Feb 6 (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

- Rio Tinto and Glencore abandon $260-billion merger plan

- UK to scrap more than 250 million pounds in planned physics project funding

- Ovo in talks with Engie, EDF and E.ON over deal for retail arm

- Trump rows back his criticism of UK's Chagos Islands deal

Overview

- Rio Tinto RIO.L, RIO.AX and Glencore GLEN.L have abandoned plans for a $260 billion megamerger that would have created the world's largest mining group amid a scramble for metals such as copper that are fuelling the AI boom.

- Britain is scrapping more than 250 million pounds ($338.15 million) of planned funding for four big physics infrastructure projects, including an upgrade of the Cern particle accelerator led since last month by a senior British scientist.

- French utility Engie ENGIE.PA and German energy supplier E.ON EONGn.DE are among the companies in talks with Ovo over potential bids for the UK group's retail arm as it faces pressure to raise money to meet regulatory capital requirements.

- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday rowed back his previous criticism of the Britain's plan to transfer ownership of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, even as he said the U.S. would retain the right to secure Diego Garcia militarily.

($1 = 0.7393 pounds)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))