Lawyers watching the case said that could set the stage for a sharp confrontation between the defense lawyers and the judge that could complicate plea negotiations.

The breach set up the sharpest confrontation yet over what budgetary powers the Council has under the new City Charter.

The attack and its aftermath were only the latest signs that forces with differing views of Iran's future are coming into sharper confrontation.

Although most of the time these people stayed apart, they did bump their heads together in one sharp confrontation.

Professor Saltzburg also said the ruling could set up a sharp confrontation between the judiciary and the executive branch.

Opposition leaders say they want to avoid the sharp confrontations of the past with the palace and the Government.

The failure at the meeting here was partly a result of a sharp and unusual confrontation between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

In the past, sharp confrontations have occurred when inspectors tried to enter sites not previously designated and were thus likely to catch the Iraqis off guard.

This set the stage for a sharp confrontation between him and the Sandinista government.

The move provoked a sharp public confrontation between the parties.