1.   The agreement came after months of intense negotiations.

2.   The hostages were freed after intense negotiations.

3.   Any such majority was now thought likely to depend on formal or informal alliances which might emerge from the current intense negotiations.

4.   After intense negotiations last night and this morning, Unions and Management agreed a set of proposals which were then put to U C W members.

5.   As intense negotiations continued Thursday in Geneva, diplomats there said they were optimistic about reaching a deal.

6.   A compromise on the Crane provision was hammered out during intense negotiations that stretched late into the night Tuesday and continued throughout much of Wednesday.

7.   A week of intense negotiations has failed to break the impasse.

8.   After a week of intense negotiations, Senate Democratic and Republican leaders could not agree on how to bring the measure to the floor for a vote.

9.   After persuading the two sides to grudgingly consolidate their independently declared cease-fires, Tenet concluded his six days of intense negotiations and returned to Washington.