Aug 13 (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

- Indian billionaire to buy 24.5% BT stake from Altice

- UK Treasury questions timetable on contentious fraud

compensation plan

- Rachel Reeves weighs PFI-style deal for 9 billion STG new

Thames crossing

- Carlyle explores 3 billion euro sale of Dutch salt and

chemicals producer Nobian

Overview

- India's Bharti Enterprises said it would acquire a 24.5%

stake in BT, worth 3.2 billion pounds ($4.09 billion), to

buy out the British company's top investor Patrick Drahi as his

Altice group speeds up asset sales to cut its debt burden.

- British finance minister Rachel Reeves is pushing UK

regulators to prove they are "taking seriously" their duty to

protect the City's competitiveness, as the Treasury raised

concerns over the autumn launch of a new anti-fraud regime.

- British finance minister Rachel Reeves is considering

seeking private finance to pay for a 9 billion pounds highway

and tunnel across the river Thames to the east of London in an

effort to keep the costs off the government's books.

- Carlyle Group ( CG ) has held discussions with investment

banks to initiate a potential sale process of Dutch salt and

chemicals producer Nobian.

($1 = 0.7831 pounds)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)