Oct 27 (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

- Legal & General ( LGGNF ) agrees 4.6 billion pound UK pensions

buyout deal with Ford

- M&S ends IT service desk contract with Indian provider

after cyber attack

- TotalEnergies ready to restart $20 billion Mozambique LNG

project

- Novartis to buy Avidity Biosciences ( RNA ) for $12 billion

Overview

- Legal & General ( LGGNF ) has struck a deal to take over

billions of pounds of pension liabilities from Ford, as

the insurer seeks to reinforce its dominant position in the UK's

increasingly competitive pension buyout market.

- Marks and Spencer ( MAKSF ) has ended a contract with Tata

Consultancy Services to run its IT service desk just months

after the Indian provider was forced to conduct an internal

investigation over being the origin of a high-profile cyber

attack on the UK retailer.

- TotalEnergies is close to restarting one of

Africa's biggest energy projects four years after it was halted

by a terrorist attack.

- Novartis has agreed to buy Avidity Biosciences ( RNA )

, a biotech focused on rare diseases, for $12 billion, in

the biggest acquisition by the drugmaker in more than a decade.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)