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The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 0930 GMT on Thursday:

** British gas and oil producer BG Group Plc said it had agreed to sell its Brazilian gas distribution business Comgas to Cosan for $1.8 billion as it unveiled soaring first quarter profits on the back of higher oil prices and production.

** British aero electronics group Cobham has agreed to buy Danish rival Thrane & Thrane after its increased offer of 275 million pounds ($445.6 million) was accepted by the board of the satellite communications equipment maker.

** Dutch food and chemicals group DSM is buying U.S. medical device-maker Kensey Nash Corp for $360 million to strengthen its biomedical business, leaving it with plenty of cash for more deals.

** South Korean electronics retailer Hi-Mart said on Thursday its top shareholders would resume an auction for a controlling stake in the firm after it avoided delisting this week over $228 million embezzlement charges brought against its top executives.

** The Renault-Nissan alliance and state corporation Russian Technologies have agreed to create a joint venture that will own 74.5 percent of Russia's largest car maker, AvtoVAZ.

** Technicolor said U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase plans to take a stake of up to 29.96 percent in the French digital video specialist to help it cut debt and push through its turnaround plan.

** China's state-owned Bright Food Group has agreed to buy a 60 percent stake in British cereal firm Weetabix Food Co from private equity firm Lion Capital, which, if completed, would be its second successful overseas acquisition in less than a year.

** Vitol, the world's largest oil trader, has teamed up with the co-founder of Petroplus, Marcel Van Poecke, to buy the insolvent refiner's Swiss plant, as part of the trader's drive to expand into physical assets.

** Merger talks between law firms Dewey & LeBoeuf and SNR Denton collapsed on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.