Sept 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

-Asking prices for UK homes rise sharply in September

-UK spending cuts would damage 'foundations of the economy',

Reeves told

- Starmer to meet Meloni for advice on tackling small-boat

migration

- Block hostile Taiwan bank takeover for sector's sake,

says rival bidder

Overview

- Asking prices for UK homes rose at twice their long-term

average pace in September to 370,759 pounds ($487,140.25) in the

four weeks to mid-September, up 1% from the previous month,

according to data released by the property portal Rightmove on

Monday.

- Cutting public investment in the UK would damage the

"foundations of the economy", a group of leading economists has

warned Rachel Reeves, advising the chancellor instead to

overhaul Britain's fiscal rules to help bolster spending.

- British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will on Monday

hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to learn

from her tough stance on irregular migration, as he named a

senior police officer as the UK's border security chief.

- Welch Lin, president of Taishin Financial Holdings

, called on Taiwan's sector regulator to block a

hostile tender offer by larger rival Chinatrust that threatens

to derail his group's T$481 billion ($15.07 billion) agreed

merger with financial conglomerate Shin Kong.

($1 = 31.9200 Taiwan dollars)

($1 = 0.7611 pounds)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)