1.   In a series of unprecedented government moves, the state defence council has taken an active role in helping the prosecution.

2.   The court heard that defence council Neil Murray QC was unwell.

3.   It added that the new initiative came after a meeting of the national defence council, chaired by Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh.

4.   A meeting of the national defence council over the weekend broke up without agreement.

5.   A report by the Bosnian Serb SRNA news agency, said Plavsic announced the decision at a meeting Friday evening in Banja Luka of the supreme defence council.

6.   The statement said that the defence council had also agreed to re-appoint two top commanders -- General Momir Talic and General Novica Simic -- to their posts.

7.   The Russian security council and defence council will both meet Monday to discuss Chechnya and Russian military doctrine, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

8.   The supreme defence council also agreed to re-appoint two top commanders to their posts.

9.   The statement said the defence council had also agreed to re-appoint two top commanders to their posts.

10.   Meanwhile, Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin chaired the first meeting of the Russian defence council, a high-level consultative body set up to supervise reform of the armed forces.