Jan 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
- Mike Ashley, the largest shareholder in Debenhams Plc , suffered a "paper loss" of more than 13 million pounds ($17.62 million) on his stake in the department store chain after it issued a steep and unscheduled profit warning. bit.ly/2qrBePQ
- Britain's Whitbread Plc, owner of Costa Coffee and Premier Inn, on Thursday appointed Adam Crozier as chairman. bit.ly/2ArZmle
The Guardian
- Aldi Inc is increasing minimum hourly rate of pay for store assistants to 8.85 pounds nationally, a 3.75 percent rise, and to 10.20 pounds in London, a 4.6 percent boost, from February 1. bit.ly/2lVkXgG
- Waitrose has become the first UK supermarket to ban sales of so-called energy drinks to under-16s, amid concerns about high levels of sugar and caffeine and their impact on children's health and behaviour. bit.ly/2E3TBwb
The Telegraph
- Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that average CO2 emissions from cars in Britain sold last year were higher than in 2016, reversing a near 20-year decline. bit.ly/2lY0cBU
- Unilever Plc , the owner of Colman's Mustard, has confirmed it is to close its operations in Norwich with the loss of around 68 jobs following a review of its manufacturing site. bit.ly/2EXpNTi
Sky News
- The owner of the MusicMagpie website, which helps consumers trade in unwanted games consoles and mobile phones, is planning an IPO onto the London stock market. bit.ly/2CsET1g
- Britain's economy appeared to have picked up speed at the end of last year as the IHS Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), taken together with data from other sectors, suggested GDP growth of up to 0.5% in the fourth quarter, compared with 0.4% in the July-September period. bit.ly/2lUMAXe
The Independent
- Philip Morris International Inc , which makes Marlboros and a host of other cigarette brands, placed full-page adverts in UK national newspapers this week promoting its "ambition to stop selling cigarettes in the UK". ind.pn/2CSzPEq
- Ticketmaster has been banned from claiming its platinum seats have the "best available" tickets, after three complaints said it was misleading. ind.pn/2CDzIyP
$1 = 0.7380 pounds Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler