March 18 (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

- American defence startup Anduril Industries is planning to

open a drone factory in the UK.

- Drugmaker AstraZeneca has agreed to buy

Belgium-based biotechnology firm EsoBiotec for up to $1 billion,

seeking to accelerate the development of its cell therapy

capabilities, particularly for cancer.

The Guardian

- A London court dismissed appeals against Thames Water's

debt lifeline on Monday, allowing the stricken British company

to proceed with its preferred plan for avoiding a state rescue.

The Telegraph

- British foreign minister David Lammy on Monday said

Benjamin Netanyahu's country had committed "a breach of

international law", in a significant hardening of the British

position towards the conflict in Gaza.

Sky News

- Britain's biggest supermarket group Tesco ( TSCDF ) is to

raise store workers' pay by 5.2% over the next six months but

strip away a 10% premium for working on Sundays.

The Independent

- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Britain's King

Charles at Buckingham Palace on Monday after meeting with French

President Emmanuel Macron earlier on Monday in Paris, as part of

his visit to Europe.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)