May 16 (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

- BT to carve out new 'international' unit as group

refocuses on UK

- Aviva boss Amanda Blanc insists Direct Line takeover will

not harm competition

- Sheikh Tahnoon's IHC nears deal for stake in Richard

Caring's Ivy hospitality empire

- England's drug approval body resists pharma pressure to

loosen processes

Overview

- BT is set to create a new standalone international

unit, as chief executive Allison Kirkby continues to consider a

potential sale of the telecoms group's non-UK operations.

- Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc has defended the insurer's

3.7 billion pounds ($4.93 billion) Direct Line

takeover, insisting it would not harm competition, after UK

regulators launched a probe into the deal this week.

- Richard Caring is in advanced talks to sell a significant

portion of Ivy hospitality to Sheikh Tahnoon's IHC.

- England's drug approval body NICE has resisted pressure

from pharmaceutical companies to loosen its process for

recommending drugs and is pressing instead for the NHS to speed

up the rollouts of approved medicines.

($1 = 0.7511 pounds)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)