1.   And MTA and union officials agreed that despite intermittent talks, the two sides have grown no closer to settlement in the last month.

2.   But the Palestinians prevailed, contending that four years of intermittent talks with Israel had not led to substantive progress.

3.   Numerous ideas are being freely discussed in subgroups and among delegation leaders, a big advance on the previous four years of intermittent talks.

4.   The companies have held intermittent talks for several years, but the current round of negotiations turned serious in the last two weeks, these people said.

5.   The companies have held intermittent talks for several years.

6.   There since have been intermittent talks between the rebels and government negotiators, but there has been no lasting agreement.

7.   With the new negotiations, there are hopes that Syria and Israel, which have held intermittent talks for the last five years, can also reach an accord.

8.   Last week, four Israeli envoys discussed this and other questions in two days of intermittent talks with senior UN officials here.

9.   The intermittent talks never produced a ceasefire.