Dec 13 (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
- Walt Disney Co DIS.N is on the verge of clinching a deal to acquire a sizeable part of Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox Inc FOXA.O entertainment group in a deal worth about $60 billion that could be announced as early as Thursday. The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker is embroiled in a new criminal investigation into claims that "tampered" evidence misled an inquiry into phone-tapping. Guardian
- The European Commission has announced funding of 9 billion euros ($10.57 billion) for action on climate change, one of a flurry of measures from governments, businesses and investors aimed at achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris agreement. The British government has admitted households are feeling the pain from rising inflation after the cost of living rose to a near six-year high of 3.1 percent in November. Telegraph
- Households and motorists have been warned to expect sharp rises in gas bills and petrol prices after the shutdown on Monday of the North Sea's most important oil and gas pipeline system. The problem was compounded by an explosion at a major processing facility in Austria that is the main point of entry for Russian gas into Europe. Westfield Corp WFD.AX is to be acquired by France's Unibail Rodamco SE UNBP.AS in a deal that will create a $72 billion retail property empire. News
- The London-listed satellite company Avanti Communications Group Plc AVN.L will take a big step towards shrinking its mammoth debts on Wednesday when it unveils plans to hand bondholders a $550 million equity stake. Around half of Ryanair Holdings Plc RYA.I pilots based in Ireland are due to strike days before Christmas in a long-running dispute over workers' rights. Independent
- UK's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday it had published new rules which will require providers of personal and business current accounts to publish more information to help customers compare the service offered by different providers. https://ind.pn/2iUSOoC
($1 = 0.8516 euros)