PRESS DIGEST-Financial Times, Wall St Journal Asia editions

SINGAPORE, July 7 (Reuters) - The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal carried the following stories in their Asia print and website editions on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. FINANCIAL TIMES (www.ft.com)

-- Australia has insisted that it will not attempt to deter Chinese investment in its booming natural resources, in spite of domestic fears that foreign sovereign wealth funds could build stakes in mining companies. Lindsay Tanner, Australia's finance minister, told the Financial Times its assessment of foreign bids was "agnostic" about nationality. -- One of India's most influential bankers, Uday Kotak, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank (KTKM.BO: Quote, Profile, Research), has cautioned against the "exuberance" fuelling overseas acquisitions by its companies, and has said that prosperity for the country's financial sector lay in domestic opportunities.

WALL STREET JOURNAL (www.wsj.com)

-- In a new indication that merger talks between MTN Group Ltd (MTNJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research) and Reliance Communications Ltd. (RLCM.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) are proving more nettlesome than previously expected, people familiar with the matter said the two sides were unlikely to strike a deal by the time of a self-imposed deadline Tuesday.

-- Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan said the national government would increase its scrutiny of foreign investments in Australia, especially when the investor was also a key consumer of the goods produced by the target. -- Taiwan brokerage Polaris Securities Corp. (2854.TW: Quote, Profile, Research) said its board appointed Shau Dai Lin as company chairman, succeeding Wayne Pai, who was found dead earlier in the day.