11.   Antitrust authorities at the Federal Trade Commission cleared the merger in December after winning a range of assurances aimed at protecting consumer choice for Internet services and content.

12.   European regulators must now clear the merger.

13.   Officials who monitor fair trading and the electricity supply in Britain had recommended that the merger be cleared, provided that PacifiCorp agrees to certain conditions.

14.   Such stipulations are common orders by regulators when clearing big mergers.

15.   The Commission now has four months to decide whether to clear the merger.

16.   The Commission now has until September to decide whether to clear the merger.

17.   The European Union on Monday cleared the merger of car parts makers Lucas Industries PLC of Britain and Varity Corp. of the United States.

18.   The merger is now cleared to start business as scheduled on Monday.

19.   This clears qualifying mergers of joint ventures after one month if no objections are raised by third parties.

20.   The European Commission has also cleared the merger on EU regulations, a spokesman indicated.