1.  American and Russian leaders face a host of important security, political and economic issues.

2.  And DG faces a host of tough competitors.

3.  And while Compaq and Digital officials foresee a bright future of synergy between the two firms, others believe the combined companies face a host of challenges.

4.  Apart from the peacemaking front, Netanyahu has faced a host of other difficulties in both style and substance.

5.  Brazil, which outran and outplayed the Americans but never shook them off, will now face host Uruguay for the championship in Montevideo on Sunday.

6.  But George W. Bush or Al Gore will also face a host of difficult questions over how best to manage U.S. relations with China, Vietnam and North Korea.

7.  But while the Taliban may be history, Kandahar faces a host of new problems.

8.  Conversely, the researchers found several factors that appeared to protect teen-agers, even those facing a host of problems.

9.  EMC Corp. faces a host of fresh challenges from competitors, but keeps reporting strong results.

10.  First Alliance, a nationwide home equity lender facing a host of consumer and regulatory lawsuits accusing it of deceptive sales practices, filed for bankruptcy protection on Thursday.