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

** Spain’s Telefonica said it would split out part of its Latin America business and create new units for digital technology and infrastructure under a plan aimed at generating more than 2 billion euros ($2.20 billion) a year in extra revenues by 2022.

** French group Imerys SA is exploring options for its North America talc unit, which filed for bankruptcy after being drawn into cancer lawsuits connected to Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

** Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, is exploring options for its packaging activities as it streamlines its portfolio and focuses on its core beverage business, sources close to the matter said.

** Blackstone Group Inc said on Thursday it has been unable to obtain an agreement from Japanese hotel operator Unizo Holdings Co Ltd for its $1.6 billion takeover bid proposal.

** Lone Star has entered exclusive negotiations to buy BASF’s construction chemicals business as the German chemicals company seeks to focus on more profitable operations, people close to the matter said.

** Deutsche Telekom is examining a possible tie-up with French peer Orange, German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday, citing managers close to the matter.

** Private equity firm Catalyst Capital Group Inc on Wednesday made a competing offer for Hudson’s Bay Co that challenges the Canadian retailer’s deal with a consortium led by its executive chairman, Richard Baker.

** Russia’s Delo has bought a controlling stake in the country’s largest freight container operator TransContainer from the state railway operator, a source familiar with the auction results said on Wednesday.

** Activist hedge fund Elliott tried again to squeeze a higher offer from France’s Capgemini for rival Altran , saying why it thought the offer undervalued the company in which the fund manager holds a stake.

** Pedro Moura Costa, a pioneer of carbon markets in the 1990s, and partner Pablo Fernandez are buying back from Swiss trader Mercuria Energy Group Ltd the low-carbon projects’ developer and carbon credit generator EcoSecurities, Moura Costa said.

** Norwegian pipeline firm Solveig Gas has agreed to buy oil firm Capricorn Norge from Cairn Energy for $100 million, completing its transformation into a North Sea field operator, Solveig’s owner HitecVision said.

** Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi-controlled owner has agreed to sell a $500 million stake to U.S. private equity firm Silver Lake, making it the world’s most valuable soccer group with a $4.8 billion price tag.

** Most Hong Kong-based investors are maintaining a positive investment appetite for 2020 despite a challenging local market including an economic slowdown and social unrest, property consultant Colliers International said.

** Bellamy’s Australia Ltd said it settled two shareholder class action lawsuits, without admitting liability, and will pay A$49.7 million ($33.73 million). (Compiled by Ambhini Aishwarya in Bengaluru)