Deals of the day- Mergers and acquisitions

(Adds Tribune, National Aluminium Co, JBG Cos, Vertafore, Aeromexico; updates Baker Hughes, Airbus-Safran) May 2 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Monday: ** Baker Hughes Inc sought to reassure investors by announcing a $2.5 billion plan to buy back stock and pay down debt, using the breakup fee it would receive following the collapse of its long-stalled takeover by fellow oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. ** Airbus Group and fellow France-based company Safran said they had signed an agreement for the second phase of a merger of their space launcher activities. ** Oaktree Capital Group LLC, the second largest shareholder in Tribune Publishing Co, wants the U.S. newspaper company to explore a sale, people familiar with the matter said. ** India's state-controlled National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco) has agreed to buy back 25 percent of its shares from the government, Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar told Reuters after a meeting with the company to discuss pricing. ** The JBG Cos, a privately held U.S. real estate investment company, is in negotiations to merge with Manhattan office and retail landlord New York REIT Inc, people familiar with the matter said. ** Buyout firms Bain Capital LLC and Vista Equity Partners Management LLC said they had agreed to acquire Vertafore Inc, a deal that sources said values the U.S. insurance software provider at about $2.7 billion, including debt. ** Mexico's federal competition commission (Cofece) approved Aeromexico's $1.5 billion joint venture with Delta with certain conditions, Aeromexico said in a filing. ** Canadian telecom and media company BCE Inc said it would buy Manitoba Telecom Services Inc for about C$3.1 billion ($2.5 billion) to expand its services in the western Canadian province. ** Pulp and paper company International Paper Co said it would buy the pulp business of real estate investment trust Weyerhaeuser Co for $2.2 billion in cash. ** Oracle Corp will buy Opower Inc, a maker of software for utilities, for about $548 million in cash. ** Apollo Global Management LLC has struck deals to acquire Maxim Crane Works LP and AmQuip Crane Rental LLC, creating a U.S. lifting equipment company valued at close to $1.4 billion, including debt, people familiar with the matter said. ** Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are close to agreeing on a partnership that could break boundaries between Silicon Valley and the auto industry in the race to develop self-driving cars, people familiar with the discussions said on Friday. ** Brazilian grains company Fiagril Participações SA sold a controlling stake to China's Hunan Dakang Pasture Farming Co Ltd , a unit of Shanghai Pengxin Group Co, the Brazilian company said on Friday. ** State Grid Corp, China Three Gorges Corp and Italy's Enel SpA have placed bids for a 16 percent stake in Brazilian renewable energy company Renova Energia SA, which needs fresh capital following a failed asset sale last year, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday. ** American International Group has raised HK$9.68 billion ($1.25 billion) by selling a large chunk of its stake in China's PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd (PICC P&C) in a block deal, IFR reported on Sunday. ** Kuwaiti telecom firm Zain has agreed to buy a 92.3 percent stake in Sudanese fixed line operator Canar for 349.6 million dirhams ($95.2 million) from Abu Dhabi-listed Etisalat. ** Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo said it has signed a deal to sell its payments units Setefi and Intesa Sanpaolo Card to private equity firms Advent, Bain Capital and Clessidra in a deal worth 1.035 billion euros ($1.2 billion). ($1 = 3.45 Brazilian reais) ($1 = 7.76 Hong Kong dollars) ($1 = 3.67 UAE dirhams) ($1 = 0.87 euros) ($1 = C$1.25) (Compiled by Rosmi Shaji and Kshitiz Goliya in Bengaluru)