1.   Charles Manor, a vice president of news and information at Lockheed Martin, said at the Dubai air show the Pentagon had encouraged mergers in the military sector.

2.   Early this month, the government said that it will encourage mergers among financial companies by easing regulations and offering tax breaks by next March.

3.   Indonesian stocks rose a day after the government agreed to break up several state monopolies, encourage bank mergers and remove many subsidies and price controls.

4.   It will also allow the establishment of financial holding companies to encourage mergers among financial companies.

5.   The Czech National Bank has been encouraging bank mergers to create larger banking groups in the Czech Republic and prevent more troubled banks from failing.

6.   The government will earmark funds to encourage mergers.

7.   The government encourages mergers in other industries too.

8.   The revision will encourage mergers and help reduce banking failures, the government said.

9.   The U.S. Defense Department has encouraged such mergers, hoping companies will cut costs and keep prices they charge the government down.

10.   Yet while Pentagon officials encouraged the mergers, they did little to match up the dance partners, Fiala noted.