"But it is not to halt negotiations," Hendricks wrote.

Although it was the governor's decision to halt negotiations for the weekend, both sides said they were willing to return to the table on Monday.

A3 The Bush administration has halted negotiations with Egypt over a free-trade agreement to protest the Egyptian government's harsh imprisonment of a political dissident.

The rebels halted negotiations with the Government on Thursday, charging that police officers were building tunnels to storm the building.

This wasn't the time to halt negotiations for a records search, however.

But his return to the Marlins this season, after the Mets halted free-agent negotiations last winter, was disastrous.

Bob Wickman lost his closer's job and halted negotiations to re-sign, a distraction that will follow the team the rest of the season.

NBC and Turner Broadcasting have halted negotiations.

As a result, the Amex's stance has halted negotiations among the exchanges on the issue and dashed hopes for a swift resolution of the matter.

Any process in which the owners actively halt negotiations with free agents would undoubtedly raise an old specter: collusion.