July 22 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Friday:
** Yahoo Inc YHOO.O is focused on selling its core business to U.S. telecommunications company Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) VZ.N after reviewing final bids that it received this week, people familiar with the matter said. U.S. gaming holding company Caesars Acquisition Co (CAC) CACQ.O is in exclusive talks to sell the online games business of Caesars Interactive Entertainment Inc to a Chinese consortium that includes Giant Interactive Group Inc, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Cosmetics company L'Oreal OREP.PA has agreed to buy IT Cosmetics, a U.S. maker of beauty products for women with severe skin conditions, for $1.2 billion, the French firm said on Friday. U.S. factory automation equipment maker Emerson Electric Co EMR.N has made an offer to acquire pump manufacturer Pentair Plc's PNR.N troubled valves and controls division, according to people familiar with the matter. Anglo American Plc's AAL.L De Beers has put its Snap Lake diamond mine in Canada up for sale after suspending operations at the unprofitable mine last December, a spokesman said on Friday. Chinese state-owned conglomerate China Resources Group and Australian bank Macquarie Group Ltd MQG.AX plan to buy majority control of GenesisCare Ltd, laying the groundwork for Australia's biggest cancer and cardiac services provider to expand into the world's second largest economy. Silver Run Acquisition Corp SRAQU.O , run by energy industry veteran Mark Papa, said it had taken a controlling stake in oil producer Centennial Resource Development LLC, with plans to develop its acreage in the Permian basin of Texas. Swedish private equity group EQT has put up for sale part of the real estate services business it bought from Germany's Bilfinger GBFG.DE for 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 bln) less than two months ago, two sources close to the matter said. Poland's anti-monopoly watchdog (UOKiK) said a planned joint venture by Russia's Gazprom GAZP.MM and five European companies to build the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could undermine local competition. French utility EDF EDF.PA called a board meeting for July 28 to consider a final investment decision on its 18 billion pound ($24 billion) Hinkley Point C nuclear project in Britain, the company said on Thursday. Southeast Asian ride-hailing service Grab said it was teaming up with Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group to roll out a mobile payment platform in its biggest market, extending its reach beyond transport. Britain's competition watchdog said it was not going to refer supermarket chain J Sainsbury (OTC:JSAIY) Plc's SBRY.L 1.4 billion pound ($1.86 billion) takeover of Home Retail Plc HOME.L for further investigation. An investment arm of French luxury goods giant LVMH LVMH.PA said it took a minority stake in South Korea's CLIO Cosmetics, swelling the ranks of global investors placing a bet on booming demand for Korean beauty products in major markets like China. Syngenta SYNN.S , the world's largest pesticides maker being taken over by state-owned ChemChina, still expects the deal to close this year despite concerns that U.S. regulators could throw a spanner in the works. Greece relaunched a tender for the sale of state rail maintenance company ROSCO, as mandated by its international lenders, after a previous tender was inconclusive. India's Vedanta Ltd VDAN.NS has offered to give one share and four redeemable preference shares for each share in Cairn India , to Cairn India CAIL.NS after an initial bid had been stymied for a year.