1.   It was Chernomyrdin who ended the hostage standoff in southern Russia through arduous negotiations over the last several days.

2.   Kansas City soon woke to news of the hostage standoff.

3.   The ambassador, Morihisa Aoki, seemed to be bowing to public pressure to take responsibility for the hostage standoff at his residence in Lima.

4.   The hostage standoff continues as the militia waits for its ransom demand to be met.

5.   A day after a hostage standoff involving armed supporters of renegade Philippines governor Nur Misuari ended, Malaysia said Thursday it wants to deport him soon.

6.   CNN-Turk said its reporters called Tokcan on his mobile phone during the hostage standoff.

7.   European and NATO defense ministers planned to meet in Paris on Saturday to discuss ways to resolve the hostage standoff.

8.   For many Greeks, the hostage standoff was reminiscent of an episode in September when a man in Athens held a family hostage with a hand grenade.

9.   Fujimori had made an unexpected stopover in the Dominican Republic on his way back from Canada in early February for talks with Japanese officials on the hostage standoff.

10.   Fujimori had made an unexpected stopover in the Dominican Republic on his way to Canada in early February for talks with Japanese officials on the hostage standoff.