The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 2000 GMT on Wednesday. (For Reuters columns on deals, click on ) ** PepsiCo Inc said it is extending its joint venture with Israeli food and beverage maker Strauss Group to sell fresh dips and spreads in key markets outside North America. ** South Korea's top financial watchdog is expected to rule that Lone Star is eligible to hold a controlling stake in Korea Exchange Bank , a local media report said. ** Kuwaiti telco Zain said Kingdom Holding and Bahrain Telecom (Batelco) agreed to guarantee part of Zain Saudi's debt as a term to buy a quarter-stake in the Saudi operator. ** Taiwan's top chip designer Mediatek Inc said it will merge with networking chip developer Ralink Technology Corp through a share swap, helping Mediatek to expand its Wi-Fi business. ** German truck maker MAN SE is in advanced talks with Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) commercial vehicles about developing a range of light trucks between 3.5 and 7.5 tons, MAN said on Wednesday. ** German unlisted chemicals maker Evonik said on Wednesday it was looking into selling a stake in its real estate division in the medium term. ** Poland's top utility PGE is interested in buying Warsaw's heating company SPEC and the Polish assets of Sweden's Vattenfall if they are put up for sales, PGE's chief executive said on Wednesday. ** Shares in Danish shipping company Torm leapt on Wednesday on a report that Norwegian ship owner John Fredriksen had bought a nearly 5 percent stake in the company. ** Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs said it will buy India's Benchmark Asset Management Co., which has about $700 million in assets under management. ** Hungary's central bank (NBH) said it would sell its 7.3 percent stake in GIRO Zrt, the firm which conducts interbank payment settlements. ** Vivendi said it may not be able to acquire 100 percent of pay-TV unit Canal Plus, a key strand of chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy's planned remodelling of the French media and telecoms group. ** FirstRand, South Africa's No.2 banking group, is in advanced talks with Nigeria's Sterling Bank over making a strategic investment in the lender, banking sources familiar with the deal said. ** Cairn Energy wants clarity from the Indian government on deadline for approval of its planned stake sale in its Indian unit to Vedanta Resources , Cairn Energy's chief executive said on Wednesday. ** High-end steakhouse operator Morton's Restaurant Group may sell itself, making it the latest restaurant chain in recent months to contemplate putting itself on the block as job losses forced people to cut back on eating out. ** The remnant of ailing German public-sector lender WestLB should merge with another landesbank, a German banking group said, a move that could spark long-awaited landesbank consolidation. ** Swiss engineering group ABB Ltd is buying a 35 percent stake in German solar power group Novatec Solar, saying it saw potential for its technology particularly in emerging markets. ** Qatar International Islamic Bank (QIIB) has agreed to buy full control of the Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) as part of QIIB's plans to develop an international banking business compliant with Sharia laws. ** Shareholders representing 45 percent of Northern Foods have voted to accept food tycoon Ranjit Boparan's takeover offer for the British food company, Boparan said. ** Brazilian commercial real estate developer WTorre Properties was to announce as early as Wednesday the sale of a controlling stake to BTG Pactual, the largest Brazilian independent securities firm, according to a spokeswoman. (Compiled by Swetha Gopinath and Krishnakali Sengupta in Bangalore)
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