The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1030 GMT on Wednesday:

** Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox has raised its offer for Britain’s Sky in an agreed deal valuing the pay-TV group at $32.5 billion, seeing off rival bidder Comcast for now.

** Juneyao Airlines and its parent are investing $1.9 billion for a stake of around 5 percent in state-owned China Eastern Airlines, saying the investment is in line with Chinese policy and will boost Juneyao’s brand abroad.

** Property manager Scentre Group said it bought a 50 percent stake in a Sydney shopping centre for A$720 million ($533.23 million).

** Britain’s insurer Aviva Plc said it had exited Spain with the completion of the sale of its stakes in joint ventures Cajamurcia Vida and Caja Granada Vida to Spanish state-owned lender Bankia SA for 203 million euros ($238 million).

** Canada’s Canopy Growth Corp is buying Toyko Smoke cannabis owner Hiku Brands Co Ltd for C$269.2 million ($205.3 million), the latest deal in a fast-consolidating sector ahead of legal recreational marijuana sales.

** French state-controlled power group EDF said it was considering its options regarding Britain’s nuclear plants, adding that it wanted to keep a majority stake.

** Kazakhstan’s antitrust committee said it would allow Kazakhtelecom to buy a 75 percent stake in Kcell ,, the Central Asian nation’s biggest mobile operator.

** Engineering group Andritz said it agreed to take over 70 percent in Italian machine manufacturer Diatec S.R.L, bolstering its non-woven division.

** The owners of Ma’arif for Education & Training, the largest owner and operator of private schools in Saudi Arabia, are in talks about selling the business, two sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters. (Compiled by Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru)