Dec 21 (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

- Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount CEOs hold exploratory merger talks

- Orsted to press ahead with world's largest offshore wind farm in North Sea

- UK to sign post-Brexit financial services deal with Switzerland

- Warburg Pincus teams up with Horta-Osorio on 6 bln euros bid for telecoms assets

Overview

- Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Global are in early talks to merge, in a media deal that would combine the owner of HBO and CNN with the studio behind the Mission Impossible films and CBS News.

- Orsted is to press ahead with developing the world's largest offshore wind farm in the North Sea after the UK increased financial support for the sector in a big boost for the Danish group after a string of setbacks.

- UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt will sign a financial services deal with Switzerland, claiming it will make it easier for financial firms and wealthy individuals in the two markets to do business with each other.

- Warburg Pincus has teamed up with former Credit Suisse chair Antonio Horta-Osorio on a 6 billion-plus euros ($6.57 billion) bid by the US private equity firm for Altice's Portuguese telecoms assets, according to people familiar with the matter.

($1 = 0.9139 euros) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)