March 20 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1030 GMT on Tuesday:
** Oil and gas producer SandRidge Energy Inc SD.N on Monday rejected smaller rival Midstates Petroleum Co Inc's MPO.N all-stock bid, calling the offer "highly dilutive". Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.AX said it is considering a public offering of its New Zealand-based vehicle finance unit UDC, following the failed sale of the NZ$660 million ($477.8 million) business to China's HNA Group. The U.S. securities regulator said on Monday a U.S. court should deny a bid by Rio Tinto Plc RIO.L , RIO.AX and two former top executives to have civil fraud charges over a failed African coal project dismissed. Ryanair RYA.I plans to buy a stake in new Austrian leisure carrier Laudamotion, helping former motor racing champion Niki Lauda to get the airline up and running and giving the Irish carrier a bigger presence in Germany and Austria. Rio Tinto RIO.AX said it will sell its Hail Creek coal mine and the Valeria coal development project in Queensland, Australia, to Glencore GLEN.L for $1.7 billion, tightening the Swiss trading and mining giant's grip on coal as its rivals exit the industry. British engineering company GKN GKN.L , fighting off a hostile takeover bid from Melrose MRON.L , said it had a plan in place to protect its pension scheme as the two sides locked horns over the latest issue to emerge. U.S. engineering and construction company McDermott International MDR.N plans to bid for $5 billion in contracts in the next few months in Asia Pacific as the region's offshore oil and gas sector recovers, company executives said. Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems ESLT.TA , ESLT.O , which is in the final stages of buying state-owned rival IMI (LON:IMI) Systems, is already on the hunt for more acquisitions, its chief executive said. Laudamotion is still in talks to lease crewed planes to Lufthansa's LHAG.DE Eurowings, despite a deal for Ryanair RYA.I to buy into the Austrian leisure carrier, its CEO said on Tuesday.