1.   The empire had for years been falling into decadence.

2.   According to Nesselrode, the empire had the right to use force and need not fear reprisals from other European countries.

3.   But newspapers and media empires have room for conflicts, too.

4.   Companies that became adept at overseeing consumer or commercial credit empires had every reason to want to go the rest of the way and open their doors to deposits.

5.   Contrary to popular assumption, they recall, the Disney empire had its financially shaky moments.

6.   After heated debate, a City Council committee Tuesday approved the naming of a street after Hugh Hefner, whose Playboy empire has its headquarters in Chicago.

7.   Most of the big firms are still headquartered in Europe but have far-flung empires of subsidiaries, clinics and alarm centers.

8.   The wealthy KMT business empire has seven major holding companies investing billions of dollars within Taiwan and abroad.