1.   A federal appeals court today halted the start of contentious new federal rules designed to open local phone markets to competition.

2.   Courts have halted a number of initiative efforts because of faulty wording and, in one case, extraneous markings on petition sheets.

3.   The district court judge agreed with that remedy, but the appeals court halted the breakup.

4.   The harbor reopened when a California court halted picketing at the terminals.

5.   A court has temporarily halted the eviction of the residents, who include many current or retired soldiers.

6.   But an appeals court halted his release at the last minute while it considered an appeal from the government.

7.   Environmentalists have tried, so far unsuccessfully, to get Thai courts to halt the shooting, saying it violated national parks legislation.

8.   He said no actions were planned, but he was counting on the courts to temporarily halt the hunt next week until complaints could be heard.

9.   In a blow to President Boris Yeltsin, a Moscow court on Monday halted a criminal investigation of Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov, news reports said.

10.   In June, the state court temporarily halted another execution.