51.   In Paris, the French defence ministry confirmed one of its planes was shot down.

52.   In The Hague the Dutch foreign ministry confirmed his appointment.

53.   Also Wednesday, the Russian foreign ministry confirmed a summit meeting of the Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian presidents would take place in Moscow next Tuesday.

54.   Earlier Tuesday, the Japanese foreign ministry confirmed the detention of five Japanese Red Army fugitives in Lebanon.

55.   The ministry confirmed that a third hostage had been killed by the hijackers but said his or her identity was not immediately known.

56.   The ministry confirmed that nine Islamic militants were detained at the barracks Friday.

57.   The ministry neither confirmed nor denied the report, and US military spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

58.   The outbreak, though still not classified an epidemic, knows no borders, already crossing into Paraguay where the health ministry confirmed a dozen cases.

59.   The paper said the German defense ministry had confirmed the information.

60.   The Russian foreign ministry confirmed it had appealed to Saddam to stop attacking allied aircraft, according to the Itar-Tass news agency monitored by the BBC.