Sept 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
Swiss Re acquires Guardian Financial Services for 1.6bln stg (http://on.ft.com/1Kw882d)
Pressure was too much to bear for Martin Winterkorn (http://on.ft.com/1Kw8lCv)
George Osborne to open bidding in China on 12 bln stg of HS2 contracts
Overview
Reinsurer Swiss Re AG has agreed to buy Guardian Financial Services for 1.6 billion pounds ($2.44 billion), the Swiss group said on Wednesday, bolstering the British business of its unit which buys and manages closed life insurance policies.
Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday, succumbing to pressure for change at the German carmaker, which is reeling from the admission that it deceived U.S. regulators about how much its diesel cars pollute.
British finance minister George Osborne will open bidding during a visit to China on Thursday on 12 billion pounds ($18.29 billion) of contracts to build a high-speed rail line, the latest effort to bring Chinese cash to Britain.
($1 = 0.6560 pounds) (Compiled by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru)