1.   China on Thursday defended its policy of having fighter planes intercept U.S. surveillance flights near its coast, saying it had to protect national security.

2.   Defense Minister Gen. Ramiro Ricaurte said the two Ecuadorean planes intercepted and identified the U.S. plane, and then returned to their base.

3.   Mora said air force planes intercepted two small planes, shot one of them down over the jungle and forced the second one to land.

4.   The Pakistan Television news broadcast said a Pakistan air force plane intercepted the aircraft and forced it to land at Hyderabad.

5.   Israeli air force fighter planes intercepted the Boeing as it entered Israeli airspace, state television reported.

6.   Air force fighter planes intercepted the Boeing as it entered Israeli airspace, the television reported.

7.   Police said Saturday they had arrested two Colombian men believed to have been the pilots of a cocaine-filled Cessna plane recently intercepted in a remote Quebec village.

8.   Russian fighter planes Tuesday intercepted and forced to the ground an American aircraft violating Russian airspace, the foreign ministry said.

9.   Russian fighter planes Tuesday intercepted and forced to the ground an American transport aircraft violating Russian airspace, the foreign ministry said here.