PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Jan 20

Jan 20 (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

UK government to take 25 million pounds stake in Octopus Energy's tech arm Kraken

Zurich goes public with 7.7 billion pounds bid for UK insurer Beazley

French government seeks 95 million euros in damages from Greybull over steel plant collapse

Croatian central bank governor elected ECB's second-in-command

Overview

The UK government will take a 25 million-pound ($33.6 million) stake in Kraken, the technology business that is being spun out of Octopus Energy, as it tries to persuade the business to choose London for a future stock exchange listing.

Zurich Insurance ZURN.S has approached Beazley BEZG.L with a 7.7 billion-pound ($10.3 billion) takeover proposal after the Lloyd's LLOY.L of London insurer rejected a lower bid earlier this month.

The French government is seeking 95 million euros ($110.6 million) in damages from UK private equity group Greybull, alleging the fund was responsible for the loss of more than 500 jobs at the Novasco steelmaker it formerly owned.

Croatian central bank governor Boris Vujčić has been voted the next vice-president of the European Central Bank by Eurozone finance ministers. He will replace Luis de Guindos, whose eight-year mandate expires in May.

($1 = 0.7450 pounds)

($1 = 0.8587 euros)