April 29 (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

* Lift maker Kone ( KNYJF ) close to finalising 29 billion euro deal

to buy TK Elevator

* Pernod Ricard ends pursuit of Jack Daniel's maker

Brown-Forman ( BF/A )

* Bill Ackman hits lowest end of target in second IPO push

* Germany to accelerate defence spending well ahead of

NATO deadline

* RAC pumps the brakes on 5 billion pound London IPO

* CVC weighs 9 billion euro bid for Italian payments group

Nexi

* UAE to leave OPEC in blow to oil cartel

Overview

* Lift maker Kone ( KNYJF ) is nearing a cash-and-stock

deal to buy German rival TK Elevator, valuing the company at

about 29 billion euros ($33.97 billion), including debt.

* Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman ( BF/A ) have

ended merger talks after the French spirits company and the

Kentucky-based owner of Jack Daniel's whiskey failed to reach

mutually acceptable terms.

* Bill Ackman's Pershing Square has raised $5 billion for

its new closed-end ‌fund that is part of a combined U.S. initial

public offering of the alternative asset management company.

* The German government is working on a draft budget, and

total defence spending is planned to reach 144.9 billion euros

($169.74 billion) in 2027, as it seeks to meet Nato's new target

at least six years ahead of schedule.

* British driving services group RAC has pushed back its

timeline for an initial public offering in London to the final

months of this year.

* Private equity firm CVC Capital is weighing a 9

billion euro deal for Italian payments group Nexi.

* The United Arab Emirates said it was quitting oil

producers' group OPEC after almost 60 years.

($1 = 0.8537 euros)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)