Jan 27 (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
* British Ministers sneaked out the news that the UK would leave the European Atomic Energy Community, known as Euratom, within the notes accompanying the bill published yesterday to trigger Article 50, the process for leaving the European Union. http://bit.ly/2jkvMVZ
* Verizon and Charter Communications are exploring a near-$300 billion merger to create the largest telecommunications company in the world, it emerged yesterday. http://bit.ly/2jkt6rH
The Guardian
* Buoyant consumer spending kept the UK economy growing at the brisk pace of 0.6 percent in the final quarter of 2016, marking a strong finish to the year despite the Brexit vote. The initial estimate for fourth-quarter GDP from the Office for National Statistics matched the 0.6 percent growth recorded in the third and second quarters. http://bit.ly/2jkpOVr
* Hermes, the courier company that delivers parcels for John Lewis and Next, is facing a legal claim from workers who believe they are wrongly classed as self-employed, according to the Labour MP Frank Field. http://bit.ly/2jk9T9w
The Telegraph
* BT is at risk of having its credit rating cut over fears that the heavy blow to profits from its accounting scandal in Italy and a slump in big contracts will slow effort to reduce its debt pile. The ratings agency Moody's has changed its outlook on BT from stable to negative in the wake of the company's profit warning earlier this week. http://bit.ly/2juWVZQ
* Tata Steel UK's pension fund is set to be spun off in a move that will ring-fence the business from future financial burdens flowing from the retirement scheme. Steel workers' unions are advising their members to vote for a deal which would close the 15 billion pounds ($18.89 billion) scheme to future accruals, with members getting smaller payouts. http://bit.ly/2jv1hjL
Sky News
* The proprietors of The Daily Telegraph, Barclay brothers, are accelerating plans to cash in on record festive trading at Shop Direct, their retail business, by offloading a significant chunk of the 2 billion pound business. http://bit.ly/2juXcMi
* The British Government has announced plans to close one in 10 Jobcentres as part of plans for "under-used" buildings. http://bit.ly/2jvah8r
The Independent
* Paul Polman, the chief executive of Unilever, said Britain should "get used to" price rises triggered by a slump in the pound after the Brexit vote. http://ind.pn/2jvaoRp
* Barclays has reiterated that it will keep its global headquarters in London even after the UK leaves the EU, in response to media reports that it was planning on establishing a European headquarters in Dublin. http://ind.pn/2jv6Leb ($1 = 0.7940 pounds) (Compiled by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)
