PRESS DIGEST-Financial Times - May 17

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

- Hunt to claim only Tories will cut UK tax burden after the election - GSK sells off remaining stake in Haleon

- UK to lift ban on debit card use on gaming machines - Russia to expel UK defence attaché in tit-for-tat move

Overview - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt will on Friday defend large-scale Conservative tax rises during this parliament, but insist that only his party will cut the tax burden if it wins the next general election.

- British drugmaker GSK said on Thursday it plans to sell about 385 million shares, representing its entire shareholding, in spun-off consumer healthcare business Haleon . - Britain plans to introduce a range of liberalising measures for venues like casinos, bingo halls and arcades as part of a plan to boost land-based gambling as it seeks to keep pace with the fast-growing online betting and gaming sector.

- Russia said on Thursday it was expelling the British defence attache and promised further, unspecified retaliation after Britain threw out his Russian counterpart last week. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)