21.   That deal marked the most striking retreat by a major Japanese company from a U.S. investment.

22.   The deal marks another step by the Board of Trade to halt the erosion of its leading position among futures exchanges.

23.   The deal marks the end of an era for Seagram.

24.   The deal would have marked one of the largest takeovers of a U.S. technology group by a European company.

25.   The deal marked the first takeover of a major Korean commercial bank by foreign investors.

26.   The deal marks the first capital tie-up between a large Japanese commercial bank and a foreign financial institution, the Nihon Keizai business daily said in a front-page story.

27.   The deal marks the fourth trade between the two teams in five years.

28.   The deal marked the first time that Arafat agreed to deport or transfer Palestinians.

29.   The deal marks the end of a battle fought on both personal and professional levels.

30.   The deal marks the latest example of a foreign financial powerhouse expanding its presence in Japan, which recently has begun deregulating the banking, brokerage and insurance industries.