21.   Patriot is also pursuing a merger with Wyndham Hotel Corp., according to people familiar with the companies.

22.   Supervisory board members are expected to reach a decision soon to head off friction between the industrial giants as they pursue a merger to boost their competitiveness worldwide.

23.   The announcement ended speculation that has run rampant since May, when CTC announced it was pursuing a merger with VTR.

24.   The board decided members only need vote if the cooperative decides to pursue a merger, not simple affiliations.

25.   The decision helps clear the way for Nichols to pursue its merger with Highwoods Properties Inc. of Raleigh, N.C.

26.   Thyssen and Krupp announced in November that they would pursue a merger after combining their steel activities earlier in the year.

27.   Although Ebbers did not gain anything, the lawsuit says he pursued the merger although he and Sprint executives knew antitrust regulators would likely oppose it.

28.   Christian Blanc, chairman of Air France Group, had planned earlier to meet with union bosses and make a decision Thursday on whether to pursue the merger.

29.   Deutsche Boerse earlier this year mothballed plans for a share sale so that it could pursue a merger with the London exchange.

30.   However, they gave no timetable and were vague about what concrete steps would be taken to pursue the merger.