1.   And unlike that referendum, this time the separatists were able to say with certainty that a majority of French-speaking Quebeckers favors secession.

2.   At a regularly scheduled press briefing on Thursday, Sun Yuxi, a foreign ministry spokesman, said the Uighur separatists were clearly in the terrorist camp.

3.   Admittedly the Quebec separatists are not an attractive bunch.

4.   But the separatists are immune to the outrage.

5.   Landry has pledged that Quebec will hold another referendum on independence, but only when separatists can be certain of victory.

6.   Shoigu, repeating Russian charges that the separatists are preventing civilians from escaping, called on Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov to help get them out.

7.   Some see a palace revolution in the offing, especially if the separatists are not able to improve their ratings and Parizeau refuses to modify his strategy.

8.   The prevailing wisdom is that the separatists will be defeated.

9.   With prosperity likely to arrive, the French separatists will not be as eager to push away from their brother states.

10.   A Chechen volunteer confirmed that the separatists are retreating day by day further south in Grozny under strong Russian mortar and artillery fire and bombing.