allegations that the bank's Swiss arm helped wealthy clients dodge tax. General Electric (N:GE) Co GE.N is poised to cut around 570 UK jobs as part of a shake-up. The announcement follows the $10 billion takeover of French firm Alstom SA's ALSO.PA power business. Independent
- Brighton Museums and York Art Gallery were among museums that introduced charges for entry and the numbers are set to grow in 2016 as public funding cuts are forcing museums to close or pay for their tickets.
- Canada's GMP Securities is shutting its UK business as the natural resources focused stockbroker struggles to cope with the oil and mining downturns. The closure of the firm's London office will lead to the loss of 30 jobs and forms part of an overhaul of its struggling capital markets division.
($1 = 0.6941 pounds)