Sept 23 (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
MERCK TO BUY SIGMA-ALDRICH FOR $17 BLN (http://on.ft.com/1qnMdN8)
APPLE SELLS RECORD 10 MLN IPHONE 6 MODELS IN FIRST WEEKEND (http://on.ft.com/1ymLjL4)
BARCLAYS FACES RECORD 38 MLN STG FINE OVER CLIENT MONEY SAFEGUARDS (http://on.ft.com/1mEE64f)
TESCO REVEALS IT OVERSTATED FIRST-HALF RESULTS BY 250 MLN STG (http://on.ft.com/1x2nZR9)
ALDERMORE BANK PLANS OCTOBER LONDON OFFERING (http://on.ft.com/1r1BlLh)
Overview
German drugs and chemicals maker Merck KGaA agreed to buy U.S.-based Sigma-Aldrich Corp for $17 billion, hoping to better focus on specialty chemicals and laboratory supplies and depend less on its pharmaceuticals business.
Apple Inc sold a record 10 million of its latest phones, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus, in their weekend debut.
Barclays Plc will be fined close to 38 million pounds ($62.19 million) for failing to safeguard clients' funds. Britain's Financial Conduct Authority could announce the fine as early as Tuesday.
Britain's biggest grocer Tesco Plc said its first-half profits were overstated by about 250 million pounds, calling on Deloitte to conduct a "comprehensive review" of its accounts. Four senior directors have been suspended while the investigation is completed.
British challenger bank Aldermore (IPO-ALDE.L), owned by private equity group AnaCap, said it planned to float on the London Stock Exchange next month. The move follows that of OneSavings Bank, which in June became the first bank to list in London in more than a decade.
(1 US dollar = 0.7786 euro) (1 US dollar = 0.6111 British pound) (Compiled by Rama Venkat Raman in Bangalore; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)