81.   The strike comes a week after a car-bomb, widely blamed on the ETA, killed an army colonel in Madrid and sparked mass anti-ETA demonstrations.

82.   The strike comes as the French government faces continued industiral unrest over its plans to meet criteria for the European single currency.

83.   The strike comes on the heels of a two-week walkout at state-owned Air Algeria, as well as strike action at Algerian newspapers and universities.

84.   The strikes are coming despite the presence of a center-left government dominated by the former Communist party, the champion of the worker.

85.   The strikes came a day after Russia and major Western powers agreed to a proposal that would bring an international force to Kosovo.

86.   The strikes came after Iraq ignored U.S. and British warnings to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors.

87.   The strikes came after the people of Grozny spent a cold, anxious night huddled in basements and makeshift bomb shelters.

88.   The strikes came at a particularly bad time.

89.   The strikes come at a time when the French economy shows serious signs of stagnation, with youth the hardest-hit while public service workers enjoyed job security.

90.   The strikes come at a time when the French economy shows serious signs of stagnation.