1.   But nearly weekly meetings since January have produced no Decision either way.

2.   This was to be our first meeting since the threat of further surgery or at the least, drugs.

3.   Also Wednesday, Cabinet minister Shimon Peres and Barak aide Gilead Sher met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the first high-level meeting since the riots erupted.

4.   Before the Mariners took the field for batting practice, manager Lou Piniella held his first team meeting since spring training.

5.   Clinton had not held a town-hall meeting since May, when he appeared at an education event in West Virginia.

6.   Clinton hosted a half-hour discussion between the two negotiators on Friday, their second direct meeting since the talks began Monday.

7.   He delivered the same message to the team in meetings since last year.

8.   Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa Tuesdaypresided over his first crisis Cabinet meeting since the territory returned to Chinese rule four months ago.

9.   Israeli and Palestinian security officials renewed contacts in an attempt to reduce tensions, in the first such meetings since the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.