Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions

Jan 18 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Friday:

** Schlumberger NV (NYSE: SLB ) SLB.N said it would withdraw its application for the acquisition of a stake in Russia's Eurasia Drilling Company (EDC) if it is not successful in getting approvals soon. Siemens SIEGn.DE and Alstom's ALSO.PA plan to create a European rail champion to take on a Chinese rival has failed to win over EU antitrust regulators despite German and French backing, people familiar with the matter said. The chief executive officer of Canadian oil producer MEG Energy Corp MEG.TO invited his counterpart at Husky Energy Inc HSE.TO earlier this month to negotiate a friendly takeover of MEG but Husky did not follow up, MEG's vice president of investor relations, John Rogers, said. Italy is considering merging troubled banks Monte dei Paschi BMPS.MI and Banca Carige CRGI.MI with healthier rivals such as UBI Banca UBI.MI as it scrambles to avert a new banking crisis, sources familiar with the matter said. [ RPC Group RPC.L , Europe's biggest plastics packaging maker, said the deadline for its private equity suitor Apollo Global Management APO.N to make a firm offer for the company has been extended to Jan. 23. French asset manager Amundi AMUN.PA said it bought the 51 percent stake it didn't own in fintech Anatec. French bank Societe Generale SOGN.PA and South Africa's Absa ABGJ.J joined forces in Africa, partnering on corporate and investment banking to broaden their reach across the continent. Czech investor Daniel Kretinsky is preparing a potential bid for Metro B4B.DE , people close the matter said, sending shares in the German retailer as much as 6 percent higher. China Molybdenum Co Ltd 603993.SS3993.HK said it had agreed to buy a holding company for $1.14 billion in order to increase its control in Democratic Republic of Congo's massive Tenke copper mine. A British court ruling has indicated that a final regulatory verdict on supermarket operator Sainsbury's SBRY.L proposed 7.3 billion pound ($9.5 billion) takeover of Walmart (NYSE: WMT ) WMT.N unit Asda will be delayed until the end of April from early March. The European Commission said it had approved the acquisition by German chemical company BASF BASFn.DE of the nylon business of Belgian rival Solvay SOLB.BR subject to conditions. German gambling company Zeal Network's TIMGn.DE shareholders paved the way for the takeover of rival Lotto24 LO24n.DE by voting in favour of a capital increase as well as other preconditions. Broadcaster Central European Media Enterprises (CME) CETV.O , CETV.PR will keep its Slovenian television networks, after a long-running regulatory process held up plans to pay down debt. Chinese gaming titan Tencent Holdings Ltd 0700.HK is considering a bid for the holding company that controls South Korean gaming company Nexon 3659.T , two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. U.S.-based private equity firm Carlyle Group CG.O and Japan's biggest investment bank Nomura Holdings Inc 8604.T are planning a joint takeover bid for beer maker Orion Breweries, the Nikkei reported. French telecoms group Orange ORAN.PA is considering a bid for Spanish competitor Euskaltel EKTL.MC , a move which would consolidate its market position as number two in Spain, according to a source familiar with the matter. South African construction company Aveng Ltd AEGJ.J said it had sold its water treatment engineering business to an investment company, partially held by the unit's managing director, for 95 million rand ($6.9 million). French bank Societe Generale SOGN.PA said it agreed to sell its South African unit offering custody, trustee and clearing services to South Africa-listed bank ABSA ABGJ.J as part of a strategy to review its scope of businesses.