PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Jan. 19

- UK's head of test and trace Dido Harding has defended paying hundreds of private consultants an average of 1,000 pounds a day, as she set out plans to spend billions on rapid testing technologies in the coming months. - German company Birkenstock is exploring a sale to private equity group CVC in a deal that may value it at more than 4 billion euros ($4.83 billion) including debt.

The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. Headlines

- Sunak risks clash with business over proposed corporation tax rise https://on.ft.com/3islIKI - Ineos gives Oxford 100 mln pounds to set up antibiotic research institute https://on.ft.com/3nV0qXp

-Harding defends use of £1,000-a-day consultants https://on.ft.com/38UyY7L - Birkenstock explores sale to private equity group CVC https://on.ft.com/38WFlry

Overview - UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak plans to increase corporation tax in his March Budget as companies claim they are still struggling with the shock of the coronavirus pandemic.

- Chemicals group Ineos has given Oxford university 100 million pounds ($135.91 million) to set up an antibiotics research institute to counter the growing threat from deadly superbugs. - UK's head of test and trace Dido Harding has defended paying hundreds of private consultants an average of 1,000 pounds a day, as she set out plans to spend billions on rapid testing technologies in the coming months.

- German company Birkenstock is exploring a sale to private equity group CVC in a deal that may value it at more than 4 billion euros ($4.83 billion) including debt. ($1 = 0.7358 pounds) ($1 = 0.8275 euros) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)