April 4 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers,

acquisitions and disposals were reported by 0930 GMT on

Thursday:

** Japan's Mitsui & Co ( MITSF ) said it had teamed up with

Rohto Pharmaceutical Co ( RPHCF ) to buy Eu Yan Sang

International in a deal valuing the Singapore-based traditional

Chinese medicines firm at S$800 million ($594 million).

** Britain's antitrust watchdog said that Spreadex's

completed acquisition of sports betting rival Sporting Index's

consumer-facing arm raised competition concerns and gave them

time for a solution before it deepened its investigation.

** Former Gucci chief executive Marco Bizzarri said he would

invest in Italian fashion brand Elisabetta Franchi, taking a

stake up to 23% of the company.

** Applus' board of directors has issued a favourable

opinion on the takeover bids launched by funds Apollo and Amber,

but prefer the latter as the offer price is higher, the Spanish

company said in a filing with stock market regulator CNMV.

** Russian steelmaker Severstal has bought the

distribution business of metals trader A Grupp, Severstal said

without disclosing the size of the deal.

** Members of Paramount Global's ( PARAA ) board agreed on

Wednesday to enter into exclusive merger talks with Skydance

Media, favoring the independent studio over a $26 billion offer

from private equity firm Apollo Global Management ( APO ), a

person familiar with the matter said.

** Britain's competition regulator said it would need to

open an in-depth investigation into the merger between

Vodafone's ( VOD ) UK operation and Hutchison's Three

UK after the parties did not offer remedies to ease the

regulator's competition concerns.

** Australian insurer Suncorp Group ( SNMYF ) said it would

sell its New Zealand life insurance business to Resolution Life

for NZ$410 million ($246.53 million), sending its shares to a

more than 16-year high.

** Mexican broadcaster Televisa said on

Wednesday it reached an agreement with AT&T for its stake in

satellite TV unit Sky Mexico, giving Televisa full control of

the firm.

** The ethics adviser to Norway's $1.6 trillion

sovereign-wealth fund is assessing whether to recommend the

investor to divest its multi-billion dollar stake in mining

giant Rio Tinto for environmental concerns, the Wall

Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar

with the matter.

(Compiled by Rajarshi Foy in Bengaluru)