VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 1000 GMT on Monday:

 ** BP will press ahead and sell a stake in its Russian venture, a source close to the company said, despite a threat by its billionaire partners to block a deal that could pave the way for the Kremlin to cement its dominance over the country's vast energy sector.

** U.S. private equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Indian financial services company Future Capital Holdings for 5.5 billion rupees ($98.8 million), a source with direct knowledge said.

** Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher purchased a minority ownership stake in the New York Mets Major League Baseball team, according to media reports late on Sunday.

** Health insurer WellPoint Inc plans to buy contact-lens and eyewear retailer 1-800 Contacts Inc for a transaction value close to $900 million, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

This article is copyrighted by Reuters