Several times in the past few days, Mr. Ward said, the round-the-clock negotiations nearly collapsed.

The agreement followed round-the-clock negotiations that lasted all weekend and continued until yesterday morning.

Mr. Barak said tonight that after a week of intensive, sometimes round-the-clock negotiations, he and Shas had worked out the major part of an agreement.

The Rigases' decision to cede control came after a week of nearly round-the-clock negotiations between the company and the family.

While Bill was engaged in round-the-clock negotiations in the West Wing, he checked in often to ask what I thought about a particular issue.

Nor does he intend to stop working, though an end to round-the-clock junk-food-filled negotiations with tobacco industry lawyers has let him trim eight pounds from his waistline.

They plan to begin round-the-clock negotiations on Monday at the Sheraton New York Hotel.

The intensive round-the-clock negotiations have taken place against a background of deep concern over Russia's financial crisis.

But after three weeks of intensive efforts by Mr. Ross and often round-the-clock negotiations, it was evident that the differences remained acute.

The meeting came after round-the-clock negotiations between Washington and Beijing.