Hostages talks in Colombia prove inconclusive

The fifth round of ransom talks between the government and guerrillas holding 20 diplomats at the Dominican Embassy ended Thursday with a defiant shout from the woman guerrilla negotiator demanding freedom for jailed leftists in exchange for freeing the hostages.

There was no immediate indication whether the talks had broken down. The session had opened in an atmosphere of optimism because of reports that both sides were giving ground from their previous rigid positions on terms for freeing the hostages, among them the US ambassador.