Mannesmann turns down offer

LONDON, NOV 22: For the second time, Mannesmann AG8217;s management rejected Vodafone AirTouch Plc8217;s record hostile offer totaling 125.3 billion, but the German company8217;s chairman, Klaus Esser, left the door open for an acquisition if Vodafone sufficiently sweetens its bid. In his most conciliatory remarks yet, Esser said that Vodafone, a British cellular-phone company, is getting closer to an offer he would find acceptable. quot;It8217;s a different situation now to have an offer of 53.7 sharesquot; compared with Vodafone8217;s original offer of 43.7 Vodafone shares for every Mannesmann share.