PRESS DIGEST- British Business - Jan 4

Jan 4 (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

Euronext, which operates exchanges in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Lisbon, has offered to buy the French clearing arm of LCH.Clearnet from the London Stock Exchange for 510 million euros. http://bit.ly/2iMT6g8

Belgian company TVH Group NV on Tuesday raised its offer for Britain's Lavendon Group Plc to 444 million pounds, slightly pipping an offer from French rival Loxam SAS.

http://bit.ly/2iMUUWv

The Guardian

Richard Cousins, the chief executive of the catering group Compass, has abruptly left his position as senior independent director of Tesco just days before Britain's biggest retailer unveils its Christmas trading figures. http://bit.ly/2iMSxTp

A leading group of central bankers was due to meet on Jan. 8 to agree changes that could have forced some banks, largely in Europe, to hold more capital, but it was announced on Tuesday that the meeting had been called off. http://bit.ly/2iMRHX0

The Telegraph

Aberdeen Asset Management has led the call for other City investors to vote against Sports Direct's embattled chairman Keith Hellawell's re-election this week. http://bit.ly/2hP4nQe

Lulu Guinness, the British accessories brand best known for its lip-shaped handbags, has narrowed its losses after shutting unprofitable London shops and expanding overseas. http://bit.ly/2iMW6cn

Sky News

British Airways cabin crew plan to stage a 48-hour strike after rejecting an offer aimed at resolving a pay dispute. http://bit.ly/2iMUv6q

British clothing retailer Next is expected to provide a formal profit warning for its 2017 financial year in its fourth-quarter trading update on Wednesday. http://bit.ly/2iMVpzQ

The Independent

The UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index hit 56.1 in December, up from 53.4 in November, reflecting the country's strongest manufacturing rate in 2-1/2 years. http://ind.pn/2iMKpCx

Paris could lure as many as 20,000 workers from Britain's finance industry with the exodus potentially starting within weeks as the UK begins its withdrawal from the European Union, according to Europlace, the French capital's lobby group. http://ind.pn/2iMSB5V

(Compiled by Vishal Sridhar; Editing by Peter Cooney)