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
- Sports Direct International Plc's SPD.L independent investors voted against company's founder and chief executive Mike Ashley's re-election at the company's annual meeting. https:// Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) 0388.HK said it was planning a cash-and-paper offer of 83.61 pounds a share for the London Stock Exchange Plc LSE.L on condition that the British company scraps its $27 billion deal to buy Refinitiv, the financial data business from Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Group Inc BX.N and Thomson Reuters Corp TRI.TO . https:// Guardian
- British politicians and businesses in the Midlands have urged prime minister Boris Johnson to back a 3.5 billion pounds ($4.32 billion) plan to overhaul the region's railways with "long-overdue investment" in better connections between its cities. https:// Telegraph
- U.S. president Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Federal Reserve to slash interest rates to zero or even into negative territory as he lashed out ahead of the central bank's crucial decision next week. https:// Former Stobart Group Limited STOB.L chair Iain Ferguson has been appointed as non-executive chairman of housebuilding company Crest Nicholson Holdings Plc CRST.L , completing an overhaul of the housebuilder's top two jobs. https:// News
- The British government has released documents relating to its "Operation Yellowhammer" preparations for a no-deal Brexit, which looks at the worst that could happen if Britain leaves the European Union on Oct 31 without a deal. https:// Affordable housing provider Heylo will announce on Thursday that Andrew Geczy will be named its new chief executive. https:// ($1 = 0.8110 pounds)