Aug 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.

- Japan's Sompo Holdings said that it will acquire Bermudian insurer Aspen Insurance Holdings AHL.N for around $3.5 billion.

- U.S. President Donald Trump fired Robert Primus, a board member of the Surface Transportation Board, a U.S. regulatory body which oversees railroads.

- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez has been fired, the White House said on Wednesday, less than a month after being sworn in, and four senior officials have resigned amid growing tensions over vaccine policies and public health directives.

- Tech-focused freight forwarder Flexport is joining with BlackRock BLK.N to double its supply-chain financing pool to $250 million as tariffs raise costs for U.S. retailers and manufacturers.

- Lynas Rare Earths LYC.AX announced plans to raise about $488 million through an equity offering to accelerate its expansion efforts, though it warned that its proposed heavy rare earths processing facility in Texas may not proceed.

- Amazon AMZN.O will extend its corporate staff programs, including pay structure and benefits, to U.S. corporate employees at its Whole Foods chain of supermarkets, aiming to integrate its grocery businesses more closely.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))