April 28 (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.

- Merck agreed to buy U.S. biopharmaceutical firm

SpringWorks Therapeutics ( SWTX ) for $3.9 billion at $47 per

share in cash, the German drugmaker confirmed on Monday.

- Airbus agreed to acquire assets from Spirit

AeroSystems ( SPR ) including factories in Kinston, North

Carolina, St. Nazaire, France, and Casablanca, Morocco, that

produce parts for the European planemaker, as Spirit is set to

be bought by rival Boeing ( BA ).

- U.S. President Donald Trump proposed recognizing Crimea as

part of Russia to facilitate a Ukraine peace deal, a suggestion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected, insisting Kyiv

will not legally accept Crimea's occupation.

- Heads of top U.S. universities, including Ivies and

leading private research universities, have formed a private

group to oppose the Trump administration's assaults on research

funding and academic freedom in higher education.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)