1.   A deal to free the hostages fell through, apparently because their release would have left the rebels without bargaining power.

2.   Freeing the hostages became his obsession.

3.   Security forces managed to free the hostages, but it was a very close thing.

4.   The hostages were freed after intense negotiations.

5.   Police ordered a news blackout while the negotiations to free the hostages were in progress .

6.   The terrorists have at last agreed to free the hostages.

7.   And freed hostage Terry Waite was also on hand to present one of the awards for news coverage.

8.   An armed man freed his hostage at the Tokyo Stock Exchange and surrendered after a standoff that dragged on for over five hours, police said.

9.   At the same time, Stepashin won credit for directing the Russian forces that eventually freed the hostages after negotiations with the rebels.

10.   Barak also was the mastermind behind a raid on the Entebbe, Uganda, airport that freed Israeli hostages from hijackers.