Dec 15 (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

BT POISED TO MAKE FINAL CALL ON ITS CHOSEN PARTNER FOR MOBILE FUTURE

BT Group could announce as early as Monday that it has chosen O2 over EE as its preferred route back into mobile phones. The telecoms group spent the weekend weighing which network to acquire as the foundation for a 9 billion pound ($14.15 billion) assault on the mobile market next year. (http://thetim.es/1yOVDWO)

BALFOUR BEATTY SEEKS 1 BLN STG DEAL

Balfour Beatty is to receive a renewed more than 1 billion pounds offer in the new year for its portfolio of roads, schools and hospitals investments, in a proposal to be led by Paul Lester. John Laing Infrastructure Fund, the listed investment vehicle, has confirmed that it believes troubled Balfour should sell its portfolio of public private partnership investments built up during the construction spree overseen by the last British Labour government. (http://thetim.es/1zmbIG5)

MIKE ASHLEY SPREADS 40 MLN STG OF CHRISTMAS CHEER AT SPORTS DIRECT The billionaire owner of Newcastle United, Mike Ashley, has bankrolled Christmas at Sports Direct by providing a 40 million pound loan to help the company to buy jeans, hoodies and tracksuit bottoms. (http://thetim.es/1xiI1Yz)

The Guardian BRITAIN'S BANKS BRACE FOR A SERIOUS STRESS TEST

Britain's big banks are struggling to fund themselves on international financial markets as they face the prospect of a wave of homebuyers and big companies defaulting on their debts. The Bank of England is running a stress test on seven banks and one building society to assess their financial strength, with the results to be released Tuesday morning. (http://bit.ly/134DpHM)

EDF STANDS TO RAKE IN 3.3 BLN STG WINDFALL FROM EXISTING POWER PLANTS EDF, one of Britain's big six energy suppliers, could be in line for an annual 1 billion pound windfall each year for three years from its existing coal and nuclear power stations under a controversial government-designed auction that starts on Tuesday. (http://bit.ly/1sqQUxQ)

The Telegraph

HSBC FEARS HORRIBLE END TO JAPAN'S QE BLITZ AS ABE WINS LANDSLIDE

HSBC Holdings Plc has warned that Japan's barely-disguised attempt to drive down the yen is becoming dangerous and may spin out of control, leading to an exchange rate crisis next year and a worldwide currency storm. David Bloom and Paul Mackel, HSBC's currency strategists, voiced growing concern that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is backing away from fiscal retrenchment and may pressure the Bank of Japan to fund policies aimed at boosting household spending. (http://bit.ly/1BETrV7)