31.   A Texas separatist group continued its armed standoff with police for a third day Tuesday, refusing to budge from its headquarters in a remote mountain community.

32.   A three-day armed standoff followed, ending peacefully after the men surrendered.

33.   After that the two sides maintained a tense armed standoff in the area which is criss-crossed with busy international shipping lanes.

34.   Also Saturday Bosnian Serbs reopened three checkpoints around Sarajevo after a day of tension sparked by an armed standoff between Serbs toting anti-tank weapons and French foreign legionnaires.

35.   Ethnic armed standoffs also reportedly continued in the far north, between troops loyal to Uzbek Deputy Defense Minister Abdul Rashid Dostam and Tajik Defense Minister Qasim Fahim.

36.   The US president has called on Israel to complete its troop withdrawal from Palestinian lands and find a nonviolent solution to the armed standoffs.

37.   Lally said police had been around the house several times including in March when three people were arrested after an armed standoff, he said.

38.   Militants demanding that Texas regain its independence held a husband and wife hostage in their own home Monday in an armed standoff in Fort Davis, Texas.

39.   Militants demanding that Texas regain its independence took two neighbors hostage Sunday in an armed standoff in Fort Davis, Texas, authorities said.

40.   Mubarak met earlier with Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah Sunday in the Saudi city of Mecca to discuss the armed standoff which erupted in December.