Oct 17 (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

- British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said Beijing’s decision to impose sweeping new clampdowns on any company exporting goods that include Chinese rare earth metals was the “wrong decision and dangerous for the world economy”.

The Guardian

- The cost of taking control of British Steel has risen to 235 million pounds ($315.86 million), the UK government has said, as it acknowledged concern over the threat of EU tariffs that could significantly harm the business.

The Telegraph

- Sky Chief Executive Dana Strong told staff during a recent meeting that the broadcaster would support its news business Sky News for the long term regardless of whether parent company Comcast CMCSA.O continues to provide funding.

Sky News

- Investors in spirits maker Diageo DGE.L are being urged to vote against its pay report at its annual meeting in November because of disquiet over the lack of performance conditions attached to shares awarded to interim CEO Nik Jhangiani.

The Independent

- British Gas owner Centrica CNA.L, Holland & Barrett and EG Group are among nearly 500 companies that have been named by the government for breaches of employment law in which tens of thousands of workers were paid less than the minimum wage.

($1 = 0.7440 pounds)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))