1.   The province has become sadly familiar with news of lay-offs and redundancies, factory closures and company collapses.

2.   Nicholas and Uvarov flattered themselves, however, if they believed that the western provinces were becoming less intractable than the Congress Kingdom.

3.   If the Katangans backed him, the province could become virtually independent and hard for the rebels to take.

4.   The province also has become a tourism center, as sun-seekers from colder climes flock to its hotels and coastal resorts.

5.   A referendum is expected to be held later this year on whether the province should become independent, and polls show voters almost evenly divided on the issue.

6.   An influential Albanian politician in Kosovo is pushing for the troubled province to become an equal member of the Yugoslav federation, a news agency reported Sunday.

7.   China, for example, is so large some provinces can become laboratories for change while others are held back.

8.   Draskovic said his government would not give Kosovo any form of independence or allow the province to become a third republic in the Yugoslav federation.

9.   El-Minya province has become the main site of fighting between police and militants in recent months.

10.   Georgian authorities insist that the region remains part of Georgia, and contend that the province has become a haven for criminals.