Dec 19 (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
* Dublin claims Brussels exceeded powers over Apple tax http://on.ft.com/2hXjsyS
* Sweden's SCA nears 2.7 bln euro deal to buy Germany's BSN Medical http://on.ft.com/2hXlHCa
* Praxair (NYSE:PX) and Linde close in on $65 bln deal http://on.ft.com/2hXlEqf
* US drugmaker charges 200 times UK price for common worm pill http://on.ft.com/2hXtZKf
Overview
- Ireland laid out grounds for its appeal against the European Commission's demand that it claw back 13 billion euros of state aid from Apple AAPL.O . It accused Brussels of interfering with national sovereignty.
- Personal care-to-forestry products group SCA SCAb.ST , is nearing a deal to buy German bandage maker BSN Medical for 2.7 billion euros including debt, ahead of a plan to separate into two publicly traded parts next year.
- Praxair PX.N , the US industrial group, and Germany's Linde are set to announce preliminary terms of their $65 billion merger as early as Wednesday in a deal that will create the world's largest supplier of industrial gas.
- Impax Laboratories IPXL.O put a price tag of more than $800 on a pinworm treatment - 200 times more expensive than the equivalent medicine on British pharmacy shelves.