The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S., Canadian and Asian companies were reported by 1000 GMT on Wednesday.

 ** Dutch bank and insurer ING is likely to sell its Asian insurance business, worth about $7 billion, in several separate deals in an attempt to get the highest price and speed up the divestment process.

** Denmark's biggest financial institution, Danske Bank , is close to putting its pension arm Danica up for sale, a move which could generate 20 billion crowns ($3.34 billion), business daily Borsen said on Wednesday.

** Three cable companies have banded together to call on Canadian regulators to block BCE Inc's planned C$3 billion ($3 billion) takeover of Astral Media, arguing the deal would reduce competition and lead to higher fees for viewers.

** Daewoo International Corp said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday it decided to sell its stake in South Korea's unlisted Kyobo Life Insurance for 1.2 trillion Korean won ($1.06 billion).

** Warner Chilcott Plc has ended discussions about a potential sale of the specialty pharmaceutical company and said it would instead pay out about $1 billion to shareholders as a special dividend.

** A consortium including Chinook Urban Mining and JP Morgan has made a 520 million pound ($813.82 million) cash offer for British waste manager Biffa, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.

** Dutch food and chemicals group DSM said on Wednesday it has agreed to buy privately held Brazilian animal nutrition company Tortuga for about 465 million euros ($577.53 million) to strengthen its presence in Latin America.

** Insurance risk specialist Verisk Analytics Inc said it will acquire Argus Information & Advisory Services LLC for $425 million to expand its offerings for the financial services industry.

** Endeavour Mining Corp said it will buy Avion Gold Corp for C$389 million ($390.27 million) in an all-stock deal as it looks to expand in West Africa.

** Heineken's resolve to buy out Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd (APB), the maker of Tiger Beer, is being tested by a group linked to Thailand's second-richest man as the fight for a bigger slice of the world's last growing beer markets intensifies.

** Chinese oil trader Guangdong Zhenrong Energy Co Ltd has agreed to buy control of debt-laden shipping and oil storage firm Titan Petrochemicals Group Ltd, which is facing a liquidation suit from U.S. private equity firm Warburg Pincus .

** Dutch food ingredients group CSM NV said on Wednesday it expects to make "significant progress" by early 2013 on the sale of its bakery supply unit, the world's largest provider of ready-made muffins and croissants, bread and pastry mixes.

** Parkmead Group PLC said it completed the acquisition of a portfolio of Netherlands onshore assets from Dyas BV for 7.5 mln euros.

** The European Commission cleared Guernsey-based investment fund EQT VI's purchase of Dutch and German bandage and plaster cast maker BSN Medical, the EU's executive arm said in a statement on Wednesday.

** Qantas Airways has no interest in taking an equity stake in Japan Airlines, Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce told a business luncheon on Wednesday.

** Vietnam's central bank has given approval for Sahabank to take over troubled lender Hanoi Building Bank (Habubank), the second M&A deal in the banking sector in less than a year, state-run newspapers reported on Wednesday.

** Hellman & Friedman LLC and Bain Capital LLC are among a handful of parties that have made offers for software maker Deltek Inc, as bidders move into a second stage of due diligence, two sources close to the matter said.

** G-III Apparel Group Ltd said it acquired luxury swimwear brand Vilebrequin from private equity fund Fashion Fund I B.V. for 85.5 million euros ($106.19 million) and outlined plans to expand the brand internationally.

** BP said on Wednesday it has agreed to sell its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution business in Britain to DCC, a support services group, for $63 million.

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