Oct 28 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1315 GMT on Friday:
** General Electric (NYSE:GE) Co GE.N said it was in discussion with the No. 3 oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Inc BHI.N on potential partnerships. German industrial gases group Linde AG LING.DE is not considering reviving merger talks with rival Praxair Inc (NYSE:PX) PX.N , its outgoing chief executive told Reuters on Friday.
** KKR & Co LP KKR.N is set to be the preferred bidder to buy Nissan Motor Co supplier Calsonic Kansei Corp 7248.T in a potential $3.8 billion deal, the Nikkei daily reported. German medical software company CompuGroup Medical SE COPMa.DE has approached Belgian graphics group Agfa-Gevaert NV AGFB.BR about a possible takeover. The Austrian competition authority has approved the takeover of Austrian property firm Conwert Immobilien Invest SE CONW.VI by Germany's biggest residential real estate company Vonovia SE VNAn.DE , the German company said in a statement. Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO hopes to develop a "steady stream" of projects on its land in the El Indio belt in Argentina, making it the likeliest candidate for a partnership deal, a top executive said in an interview. China's WH Group Ltd 0288.HK , the world's largest pork supplier, said Chinese private equity investor CDH Investments plans to sell an aggregate HK$10.6 billion ($1.37 billion) worth of shares in the company to unidentified third-party investors. Toyota Motor Corp 7203.T said it has invested in U.S. car-sharing company Getaround Inc, a move that comes as global automakers seek to shore up their presence in new technology sectors amid growing competition from transport startups. CenturyLink Inc (NYSE:CTL) CTL.N and Level 3 Communications Inc LVLT.N are in advanced talks to merge, according to people familiar with the matter, in a deal that would create an enterprise telecommunications player worth more than $50 billion, including debt. Congo's mines minister said that the government "salutes and supports" China Molybdenum Co Ltd's 603993.SS bid to buy Freeport-McMoRan Inc's FCX.N majority stake in the giant Tenke copper project despite objections from state miner Gecamines. Gannett Co Inc GCI.N remains in active negotiations to acquire U.S. newspaper publishing peer Tronc Inc TRNC.O , despite reporting disappointing earnings that weighed on its shares, according to people familiar with the matter. Russia's largest oil producer NK Rosneft' PAO ROSN.MM said it had asked peer NK Lukoil PAO LKOH.MM to cancel a crude oil purchasing contract with Bashneft, which RBC daily put at 400 billion roubles ($6.4 billion).
** The owners of Thom Europe SAS are considering new ownership options to help finance expansion across Europe, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. U.S. fund Cerberus Capital Management LP CBS.UL is in talks with China's Legend Holdings Corp 3396.HK , largest shareholder of Lenovo Group Ltd 0992.HK , about a stake in Austrian lender Bawag PSK CCMLPB.UL , Austrian daily Der Standard reports citing sources at Bawag. Australia's richest woman Gina Rinehart is in the box seat to buy the country's largest private land holding, cattle and pastoral tracts the size of South Korea, after a rival bidder dropped out.