21.   Mayflower was interested in keeping the Rolls-Royce unit if its bid succeeded, according to press reports.

22.   Olivetti will start the bid through a gaming machinery subsidiary called Tecnost, and some investors fear that Tecnost and Telecom may be merged, if the bid succeeds.

23.   When the Varity plan was unveiled in May, Lucas executives cast cold water on the notion a rival bid could succeed.

24.   When the Varity plan was unveiled last week, Lucas executives cast cold water on the notion a rival bid could succeed.

25.   Bank of Scotland, for its part, has said it intends to unload Gartmore, Greenwich and Ulster Bank if its bid succeeds.

26.   Branson, who did not withdraw from the bidding, had pledged to give all lottery profits to charity if his bid succeeded.

27.   Branson, who had pledged to give all lottery profits to charity if his bid succeeded, was flying to Tokyo on Monday and was not available for comment.

28.   Mrs. Clinton has created an exploratory committee that allows her to raise and spend money as she considers a bid to succeed retiring Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

29.   The show was halted briefly Friday night while the mayor of Chongqing took the stage to announce that the Olympic bid had succeeded.

30.   Granada has promised the exact opposite if the takeover bid succeeds.