81.   Annan has spent much of the year trying to defuse tensions between Iraq and the council, and helped avert U.S.-British airstrikes in February and November.

82.   Army officers from Rwanda and Uganda meet to defuse tension.

83.   Armitage visited Islamabad before heading to New Delhi last week as part of a U.S. mission to defuse tensions between the nuclear-capable neighbors.

84.   As top U.S. and Russian officials visited the Balkans to try to defuse tensions in Kosovo, Serbian police said Tuesday they were again attacked in the turbulent province.

85.   As top U.S. and Russian officials visited the Balkans Tuesday to try to defuse tension in Kosovo, Serbian police reported another attack against them in the turbulent province.

86.   Aziz urged the international community to demand restraint by Iran and the Taliban, and called on the United Nations to step up its own efforts to defuse tension.

87.   Authorities on Monday tried to defuse tension created by two religious groups that claimed the right to take first dip.

88.   Barak, meanwhile, flew home from Paris amid Israeli reports of a breakdown of efforts to defuse tensions.

89.   Barak agrees to a military pullback to defuse tensions on West Bank, Gaza, Israeli sources say.

90.   Before departing to Egypt, the delegation told reporters that their discussions with Abdullah emphasized Pakistani efforts to defuse the tensions on its border with India.