Jan 8 (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
- The executive chairman of Patisserie Holdings PLC , Luke Johnson, retains dozens of directorships, despite vowing to scale back his other commitments to focus on saving the troubled cafe chain. http://bit.ly/2RGrvRY
- Ophir Energy PLC said on Monday that it has been stripped of its once-prized gas field in Equatorial Guinea and forced to book another $300 million writedown. The oil explorer and producer said that the country had denied its request to extend its licence to operate in the offshore area containing the giant Fortuna gas discovery. http://bit.ly/2RALqSq
The Guardian
- Barclays PLC is being threatened with a boardroom shake-up after activist investor Edward Bramson announced plans for a shareholder vote on the bank's leadership. http://bit.ly/2RzZCuR
- Brompton Bicycle has built up a £1 million ($1.28 million) stockpile of bike parts including wheel rims, spokes and steel, to guarantee supplies for its west London factory in case of a hard Brexit. http://bit.ly/2RFezfa
The Telegraph
- British and European officials are discussing the possibility of extending Article 50 amid fears a Brexit deal will not be completed by March 29. http://bit.ly/2Rx2Yit
- AstraZeneca PLC has hired cancer specialist José Baselga to be head of R&D in oncology as part of a shake-up aimed at speeding up decision-making as competition to bring breakthrough cancer drugs to market intensifies. http://bit.ly/2RDxszk
Sky News
- The Serious Fraud Office has dropped its probe into a number of former Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC employees amid pressure to conclude a wide-ranging bribery and corruption inquiry launched more than six years ago. http://bit.ly/2RAxszP
- Plans by the British government to utilise a disused airfield if there is disruption at the border in the event of a "no-deal" Brexit have been criticised, as a trial of the system got under way. http://bit.ly/2RGns8e
The Independent
- Police will be given new powers to curb the dangerous use of drones, the British government announced on Monday. Speaking in the House of Commons, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the recent chaos at Gatwick Airport showed how the rules on drones needed updating. https://ind.pn/2RucrqP ($1 = 0.7822 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler)