Many people here say that the agreement has averted, for the time being at least, a full civil war in ethnically riven Yugoslavia.

That agreement averted a threatened Federal order to build a much larger filtration plant that could have cost more than $6 billion.

The agreement on resignations averted a possible court order forcing a shareholders' meeting.

The agreement between Ansett and the authority narrowly averted that warning, which would have been the first such action here.

The agreement averted the loss of 2,000 jobs, which the company had said it would move to other plants in Maine and Georgia.

China's agreement to engage in dialogue on human rights averted an anti-Beijing resolution from the 53-member commission last year.

The agreement averted further confrontation over rival Republican and Democratic trial plans.

The agreement also averted a threatened Federal order for the city to build a $6 billion filtering plant to keep the main city supply clean.

New York City officials said that the final agreement would avert their need to take out $3 billion in emergency borrowing this month.

The agreement averted a strike that would have put replacement guards in charge of the plant's security.