June 10 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers,

acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1945 GMT on Monday:

** Former media executive Edgar Bronfman Jr., backed by

private equity firm Bain Capital, has expressed interest in

buying Paramount's controlling shareholder National

Amusements, a source familiar with the matter said.

** Spanish holding firm Criteria said it had not reached an

agreement with Abu Dhabi's TAQA over a potential joint

takeover bid for Spanish gas firm Naturgy.

** Brazil's Diagnosticos da America (Dasa) and

health insurance operator Amil are in advanced talks to combine

their hospital businesses, Dasa said in a securities filing.

** Ambar Energia, a Brazilian energy firm owned by

conglomerate J&F, is mulling the possibility of taking control

of electricity distributor Amazonas Energia, two sources with

knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

** Societe Generale is struggling to agree on a

deal for its securities services unit, with potential bidders

baulking at the price the French bank wants for the business,

sources close to the matter said.

** Engelhart Commodities Trading Partners has agreed to buy

energy and technology company Trailstone Group to strengthen its

global power and gas trading platform, the company said.

** UAE telecoms group e&'s bid for parts of Czech

telecoms company PPF's assets will be investigated on concerns

it may be benefiting from distortive foreign subsidies, EU

competition regulators said.

** Offshore rig contractor Noble said it would buy

smaller rival Diamond Offshore Drilling ( DO ) in a

cash-and-stock deal valued at $1.59 billion, the latest in a

series of buyouts in a sector undergoing massive consolidation.

** Vista Outdoor ( VSTO ) said it had rejected a sweetened

takeover bid for the company by investment firm MNC Capital, and

that it had received a more than $2 billion offer from a private

investment firm for its sporting products unit.

** Information technology services provider Cognizant

Technologies said it has agreed to acquire digital

engineering firm Belcan for nearly $1.3 billion in cash and

stock.

** EU antitrust regulators have given British Airways-owner

IAG more time to offer fresh remedies to ease their

concerns about its bid for full control of Spain's Air Europa.

** BBVA's Chair Carlos Torres urged shareholders

to participate in an extraordinary meeting on July 5 called to

approve a share issue to fund its 12-billion-euro ($13 billion)

hostile takeover bid for smaller rival Banco Sabadell.

(Compiled by Rajarshi Roy in Bengaluru)