1.   Shortly after noon here, the retirement announcement ended, and Jordan went home to begin his new life with his wife and family.

2.   The announcement ended a two-month search for a successor to Louis J. Freeh, who retired from the bureau last month.

3.   The announcement ends a brief lull in merger activity among major U.S. banks, following three billion-dollar transactions in three weeks in August and September.

4.   The announcement ends a five-month plus search by the upscale merchant to find a new chief executive.

5.   The announcement ends months of speculation about the future structure of Westinghouse, which said in June that it would devise a separation plan.

6.   The announcement ends months of speculation in the notoriously gossipy magazine world about whom Cathleen P. Black, the president of Hearst Magazines, would choose as editor.

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

8.   The announcement ends a dispute over the price between Mediaset management and minority shareholders that had threatened to delay the offering.

9.   The announcement ended persistent talk that KLM would participate in the link-up.

10.   The announcement ended speculation that the company, formed from the merger three years ago of Siebe and BTR, might issue new shares to raise money.