"We have narrowed our differences," he said in an e-mail message.

A second deadline for next Tuesday is expected to also slip by as the sides try to narrow their differences.

Last night, an official close to the negotiations said the two sides had considerably narrowed their differences over wages.

Northwest and its pilots have narrowed their differences over concessions.

Budget negotiators narrowed their differences over cutting the deficit, and some expected an agreement in days.

But they also said that while negotiators had narrowed their differences on several matters, there was no deal yet.

By May, the two sides had narrowed their differences.

Both sides say they have made considerable progress in narrowing their differences.

Leaders of the world's richest industrial democracies narrowed their differences on world trade today.

The two parties have already narrowed their differences on school aid.