July 21 (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.

- The U.S. and Germany have reached an agreement allowing the completion of a controversial Russian natural-gas pipeline, according to officials from Berlin and Washington, who expect to announce the deal as soon as Wednesday, bringing an end to years of tension between the two allies.

- Life expectancy in the U.S. fell by 1.5 years in 2020, the biggest decline since at least World War II, as the COVID-19 pandemic killed hundreds of thousands and exacerbated crises in drug overdoses, homicides and some chronic diseases.

- Cvent Inc has agreed to merge with a special-purpose acquisition company in a deal that would take the event-management software company public, according to people familiar with the matter.

- Cryptocurrency operator Circle Internet Financial Ltd said it has set aside more than $10 million to settle a case brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against Poloniex LLC, its discontinued crypto exchange business, according to a regulatory filing.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

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