That could push up bond yields for vulnerable countries such as Italy and Spain - exactly what the late-night negotiations in Brussels last month were meant to avoid.

In June 1997 he presided over late-night back-room negotiations that produced a bipartisan agreement to create a new health insurance program for children in low-income families.

After late-night negotiations, the conference also adopted a new treaty, the Nagoya Protocol, to manage the world's genetic resources and share the multi-billion benefits with developing nations.

But barring late-night negotiations among the clubs, nothing seemed imminent last night.

But according to participants in late-night negotiations, his threat induced many to agree to return this morning.

Then, the statute continues, he must subtract from that number the offsets agreed to in the late-night negotiation - specifically "life insurance, death benefits and pension funds."

After the late-night negotiations ended, the governor's office said the Legislature had not met the deadline, but Senate staff members said that it had.

Then, after settling on Waters, it took late-night negotiations to conclude the seven-year contract, which will pay him $450,000 a year.

Part of the problem during late-night negotiations, diplomats explained, was that each time a faction changed a candidate, it changed the ethnic makeup of the cabinet.

"Over the last 48 hours, there were some late-night negotiations before the offer that is before you was agreed," he said.