PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Oct. 1

Oct 1 (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

- Engie 'welcomes' improved Veolia offer for Suez stake https://on.ft.com/3jjOSLY

- Sunak warned taxpayer faces losses of up to £23bn in bad state loans https://on.ft.com/2GkeCJs

- EY faces mounting backlash after Wirecard whistleblower revelation https://on.ft.com/2Sgsuap

Overview

- French utility Engie on Wednesday said its board had welcomed an improved 3.4 billion euro ($3.98 billion offer by waste and water group Veolia for the majority of its stake in Suez, but requested an extension of the offer period until Oct. 5.

- UK taxpayer faces losses of as much as 23 billion pounds ($29.72 billion) so far in bad loans across the state coronavirus emergency bailout schemes, according to figures published in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's annual report.

- Global accounting firm EY faces a mounting backlash from investors and German politicians across the political spectrum after it emerged that one of the accountancy firm's own employees flagged potential fraud at Wirecard four years before the company collapsed. ($1 = 0.8535 euros) ($1 = 0.7740 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)