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Wednesday marks three decades since the start of Lebanon's civil war. Political groups are observing the occasion by cutting the Lebanese flag into pieces, symbolizing different religious sects. They plan to have political leaders sign the pieces before sewing them back together.

Jewish settlers say they are preparing for acts of civil disobedience to oppose the planned evacuation of Jewish settlements from Gaza. More than 100,000 Israelis have signed a petition promising they will travel to Gaza to try to stop the evacuation by soldiers, and some are concerned about the possibility of violent settler resistance.

President Bush lends support to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay during a visit to their home state of Texas. DeLay, in political hot water over allegations of ethics violations, joined the president in Galveston at a roundtable discussion of Social Security. Bush praised an alternative to Social Security used by county employees in Galveston.

Officials plan services for Pope John Paul II, who died Saturday. The public will be able view the pontiff's body for the first time Monday. Rome and Vatican City expect more than 2 million mourners. The pope's funeral is set for Friday morning and his body is to be interred in the grotto at St. Peter's Basilica.

The U.S. Supreme Court turns down an appeal from the parents of Terri Schiavo to keep their brain-damaged daughter alive. Meanwhile, Gov. Jeb Bush asks a Florida court to turn custody of Schiavo over to a state social welfare agency.

A federal court in Tampa will issue a ruling on an injunction filed by Terri Schiavo's parents, calling for reinserting their brain-damaged daughter's feeding tube. Early Monday, President Bush signed into law a bill that allows federal court involvement in the case.

The U.S. Forest Service cancels a Clinton administration policy that banned road building in nearly 60 million acres of national forests. The agency also sets out a new policy that will give governors a say in what happens in these areas. Critics say they will fight the change, which they say opens pristine wilderness to commercial interests.

After two straight presidential elections marked by disputes over the voting process, a bipartisan commission examining the issue hears testimony about continuing voter suspicion and limited funds. Former President Jimmy Carter and Secretary of State James Baker III head the panel.

The Energy Bill passed by the House Thursday includes a controversial provision that would exempt an increasingly popular drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Clean Drinking Water Act. Opponents of the exemption say the technique has been known to contaminate drinking water.

Social Security trustees say the nation's retirement program will exhaust its assets in 2041, a year earlier than previously estimated. They also moved up by a year the point when Social Security outlays will begin to exceed revenues from the payroll tax.