PRESS DIGEST-Financial Times - Aug 11

Aug 11 (Reuters) - 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 retail sales remain robust in July https://on.ft.com/3gK7PGc - UK universities urged to be 'flexible' on admissions amid A-level concerns https://on.ft.com/3gNNsId

- Johnson seeks to make removal of asylum seekers easier https://on.ft.com/3fN3Ffm

- Two companies to pay £10.7m to investors sold risky schemes https://on.ft.com/2PDIge4

Overview

- UK retail sales remained robust in July as more shoppers returned to the high street following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, according to data published on Tuesday that was compiled by advisory services firm KPMG and the British Retail Consortium, an industry body.

- UK government has urged universities to be "as flexible as possible" in admissions this year, in a letter to university vice-chancellors ahead of A-level results being released on Thursday, as it acknowledged that the grades to be awarded, with exams having been cancelled because of coronavirus, may not be fair for all students.

- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to explore options to make it easier to prevent migrants, who cross the English Channel seeking asylum, from reaching the UK and ease their removal, ahead of a meeting on Tuesday between his immigration minister and French officials.

- UK financial regulator said that High Court has ordered two companies, Avacade Limited, of Manchester, and Cheshire-based Alexandra Associates, that persuaded thousands of pension savers to invest their retirement cash in risky and unregulated schemes, to pay 10.7 million pounds ($13.98 million) to people who lost out.

($1 = 0.7652 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)