1.   He has since specialized in finding ways to forge consensus, outside the courts, on thorny environmental disputes like those over the location of hazardous waste facilities.

2.   Meanwhile, U.S. officials confirmed that informal contacts are underway between Japanese automakers and U.S. embassy officials in Tokyo on ways to resolve the thorny dispute.

3.   Neither Powell nor any other administration official can be expected to take public positions on these thorny disputes at present.

4.   There was, however, no substantive progress on the thorny disputes in the Caucasus, giving the meeting a decidedly political flavor.

5.   At that gathering, conferees were making progress in resolving some thorny disputes, but acknowledged Thursday that a lot of hard negotiating lies ahead.

6.   North Korea released a South Korean tourist Friday after holding her for six days, resolving a thorny dispute with its southern rival.

7.   North Korea said Friday it will release a South Korean tourist detained six days ago, resolving a thorny dispute with its southern rival.

8.   His appointment comes as the United States and China face a thorny dispute over copyright protection and trade, and squabbles over human rights.

9.   The thorny dispute has been the cause of two of the three wars between the nuclear-armed nations.

10.   Late Monday, Samper met with Nicaraguan President Violeta Chamorro on a thorny dispute over the Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providencia.