(Adds BG Group, Brookfield, Energy from Waste, Grupo Clarin, CMA CGM, Kuoni, Banco Popolare , HeartWare)
Jan 28 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Thursday:
** Alibaba (N:BABA) Group Holding Ltd BABA.N said the group would sell its stake in Meituan, a company that delivers food and offers deals from local businesses, to focus on its own rival Koubei venture. BG Group BG.L shareholders overwhelmingly approved Royal Dutch Shell's RDSa.L $52 billion takeover on Thursday, clearing the way for the two firms to create the world's biggest trader of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Brookfield Asset Management Inc BAMa.TO has been exploring an acquisition in recent months of General Growth Properties Inc (N:GGP) GGP.N , the U.S. mall operator with a market value of $24 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Several Chinese companies are fighting over German waste management company Energy from Waste (EEW) in a deal potentially worth about 1.8 billion euros ($1.96 billion), several people familiar with the matter said. Enbridge Inc ENB.TO , Canada's largest pipeline company, said it would buy Murphy Oil (N:MUR) Corp's MUR.N Tupper Main and Tupper West gas plants in northeastern British Columbia for C$538 million ($382 million). Argentine media firm Grupo Clarin S.A. CLA.BA said on Thursday its subsidiary Cablevision (N:CVC) has taken full ownership of Nextel Communications Argentina, the country's fourth-largest mobile telephone company. Samsung Life Insurance Co Ltd 032830.KS will buy sister company Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 's 005930.KS entire stake in affiliate Samsung Card Co Ltd 029780.KS , South Korean online publication Money Today reported on Thursday, as the country's biggest conglomerate steps up move to streamline ownership. France's CMA CGM CMACG.UL , the world's third-largest container shipping group, will expand its presence in Iran after signing a landmark deal on Thursday with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). Swiss travel group Kuoni KUNN.S said on Thursday Sweden's EQT had been chosen as its favourite suitor regarding a potential takeover offer for the Kuoni Group. Merger talks between Italian cooperative lenders Banco Popolare BAPO.MI and Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM) PMII.MI took a big step forward on Thursday when Rome backed a tie-up. Medical device maker HeartWare International Inc HTWR.O said it was ending its planned purchase of Valtech Cardio and had agreed with investor Engaged Capital on the selection of a new independent director for the company's board of directors. Britain is postponing a planned sale of shares in bailed-out Lloyds Banking Group LLOY.L due to turmoil in global financial markets, disappointing thousands of small investors hoping to benefit from a discounted sell-off. French nuclear group Areva AREVA.PA plans a 5 billion euro ($5.45 billion) capital increase to restore its finances and said it expected the planned takeover of its reactor arm by fellow state-owned utility EDF EDF.PA to be finalised in 2017. KKR KKR.N said it had divested its $359 million investment in Vietnam's Masan Consumer Corp by selling the stakes at an undisclosed price to parent Masan Group MSN.HM . Shareholders of ChipMOS Technologies Inc 8150.TW approved a plan for China's state-backed Tsinghua Unigroup to take a quarter stake in the Taiwanese chip test and packaging company. Petróleo Brasileiro SA PETR4.SA is unaware of a Brazilian court ruling suspending the sale of a 49 percent stake in a natural gas distribution unit, and vowed to defend the sale through any legal means possible. Australian port operator Qube Holdings Ltd QUB.AX said a Chinese sovereign wealth fund was taking part in its A$8.9 billion ($6.3 billion) bid for rail giant Asciano Ltd AIO.AX , potentially complicating regulatory approval amid a political backlash against Chinese investors. European Union infrastructure investment fund Marguerite has bought a 28.97 percent stake in Latvian gas utility Latvija Gaze GZE1R.RI from Germany's Uniper, part of E.ON EONGn.DE . Italian gas group Snam SRG.MI is working with UniCredit on the idea of buying a stake in Gas Connect Austria, the pipeline unit of Austrian energy group OMV's OMVV.VI , two sources familiar with the matter said. Axiata Group Bhd AXIA.KL , Malaysia's largest mobile operator by market value, and Bharti Airtel Ltd BRTI.NS , India's largest telecom operator by subscribers, agreed to merge their subsidiaries in Bangladesh, Axiata said.