The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1100 GMT on Tuesday:

** Grocery chain Kroger Co has considered buying online wholesaler Boxed, according to a person familiar with the matter, as more shoppers place food orders online and as competition with Amazon.com Inc heats up.

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** Viacom Inc and CBS Corp are not in active merger discussions, although controlling shareholder Shari Redstone has had exploratory conversations with CBS directors about recombining the companies, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Friday.

** U.S. lawmakers are urging AT&T Inc, the No. 2 wireless carrier, to cut commercial ties to Chinese phone maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and oppose plans by telecom operator China Mobile Ltd to enter the U.S. market because of national security concerns, two congressional aides said.

** Russia’s largest gold miner Polyus said that plans to sell a 10 percent stake to a consortium led by China’s Fosun International had been dropped after one of the conditions of the agreement was not met.

** Germany’s Continental AG has hired JP Morgan to advise on a possible break-up, sources told Reuters, as the auto parts maker repositions for a market focused on electric and self-driving vehicles.

** Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s (FCA) has no intention to break up the company or sell individual brands to China or other parties, the company’s chief executive said, adding that the group was counting on its coveted Jeep brand to drive future profits.

** Auckland International Airport said it would sell its stake in North Queensland Airports (NQA) to existing investors for A$370 million ($294.82 million), as it looks to focus on its domestic business.

** The state owners of Germany’s HSH Nordbank on Monday agreed to exclusive talks with potential buyers J.C. Flowers and Cerberus as long-running attempts to privatise the ailing bank near conclusion, three people close to the matter said.

** Killer Content Inc, the movie producer that has partnered with philanthropist Abigail Disney in a consortium vying to acquire the Weinstein Company, said on Monday that a bankruptcy may be the best way forward for the U.S. film and TV studio.

** Turnaround specialist Melrose appealed directly to GKN’s investors to back its 7 billion pound ($9.6 billion) takeover offer after the British engineering company’s board rejected it.

** GKN faces pressure to open takeover talks with suitor Melrose Industries from U.S. activist investor Elliott, which disclosed a stake in the British engineering company just days after it rejected a 7 billion pound ($9.66 billion) bid.

** Struggling commodities trader Noble Group has completed the sale of its U.S.-focused oil business to the world’s largest oil trader Vitol, but net proceeds from the deal are lower than a previously announced estimate, the company said on Monday.

** Czech-based lottery and gaming group Sazka Group, which is considering a stock market listing in London, has increased its stake in Casinos Austria, it said on Monday.

** Chinese developer Yuzhou Properties said on Monday it would buy seven projects from Coastal Greenland for 3.8 billion yuan ($591 million).

** Air France on Saturday denied it had made an offer to buy the struggling airline Alitalia, a day after an Italian government minister said the French flag carrier had made a joint bid with budget airline EasyJet.

** Japan’s Softbank will invest 460 million euros ($561 million) in used-car dealing platform Auto1, marking the first investment in Germany by its Vision Fund, according to sources familiar with the matter.

** Premier Foods said on Monday any talks it has had with third parties as part of a business review had not yet gone beyond “an exploratory stage”, playing down talk of a possible sale of its Batchelors noodles to Nissin Foods Holdings .

** IDFC Bank Ltd, one of India’s two newest banks, will acquire non-bank financial firm Capital First Ltd in a share swap deal valued at about $1.5 billion as it looks to boost its retail lending activities.

** The German administrator of insolvent airline Niki said he still wanted to sell the leisure carrier to British Airways parent IAG, despite a battle between Austria and Germany over where insolvency proceedings should be handled.

** CEZ Chief Executive Daniel Benes views an option to split the electricity producer into two parts as creating value for shareholders, he said in an interview published on Monday. (Compiled by Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru)