Nov 5 (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

Metro Bank has received a takeover approach from Carlyle, a U.S private-equity firm, in the latest sign that deals in the banking sector are heating up. https://bit.ly/3bHHrMf

The Bank of England has warned that inflation will rise more sharply than expected but has defied market expectations by keeping interest rates unchanged at record lows. https://bit.ly/3weDJTW

The Guardian

BT Group has scrapped plans to find a joint venture partner to help fund the rollout of its next-generation broadband network to an extra 5 million homes, before a potential takeover move by the billionaire investor Patrick Drahi next month. https://bit.ly/3bHEJ9x

Sainsbury's has been forced to delay a toy promotion and has warned there would be lower stocks of electronic goods for Christmas as supply chain problems continue to challenge retailers. https://bit.ly/3BOt5US

The Telegraph

France is demanding that skippers, not boats, be handed fishing licences for British waters as the price for ending the bitter dispute over post-Brexit arrangements. https://bit.ly/3wfoyK0

Wizz Air plans to cut fares outside school holiday periods to woo back travellers and fill more seats on quieter flights over the winter and into spring. https://bit.ly/3mIYOCS

Sky News

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been indefinitely banned from hosting international or major matches after its "wholly unacceptable" handling of racial harassment claims. https://bit.ly/3whzUx7

JD Sports has reacted angrily after a final ruling from the competition watchdog Competition and Markets Authority that it must sell the Footasylum chain bought for 90 million pounds in 2019. https://bit.ly/3CMcfr6

The Independent

The Bank of England has held interest rates at a record low of 0.1 percent and issued a more pessimistic forecast for the UK economy on the back of rising prices and widespread disruption to the supply of goods. https://bit.ly/3CIQJ6C

Owen Paterson has resigned as the Tory MP for North Shropshire after being found to have breached lobbying rules. https://bit.ly/3mLllyV

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)