21.   Israel says the blockade is to pressure the Beirut government into disarming Hezbollah and ending alleged Lebanese army harassment of travelers in and out of the security zone.

22.   Israel says the blockade is to prevent smuggling in of weapons and the flight of wanted men.

23.   Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent, or at least limit, attacks against Israelis.

24.   Meanwhile, Ivan Malakhov, the first deputy governor of Sakhalin, said the blockade was illegal and hinted that authorities could use force to remove the miners.

25.   National road authorities said there were no blockades Sunday.

26.   Other blockades were on local roads, he said.

27.   Palestinians and Israelis apparently were disagreeing Sunday about when the blockade was to be lifted entirely, Israel radio said.

28.   Russia says the blockade is part of tighter security measures in the unstable Caucasus region because of the bloody war in Chechnya.

29.   Sharon pledged to ease restrictions on Palestinians where possible, and the military announced that blockades were to be lifted from four main towns.

30.   The blockade was a serious blow to Danish exporters of meat and fish, and especially to the seasonal Christmas-tree business.