DealZone

Chocolate and macaroni cheese aside, a trio of tech deals to mull over:

* Google Inc will buy AdMob, one of the largest mobile advertising networks, for $750 million, widening its bet that cell phone advertising could become the Internet’s next-big money maker.

* Electronic Arts Inc acquires Playfish for $275 million as the maker of the “Madden NFL” series expands in the growing social gaming sector.

* And Cisco Systems Inc says shareholders holding just 9.37 percent of shares in Tandberg have accepted its $3 billion tender offer for the Norwegian videoconferencing company.

For more on these stories and the rest of the latest deal-related news from Reuters, click here.

And in the newspapers:

* London-headquartered private equity firm BC Partners will buy ATI Enterprises, a Texas-based operator of 24 educational campuses, for about $500 million, the Financial Times says.

In Monday’s DealZone Daily: French insurer AXA sets its sights on Asian growth. Meanwhile, General Electric Co. and Comcast Corp agree on a valuation of around $30 billion for a joint venture between NBC Universal and Comcast, ironing out what has been a key obstacle in talks so far, a source familiar with the matter says.

For more on these stories, and the rest of the latest deals news from Reuters, click here.

And in the newspapers:

* Indian energy giant Reliance Industries (RELI.BO) is close to a nearly $6 billion overseas acquisition and the likely target is the assets of petrochemicals firm LyondellBasell, the Economic Times reported, citing an unidentified banker.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) says its deal with EU regulators and the UK government could include “divestments not initially contemplated” as radical shake-up of the UK bank sector looms in the coming days.

For more on these stories, and all the rest of the latest deal-related news from Reuters, click here.

And here’s some picks from the papers (some external links may require subscriptions):

That big, candy-coated M&A bellwether, Kraft-Cadbury, remains at the forefront of many dealmakers’ thinking. Brad Dorfman examines how the clock will really start ticking on a deal to create the world’s biggest confectioner once Kraft (KFT.N) reports earnings next week. Meanwhile, a clutch of other companies are making more upbeat noises about M&A, to wit:

* Juniper Networks Inc’s (JNPR.N) chief executive says the network equipment maker is open to acquisitions, although in-house research and partnerships remain its priorities.

* Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG.AX), Australia’s largest investment bank, has grown its surplus capital by almost half to a hefty A$4.5 billion ($4.1 billion), giving it muscle to hunt for assets overseas.

Blackstone Group (BX.N) talks to lenders about cutting up to $5 billion of debt held by its Hilton Hotels chain; National Express (NEX.L) ends talks over a possible merger with rival British bus and rail group Stagecoach (SGC.L); and the U.S. IT services sector occupies a sweet spot for M&A. Plus, will Obama’s upcoming trip to China be marked by a deal between Disney and Shanghai?

For more on these stories, and all the rest of the latest deal-related news from Reuters, click here.

And here’s some picks from the papers (some external links may require subscriptions):

Blackstone boss Stephen Schwarzman’s taste for theme parks. The merits of a bid for British grocer Sainsbury. And why are Indian outsourcers shy of blockbuster M&A?

For these and the rest of the latest deals news from Reuters, click here.

And here’s what the newspapers are saying. (Some external links may require subscriptions).

* CME Group Inc (CME.O), the world’s largest derivatives exchange, is in talks to take over the Chicago Board Options Exchange in a deal that would value the largest U.S. options market at up to $5 billion, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross says he plans to invest further in banks, but new capital requirements for private equity investment in the sector are still too tight. Meanwhile, a senior German government official says Opel has the liquidity to operate until next year, as a rift appears to develop in the ruling party over whether the General Motors Co unit should be sold to Canada’s Magna International (MGa.TO).

For more on these stories, and the rest of the latest deals news from Reuters, click here.

Here’s what else we found in the papers (some external links may require subscriptions):

U.S. banking regulators partially retreat from a much-criticized proposal to impose new rules on private equity investment in troubled banks, aiming to encourage responsible investment in distressed banks. And General Electric Co (GE.N) puts its security business up for sale in an auction that could fetch about $2 billion.

For more on these stories, and the rest of the latest deals news from Reuters, click here.

Elsewhere, there’s lots of buzz this morning about comments from Adair Turner, of Britain’s Financial Services Authority, on how much of what the City does is “socially useless” and how so-called Tobin taxes on transactions may be considered — prompting big pieces in the Guardian and the FT.

The Obama administration pledges to stay out of General Motors’ choice of a buyer for its European Opel unit, while union leaders in Germany put more pressure on the U.S. automaker to make a decision. Meanwhile, Lowe’s Companies Inc (LOW.N), the No. 2 U.S. home improvement chain, is making its first foray outside North America through a joint venture with Woolworths Ltd (WOW.AX), Australia’s largest retailer.

For more on these stories, and all the other latest deals news from Reuters, click here.

And here’s what’s in the papers (some external links may require subscriptions):

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says General Motors “urgently” needs to decide on Opel’s future, while specialty drugmaker Warner Chilcott moves to acquire Procter & Gamble’s $3 billion prescription-drug business.

For these stories, and all the rest of the latest deals news from Reuters, click here.

And here’s what caught our eye in the newspapers (some external links may require subscriptions):