Sept 24 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
- The story of a Chinese military staffer's alleged involvement in hacking provides a detailed look into Beijing's sprawling state-controlled cyberespionage machinery. The growing reach of China's army of cyberwarriors has become a flash point in relations between Beijing and Washington that President Barack Obama said will be a focus during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States this week. (http://on.wsj.com/1YC5tvf)
- Microsoft Corp unveiled new partnerships with politically connected Chinese companies in an effort to open doors to more sensitive and official business in the vast China technology market. (http://on.wsj.com/1KAU2JG)
- Volkswagen AG raced to contain the widening scandal threatening Germany's most important company, ousting its chief executive and pledging to prosecute those involved in a scheme to cheat U.S. auto-pollution tests. (http://on.wsj.com/1ix2KCj)
- The Chinese government is committed to addressing U.S. concerns over market access and intellectual property, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, in the first of a series of meetings designed to highlight the benefits of commercial relations. (http://on.wsj.com/1gPFmP8)
- At a canonization Mass for the United States' first Hispanic saint, Pope Francis praised Father Junípero Serra, the friar who is considered the father of California's missions. (http://on.wsj.com/1Mr4Td9)
- Hundreds of top-ranked positions have been eliminated by South Korea's biggest companies over the past 18 months, as an export dip slowed growth rates. (http://on.wsj.com/1KCGsqc)
- Banks are clashing with regulators over loan reviews that could crimp the flow of new credit to oil and gas firms. The dispute is focused on the relatively narrow issue of loans secured by oil and gas company's reserves, but it highlights the much broader point of how post-crisis regulation of the financial industry is affecting sectors far from Wall Street. (http://on.wsj.com/1OTEPK2)
(Compiled by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru)