(Adds Merck and Co, European Central Bank, Invest Bank, Lufthansa, OTB)
Dec 14 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1330 GMT on Friday:
** Merck and Co MRK.N said it will pay about 2.1 billion euros ($2.37 billion) in cash for privately held French company Antelliq Group, which makes digital identification products, to open up its animal health unit to the fastest growing segment of the market. The European Central Bank said it will take over supervision of the European operations of Barclays (LON:BARC) and Bank of America Merrill Lynch (NYSE:BAC) after they moved some businesses to Ireland from Britain because of Brexit. The Swiss government will seek investors for a minority stake in SBB federal railways' cargo business, it said. The government of the United Arab Emirate of Sharjah will take a majority stake in struggling Invest Bank INVB.AD , the lender said, in a move it said would help ensure its future growth. Lufthansa LHAG.DE is in early talks about a possible tie-up between its LSG Group catering unit with partners such as Austria's Do&Co DOCO.VI , Singapore's SATS SATS.SI and Switzerland's Gategroup, people close to the matter said. French luxury behemoth Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy LVMN.PA said it agreed to buy luxury hotel group Belmond BEL.N in a deal valuing the company at $3.2 billion. Australia's Mineral Resources MIN.AX signed a binding deal to sell a stake in its Wodgina Lithium Project and form a lithium joint venture with U.S.-based Albemarle Corp ALB.N for $1.15 billion. German public-sector bank Helaba has agreed to acquire the German unit of Franco-Belgian lender Dexia for 352 million euros ($397.69 million), the lenders said in statements on Friday. East Timor's president has vetoed a government bid to increase access to its petroleum fund for investment in energy projects, potentially delaying a $650 million buyout of Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSa) and ConocoPhillip's holdings in the Greater Sunrise gas project. Japan Post Holdings Co 6178.T is planning to invest about $2.6 billion in Aflac Inc (NYSE:AFL) AFL.N , aiming to become the largest shareholder in the U.S. insurer, a person familiar with the matter said. Drug distributor Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) API.AX said it had offered about A$727 million ($524.9 million) to buy all of peer Sigma Healthcare Ltd SIG.AX , aiming to consolidate in the face of increased competitive and regulatory pressures. Shares in Aspen Pharmacare APNJ.J fell more than 8 percent on Friday, a day after the South African drugmaker said it had negotiated a temporary relaxation of its lending agreements and forecast little growth in full-year revenues. Sweden's Intrum said it will buy Banco Sabadell's SABE.MC real estate servicer Solvia for an enterprise value of about 300 million euros ($340.62 million), aimed at strengthening its position in the Spanish market. Deutsche Telekom DTEGn.DE , Europe's largest telecoms company, said it was reviewing its network vendor strategy in light of a debate on the security of Chinese network equipment that it was taking "very seriously". German publisher Axel Springer SPRGn.DE will look to bolster its existing businesses with incremental acquisitions in 2019, CEO Mathias Doepfner said, but does not, for now, plan major deals that would require outside financing. Italy's OTB has not submitted an expression of interest for fashion house Cavalli, a source close to the clothing group headed by Renzo Rosso said, dismissing a press report. European hospital and nursing bed maker LINET Group is in talks with three or four bidders over the potential sale of a stake and could wrap up a deal in the first half of 2019, the company's founder and main shareholder said.