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

(Adds Microsoft, Impala, Alitalia and others)

Nov 19 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, North American and Asian companies were reported by 2100 GMT on Wednesday.

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

** Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) Chief Executive Steve Ballmer ruled out an acquisition of Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O) on Wednesday but said his company was interested in resuming talks on a Web search partnership.

To read more, please double click on [ID:nN19338410]

** German solar energy company SolarWorld (SWVG.DE) has made a serious offer to General Motors (GM.N) for its German unit Adam Opel and is awaiting a response, SolarWorld Chief Executive Frank Asbeck told Reuters in Berlin. [ID:nBAT002514]

** Impala Platinum (IMPJ.J) will not proceed with a 22 billion rand ($2.14 billion) deal to buy Mvelaphanda Resources (Mvela) (MVLJ.J) and Northam Platinum (NHMJ.J) under proposed terms, but the firms are still in talks. [ID:nLJ456362]

** The Italian government has agreed to sell Alitalia's assets to a group of Italian businessmen at a sweetened price, paving the way for the relaunch of the bankrupt carrier in private hands after a two-year hunt for a buyer. [ID:nLJ631928]

** Struggling sweets-to-CDs retailer Woolworths WLW.L is in talks to sell its high-street business to company restructuring specialist Hilco for a nominal sum, illustrating the pain being felt by British store groups as they grapple with the economic downturn. [ID:nLJ341168]

** Packaging firm Ess Dee Aluminium Ltd (ESDA.BO) said it has acquired a majority stake in ailing India Foils Ltd (IFLS.BO), a Vedanta Group firm. [ID:nBOM291654]

** UniCredit's (CRDI.MI) Bank Austria is close to selling for 1.2 billion euros ($1.5 billion) profit-sharing rights in a vehicle that owns stakes in Austrian industrial firms, the Der Standard daily reported. [ID:nLJ290483]

** United Internet (UTDI.DE) has dropped its bid for rival freenet's (FNTG.DE) DSL broadband business, the company said. [ID:nLJ267732]

** China's Bank of Communications (3328.HK) wants to invest $100 million in Taiwan's Taishin Financial (2887.TW), as China and Taiwan work on a deal to boost investment between their financial sectors, media reported. [ID:nTP350418]

** Western Mining Co (601168.SS) said it plans to purchase a 39 percent stake in Xining Special Steel Group from its parent for 1.1 billion yuan ($161.2 million). [ID:nSHA349022]

** U.S. bankruptcy court for the District of Delaware approved Lance Inc LNCE.O> as the lead bidder for the assets of two privately held snack food companies. [ID:nBNG381154] (Compiled by Tina Kwan in Singapore, Amiteshwar Singh and Vidya L Nathan in Bangalore)