(Adds Tommy Hilfiger and EMC)

(Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European & U.S. companies were reported by 2000 GMT on Tuesday:

** Apparel maker Tommy Hilfiger said shareholders approved the agreement for the company to be acquired by private equity fund Apax partners for $1.6 billion. [nWEN7251]

** Storage company EMC Corp. (EMC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said it has acquired Kashya, a privately held maker of data replication and protection software, for about $153 million in cash. [nWEN7232]

** Swiss-based bank UBS AG (UBSN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) unveiled a surprise move to take over Brazilian investment bank Banco Pactual for $2.5 billion. [nL09219275]

** Australia's Westfield Group Ltd. (WDC.AX: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's top shopping mall owner by market value, is to sell eight U.S. malls to Centro Properties Group (CNP.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) and a U.S. private equity grouping, raising US$550 million. [nSYD46771]

** BP Plc (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to sell all its Dutch gas fields and its Dutch gas infrastructure business in a deal that industry sources said could raise up to $500 million. [nL09566841]

** Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said it agreed to acquire privately held biotechnology company Abmaxis Inc. for $80 million. It also said it will acquire GlycoFi Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of yeast glycoengineering, for $400 million. [nWEN7233]

** British support services firm Babcock International Group (BAB.L: Quote, Profile, Research) acquired nuclear and airports services operator Alstec Group Limited for 44.9 million pounds ($83.7 million). [nL09629576]

** Sara Lee Corp. (SLE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said it has reached an agreement to essentially give its Courtaulds private-label apparel maker to PD Enterprise Ltd., a global garment maker, in order to complete Sara Lee's efforts to remake the company. [nWEN7202]

** Irish building materials maker Kingspan (KSP.I: Quote, Profile, Research) said it was in talks to buy Ireland and UK-based insulation board manufacturer Hytherm/Xtratherm Group. [nL09434650]

** Belgian copper refiner Cumerio (CUMR.BR: Quote, Profile, Research) has taken a 51 percent stake in Swiss Advanced Materials SA (SAM) for around 6 million euros ($7.7 million). [nL09260688]

** Oil and gas group MOL (MOLB.BU: Quote, Profile, Research) has used an option to buy nearly 10.9 million of its shares from state privatisation agency APV, the Hungarian company said. [nL09444702]

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