31.   Sources from the U.S. telecoms industry said they believed a deal was close.

32.   The Bank of England already had highlighted the financial risks in the telecom industry in its last Financial Stability Review in June.

33.   The government has previously imposed strict limits on foreign involvement in the automotive and telecom industries, the Shanghai Securities News reported Thursday.

34.   The deal raised speculation that more global mergers will follow in the telecom industry.

35.   The ISR is one of the sectors in the local telecoms industry that has been deregulated following the January agreement with Hong Kong Telecom.

36.   The report advised banks to avoid overexposing themselves to the telecom industry.

37.   The statement, which came after markets closed Tuesday, was the latest evidence of major struggles in the once high-flying telecoms industry.

38.   The statement, which came after markets closed, was the latest evidence of major struggles in the once high-flying telecoms industry.

39.   There have been increasing worries in Japan that the domestic telecoms industry is too heavily regulated.

40.   Forty-eight countries have so far made offers to liberalise their telecoms industries.