The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Wednesday:

- Private equity firm Electra has hired Rothschild to explore a sale or a refinancing of electronic animal identification company Allflex, which is worth about $1 billion, four industry sources with knowledge of the plan said. (Full Story)

- Cisco Systems Inc said it will buy Israeli software maker Intucell for about $475 million in cash to expand its mobile network management offerings. (Full Story)

- Three private equity firms have gone through to the second round of bidding for R&R Ice Cream, the maker of Fab lollies and Skinny Cow ice cream, banking sources said. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and PAI Partners are interested in buying the firm, which could fetch around 900 million euros ($1.2 billion), the sources said on Wednesday. (Full Story)

- Dutch banking and insurance group ING said on Wednesday it has agreed to sell its 26 percent stake in India's Vysya Life Insurance to its joint venture partner Exide Industries.

- U.S. specialty drugmaker Allergan Inc said it would buy MAP Pharmaceuticals Inc for about $958 million in cash, an acquisition intended to widen its presence in the treatment of adult migraines. (Full Story)

- Drug company Cipla Medpro is expected to demand more than the $215 million on offer from Indian suitor Cipla Ltd to reflect a lucrative government contract win that will increase its earnings power. 

- Germany's largest cable company Kabel Deutschland said it has offered to sell network assets in three German cities in order to get antitrust approval for its planned purchase of smaller rival Tele Columbus.

- German travel group TUI AG has decided against an offer for the rest of its majority-owned British unit TUI Travel, saying it was not attractive at current share prices and dashing hopes of a deal to cut costs. 

- German real estate group Gagfah GFJG.DE has called off the sale of its Woba unit after securing a 1 billion euro ($1.3 billion) loan from Bank of America Merrill Lynch BAC.N, two people close to the transaction told Reuters.

- Chinese state-owned auto maker Dongfeng Motor Group Co is set to announce as early as this weekend a strategic alliance with Swedish truck maker Volvo AB VOL, according to a Dongfeng official. 

- Austrian man-made fibres group Lenzing may sell its plastics unit, which has 350 staff and more than 100 million euros ($133 million) in sales, its chief executive told a newspaper. 

- An Omani sovereign wealth fund is in advanced talks to buy a near 42 percent stake in Oman National Investment Corp Holding from a unit of Dubai's ruler's personal investment firm, two sources aware of the matter said. 

- Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House is studying options to merge its affiliate, Khaleeji Commercial Bank, with other Bahraini banks, it said.

- Canadian grocer Metro Inc said it would sell nearly half of its stake in Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc for C$479 million ($482 million), cashing in some of its investment in the gas-bar and convenience store operator.

- Yahoo Inc said it bought "social news" start-up Snip.it, the latest acquisition to be announced under Chief Executive Marissa Mayer. (Full Story)

- Kuwait's parliament approved an amended draft law on Wednesday paving the way for the long-overdue privatisation of Kuwait Airways, state-run news agency KUNA reported. (Full Story)

- Toshiba Corp and General Electric Co will begin discussions to form a joint venture to develop and sell fossil-fuel power equipment, the Nikkei reported. (Full Story)