* BP: BP and ADNOC confirmed they have made a non-binding offer to take NewMed Energy private.
* WOOD GROUP: John Wood Group said its annual profit was at the
top end of its expectations.
* DIAGEO: Diageo said that Chief Executive Ivan Menezes will retire
and leave the Johnnie Walker whisky maker at the end of June.
* OCADO: British online supermarket Ocado Retail
kept its financial guidance for the full year as it reported a 3.4% rise in first quarter revenue.
* BELLWAY: British housebuilder Bellway Plc announced a share
buyback programme worth 100 million pounds, despite posting a lower half-year
profit.
* A G BARR: Irn-Bru maker A.G. Barr expects operating margins to
take a
hit in the short term due to inflationary pressures and acquisitions.
* WILLIAM HILL: Britain's Gambling Commission has
fined three firms owned by William Hill 19.2 million pounds for failing to protect consumers and weak anti-money laundering controls, it said.
* CINEWORLD: Creditors of Cineworld Group PLC are outlining plans
for a new board and executive team after nine years under CEO Mooky Greidinger
and his deputy Israel Greidinger, Bloomberg News reported.
* STRIKES: More than 100,000 British civil and public servants will join
another all-out strike on April 28, Britain's Public and Commercial Services
union said.
* PAY: The National Education Union recommended that its members in England
reject a government pay offer of a one-off payment and an average pay rise of
4.5% in the next financial year.
* FOOD PRICES: Soaring food prices pushed annual inflation in British shops
to their highest in at least 18 years in March, industry data showed.
* OIL: Oil prices soften with markets focused on developments in the banking
crisis and indications of strengthening demand in China.
* GOLD: Gold firms as softer dollar counters banking reprieve.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Prerna Bedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
