21.   His unusual decision to clear the hostile bid came despite a recommendation for an MMC investigation by the Director General of Fair Trading, Sir Bryan Carsberg.

22.   Talks broke down on Tuesday night with the firm accusing the Montonhall miners of misleading the media and presenting the affair as a hostile takeover bid.

23.   Alternately, he said there was speculation that a consortium that includes SmithKline Beecham Plc was preparing a hostile bid for tomorrow.

24.   Analysts said hostile bids rarely succeeded in the advertising industry because the principal assets of an advertising agency are the people who work there.

25.   And the French government has used its influence, on occasion, to stop hostile bids.

26.   And to complicate matters, The Toronto Star has made a hostile bid for The Toronto Sun.

27.   And the largest hostile bid ever was made last week when pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. bid for Warner-Lambert.

28.   Any hostile bid for GM would also be likely to encounter strong resistance from the politically influential United Automobile Workers union, which had no comment Friday.

29.   Aran has vigorously defended itself against the hostile bid by Los Angeles-based Arco, maintaining the offer undervalues its assets.

30.   At the time, the London exchange was fighting a hostile takeover bid from O.M. Group of Sweden, which runs the Stockholm stock exchange.