81.   On Thursday, exactly three months after the start of the IRA ceasefire, Britain announced the exploratory talks would begin next week.

82.   Northern Ireland Minister Michael Ancram was the first minister to meet with either side in the current series of exploratory talks on Northern Ireland.

83.   Other plans on tap include pacts with the United States, Australia, Canada and Mexico as well as exploratory talks with Hong Kong.

84.   Politically, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams wants recognition of his party and immediate exploratory talks with the British government as a precursor to formal peace negotiations.

85.   Reliable sources have said the South Korean group had also held exploratory talks with Moroccan authorities on investing in the banking sector, insurance and the auto industry.

86.   Singapore, a small island-republic that is highly dependent on da and Mexico as well as exploratory talks with Hong Kong.

87.   Sinn Fein had a second round of exploratory talks Monday with the British government.

88.   Sinn Fein last week had complained that the exploratory talks were not moving quickly enough toward full all-party peace negotiations.

89.   Sinn Fein has been holding exploratory talks with lower-level British civil servants since December.

90.   Sinn Fein, which had a second round of exploratory talks Monday with the British government, is the political wing of the IRA.