Oct 17 (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.

- Starbucks SBUX.O is assessing bids from five parties for its China business as it seeks a partner to navigate the country’s competitive coffee landscape.

- Admiral Alvin Holsey, the admiral who leads U.S. military forces in Latin America will step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule.

- U.S. President Donald Trump and Germany's Merck MRCG.DE said they had struck a dealthat would cut the cost of some drugs needed for in-vitro fertilization in exchange for protection from future tariffs.

- Newsmax NMAX.N plans to start a cryptocurrency reserve that will include bitcoin and a meme coin launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.

- U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on ending the war with Ukraine, while signaling the U.S. was putting off any decision on sending Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv.

- John Bolton, U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, was chargedon Thursday in a sweeping indictment that accuses him of sharing sensitive government information with two of his relatives for possible use in a book he was writing.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))