May 5 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1000 GMT on Friday:
** ChemChina CNCC.UL has won more than enough support from Syngenta AG SYNN.S shareholders to clinch its $43 billion takeover of the Swiss pesticides and seeds group, the two companies said. Elliott Advisors, the Akzo Nobel AKZO.AS shareholder that has been pushing for the company to enter takeover talks with U.S. rival PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) PPG.N , said Akzo will lose up to 6,400 jobs under the independence plan it has put forward as an alternative. BHP Billiton BHP.AX , BLT.L is facing pressure from two activist shareholders over its $20 billion splurge on U.S. shale oil and gas fields, but may resist calls to dump the business just as oil prices are sliding. Pearson PSON.L , the global education company battling a downturn in its biggest markets, said it would launch another cost cutting drive and consider selling its U.S. school publishing business in the latest attempt to restructure. Banca Popolare di Vicenza BPVS.UL will pocket 21.3 million euros ($23 million) from the sale of a stake in Italian packaging company IMA IMAI.MI , the lender said. The sale of two Rio Tinto RIO.AX , RIO.L coking coal mines in Australia is attracting scores of interested buyers as private equity and public companies compete for a foothold in one of the year's hottest commodities, four sources familiar with the matter said. The Czech anti-monopoly office has approved a request by China's CEFC to raise its stake in Czech company J&T Finance Group, CTK news agency reported. The biggest investor in UK mail delivery firm DX Group DXDX.L , Gatemore Capital Management, ratcheted up its opposition to a proposed reverse takeover of John Menzies ' MNZS.L distribution arm, saying it "grossly undervalued" the firm. Saxo Bank co-founder Lars Seier Christensen has sold his 25.71 percent stake in the online trading platform provider to Geely International Hong Kong, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co GEELY.UL , the unlisted Danish firm said. Warren Buffett said he has sold about one-third of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa) Inc's BRKa.N big stake in IBM (NYSE:IBM) Corp IBM.N , CNBC reported on Thursday, reducing a bet by the famed investor that surprised many and which so far has yet to prove successful.