1.   The Palestinian town of Bethlehem, only two miles from Jerusalem, was marked off by an Israeli military checkpoint that was closed to Palestinians during the independence celebrations.

2.   The story begins with a Texas independence celebration on the sprawling ranch of John Lear, whose mood is anything but festive.

3.   Police say the man, whose name was withheld, was assigned by the LTTE to disrupt independence celebrations.

4.   Police say the violence this week was timed to undermine independence celebrations.

5.   After independence, Mugabe used to invite Mapfumo to play at ruling party rallies and independence celebrations.

6.   Ali Nasser Mohammad, the deposed president of socialist South Yemen before unification with the North six years ago, returned Thursday to take part in independence celebrations.

7.   Also Friday, unidentified gunmen attacked a Karachi school, wounding at least seven children attending independence celebrations.

8.   Also Wednesday, the government said it has canceled a planned independence anniversary celebration featuring military parades, tribal dancing and sports displays to save money.

9.   Anti-Indonesian villagers have been tearing down red and white Indonesian flags put up ahead of national independence celebrations on Tuesday.

10.   Angry villagers have been tearing down red and white Indonesian flags put up ahead of national independence celebrations on Tuesday.