UPDATE 3-Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions

(Updates Opel)

Oct 23 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 1330 GMT on Friday.

(For Reuters columns on deals, click on [DEALTALK/])

** Australia approved Chinese firm Yanzhou Coal Mining Co's (1171.HK) $2.9 billion takeover of coal-miner Felix Resources Ltd FLX.AX, but said the local firm's assets must be run by an Australia-based company.

To read more, double click on [ID:nSYD368247]

** French pharmaceuticals group Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA) agreed to buy a 74 percent stake in a Russian insulin maker from Polish Bioton BOTN.WA and a Russian investor, Bioton said. [ID:nLN210920]

** German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) will pay 0.50 euro per share to remaining Austrian Airlines (AUA) AUAV.VI shareholders in its takeover of the carrier, AUA said. [ID:nLN182546]

** U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co Inc's (MRK.N) $41.1 billion takeover of smaller rival Schering-Plough Corp SGP.N won approval from European Union antitrust regulators on Friday. [ID:nLN342899]

** Sirius Exploration Plc (SXX.L), a diversified mining and exploration holding company, said it bought an Australian firm holding salt and potash permits for 13 million pounds ($21.60 million) in stock, sending its shares up as much as 11.6 percent. [ID:nBNG512329]

** General Motors [GM.UL] will decide in early November whether to proceed with a deal to sell its European arm Opel to a group led by Canada's Magna MGa.TO or to seize a new opportunity to keep the unit after seven months of grinding negotiations. [ID:nLN582583]

** U.S. market researcher e-Rewards has made an agreed offer for Research Now RNOW.L of 430 pence per share in cash, valuing its British rival at around 85 million poounds. [ID:nLN275803]

** Finland's Ruukki Group said it had agreed to terminate a planned merger with precious metals producer Sylvania Resources as the process was moving too slowly and would have delayed the testing of its smelter technology. [ID:nL0170112]

** Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said it would merge its housing production and technology development operations with its home building unit. [ID:nT269198] (Compiled by Tina Kwan in Singapore, Amit Kumar and Vidya Lakshmi in Bangalore)