Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions

June 13 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Friday:

Shares of U.S. Steel dipped after a Nippon Steel executive told the Japanese Nikkei newspaper that its planned takeover of the company required "a degree of management freedom" to go ahead, even as sources told Reuters a deal with the U.S. government to greenlight the tie-up was effectively done. nL4N3SG197

Iceland's Kvika Banki KVIKA.IC on Friday rejected merger proposals from Islandsbanki ISB.IC and Arion Banki ARION.IC saying they undervalue the company. nL4N3SG1G5

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners BIP.N has struck a deal to buy internet service provider Hotwire Communications, valuing the company at around $7 billion, including debt, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. nL4N3SG1IN

Global agribusiness Bunge Global SA BG.N has received regulatory approval from China for its acquisition of grain handler Viterra and expects to close the deal "on or around July 2," the company said in a statement on Friday. nL1N3SG0TZ

Britain's Spectris SXS.L said on Friday it had rejected a second takeover proposal from private equity firm KKR, days after the scientific instruments maker backed a possible competing $5 billion bid from Advent International.nL4N3SG1IW

France's BPCE has agreed a 6.4 billion euro ($7.39 billion) deal to acquire Portugal's Novo Banco, including a 75% stake held by U.S. private equity firm Lone Star, BPCE and Lone Star said. nL8N3SG0KN

Canada's Dundee Precious Metals will acquire UK-based Adriatic Metals in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $1.25 billion, the companies said, marking the latest in a string of foreign takeovers of UK firms. nL4N3SG0NV

British healthcare real estate investor Primary Health Properties (PHP) urged rival Assura to back its bid over a takeover offer from KKR and Stonepeak .nL4N3SG0QR

U.S. private equity firm MPE Mgt Co-backed MPE Bidco said it will buy British industrial machinery and equipment maker Renold in a 186.7 million pound ($252.61 million) cash deal.nL4N3SG0OU

Facebook-owner Meta META.O has invested in Scale AI in a deal that values the data-labeling startup at $29 billion and brings in its 28-year-old CEO, Alexandr Wang, to play a prominent role in the tech giant's artificial intelligence strategy. nL4N3SG03L

Thermo Fisher Scientific plans to sell its diagnostics unit for about $4 billion in an attempt to offload some of its low-growth assets, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. nL4N3SF1KN