PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Feb 16

- AstraZeneca's chief executive has been handed the same pay rise as staff across the company, though future payouts could swell his 15.4 million pounds ($21.44 million) package after a year in which he oversaw the launch of one of the world's most promising coronavirus vaccines. - Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing growing Conservative opposition to the use of tax rises to start repairing the UK's tattered public finances in what is set to become a defining battle for the rest of the parliament.

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

- UK looks at rapid testing to allow return of mass gatherings https://on.ft.com/2LRBwLg - AstraZeneca hands chief 15.4 million stg pay package https://on.ft.com/3ddpWFG

- UK's Rishi Sunak under growing pressure to avoid tax rises https://on.ft.com/3jU95ZC Overview

- UK is considering rapid coronavirus testing for the entertainment industry to allow mass gatherings to resume later this year in situations where social distancing is impractical or uneconomical. - AstraZeneca's chief executive has been handed the same pay rise as staff across the company, though future payouts could swell his 15.4 million pounds ($21.44 million) package after a year in which he oversaw the launch of one of the world's most promising coronavirus vaccines.

- Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing growing Conservative opposition to the use of tax rises to start repairing the UK's tattered public finances in what is set to become a defining battle for the rest of the parliament. ($1 = 0.7182 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)