March 12 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers,

acquisitions and disposals were reported by 0945 GMT on Tuesday:

** Australia's software firm Appen ( APPEF ) said it received

a proposal from U.S.-based digital data solutions firm Innodata ( INOD )

for a potential merger of the two companies in an

all-stock deal.

** France's Alstom has sold its 20% stake in

Russia's Transmashholding (TMH) to the Russian shareholders of

the railcar manufacturer, the RIA news agency cited TMH as

saying.

** Alcoa ( AA ) will buy Alumina in an all-stock

deal that values the Australian firm at $2.2 billion, and makes

the U.S. company one of the world's largest producers of alumina

and bauxite.

** Japan's Nidec Corp ( NNDNF ) and U.S.-based private equity

firm KPS Capital Partners are competing to acquire Siemens AG's

Innomotics large motors business, Bloomberg News

reported on Monday.

** U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson on Monday set Aug. 26

as the start of a hearing on the Federal Trade Commission's bid

for a preliminary injunction to block supermarket chain Kroger's ( KR )

$24.6 billion deal to buy smaller rival Albertsons ( ACI )

.

** Rupert Murdoch's News Corp ( NWSA ) and the owner of the

Daily Mail have held talks about a potential joint takeover of

the Telegraph alongside the UAE-backed investment fund RedBird

IMI, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar

with the matter.

(Compiled by Rajarshi Roy and Pratik Jain in Bengaluru)