PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Dec 14

Dec 14 (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

- Eurozone banks set to restart dividend payments under strict limits https://on.ft.com/2ILA4Zv

- UK ministers plan new state-backed loan scheme for SMEs https://on.ft.com/37gtYJO

- UK PM Johnson warned of third COVID-19 wave by health experts https://on.ft.com/3nhLLWT

Overview

- Europe's top financial regulators are putting the finishing touches to new recommendations allowing the region's strongest banks to restart dividend payments within strict limits, ending a nine-month hiatus imposed due to the coronavirus crisis.

- The UK government is planning to launch a permanent replacement for the 65 billion pounds ($86.43 billion) COVID-19 loans programme with new state-backed guarantees to support lending by banks to a broad range of small to medium-sized business.

- Health experts have urged Boris Johnson to tighten coronavirus restrictions in England where needed "without any delay" or risk hospitals being overwhelmed by a third wave of COVID-19 infections. ($1 = 0.7520 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)