March 24 (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

* Estée Lauder in talks to combine with Jean Paul Gaultier

owner Puig

* Danone to buy meal-in-bottle maker Huel in $1.16 billion

deal

* Starmer says UK government 'finalising' defence plan, but

no date yet

* EU and Australia clinch trade and security pacts

Overview

* U.S. cosmetics giant Estée Lauder is in talks to

combine with Spanish beauty group Puig, which is

behind designer brands including Jean Paul Gaultier and Dries

Van Noten, to create a more than $40 billion company.

* French consumer goods group Danone has agreed to

acquire Huel, the UK producer of milkshake-style meal

replacements, for about 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion) as it

pushes deeper into the fast-growing market for fortified food

and drinks.

* British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged he is

yet to "put the funding in place" to move Britain to a "war

footing", as he insisted he was "finalising" the UK government's

repeatedly postponed defence investment plan.

* The EU and Australia have signed long-awaited trade and

security deals as they seek mutual support to cope with pressure

from China and the U.S.

($1 = 0.8630 euros)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)