PRESS DIGEST-British Business - December 24

Dec 24 (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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO weight-loss pill, giving the Danish drugmaker a leg up in the race to market a potent oral medication for shedding pounds as it looks to regain lost ground from rival Eli Lilly LLY.N.

- British pet care provider Pets at Home PETSP.L said it had appointed James Bailey as its chief executive officer, effective March 30, 2026.

The Guardian

- Italy's competition authority said it had fined Europe's largest budget airline Ryanair RYA.I more than 255 million euros ($300.19 million) for abuse of a dominant position in its dealings with travel agents.

- Elon Musk's Tesla sold 12,130 new cars across the EU last month, down from 18,430 in November 2024, with new car registrations of Elon Musk’s brand down a third.

The Telegraph

- A former Metropolitan Police chief has backed plans aimed at forcing Apple AAPL.O and Google GOOGL.O to disable stolen smartphones amid mounting pressure on the two companies to help crack down on phone theft.

Sky News

- Barclays BARC.L and NatWest NWG.L are both through to the second round of an auction of the wealth management group Evelyn Partners, while Royal Bank of Canada is also said to buy the firm.

The Independent

- Baby products retailer Mothercare MTC.L said it is looking to rebuild its presence in the UK and worldwide and is planning to mull refinancing options after breaching the terms of a key lending agreement.

($1 = 0.7392 pounds)