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April 19 (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 Times
- A top 20 shareholder in Hammerson Plc has said that the retail property company was right to walk away from a merger with its rival Intu Properties Plc "rather than face the embarrassment of failing to win shareholder support". http://bit.ly/2qGndLQ
- The global economy is in more debt than it was before the financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund said as it urged countries to take immediate action to address the issue. http://bit.ly/2Hydzo8
The Guardian
- UK inflation unexpectedly fell last month to its lowest level in a year, raising questions over whether the Bank of England will raise interest rates next month. http://bit.ly/2qHpKp7
- London's skyline is to be transformed over the next decade with a record 510 tall towers, more than 20 storeys high, planned or under construction. The total is up from 455 towers in the pipeline in 2016, according to research from the industry forum New London Architecture and real estate consultancy GL Hearn. http://bit.ly/2HHQ5KR
The Telegraph
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to lend her backing to a eurozone bailout fund, modelled on the world's lender of last resort, the International Monetary Fund. http://bit.ly/2HxqNBt
- Amazon.Com Inc revealed it has exceeded 100 million paid Prime subscribers, the first time the internet company has provided a figure for users of the service. http://bit.ly/2qFKr4W
Sky News
- The energy retailer Utilita is mounting a legal challenge to a UK Government decision to effectively axe the first generation of smart meters this year amid warnings that vulnerable customers risk being left in the dark. http://bit.ly/2HxzaNI
- Internet companies failed to predict the data privacy issues that have rocked companies such as Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates said in an interview. http://bit.ly/2qNFAyH
The Independent
- UK firm De La Rue Plc has announced it will not appeal the government's decision to award the contract for producing British passports to an Amsterdam-based company. De La Rue initially asked the Home Office for an extension to the deadline for awarding the contract to make the post-Brexit blue passport after it emerged the frontrunner for the job was Gemalto NV, a Franco-Dutch firm. https://ind.pn/2HvIhOO
(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler)