1.   Fierce fighting continued amid rebel threats to kill hostages.

2.   The investigation into the crash continued amid speculation that terrorists had destroyed the plane.

3.   No answer was immediately forthcoming to the delicate question but investigations will now doubtless continue amid fears of a Government cover-up.

4.   Bell Atlantic has made five contract proposals while talks continued amid union threats to strike.

5.   German bonds rose as the outlook for steady interest rates continued amid signs economic growth may be weaker than thought.

6.   Originally scheduled to close early this month, the sale negotiations are continuing amid reports by the Miami Herald that Smiley is having trouble finding investors.

7.   Stocks also fell after the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its worst slide in six weeks and there is concern the decline may continue amid rising U.S. interest rates.

8.   The dispute over the House chaplain continues amid other charges of anti-Catholicism in the Republican Party.

9.   The drilling boom continues amid unchanged global oil prices and U.S. natural gas prices that continue to lag behind a year ago.