71.   The Turkish foreign ministry confirmed the partial withdrawal.

72.   The Vietnamese foreign ministry confirmed that Nguyen Ha Phan, vice president of the National Assembly, had been expelled from the Communist Party.

73.   Wednesday, the defense ministry confirmed final approval for building hundreds of other homes in an ultra-Orthodox town just inside the West Bank.

74.   It was the Observer that last November revealed that the British government had held secret talks with the IRA, contacts which the Northern Ireland ministry later confirmed.

75.   On Sunday, the defense ministry confirmed that China fired two missiles on Friday, and two on Saturday.

76.   South Korean newspapers said that two of the crewmen were killed and another injured, but the defence ministry has not confirmed the reports.

77.   The Belgian justice ministry did not confirm whether it had transmitted an official extradition request for Bagosora.

78.   The Croatian defence ministry confirmed the air raids.

79.   The defence ministry meanwhile confirmed that experiments did take place but insisted that ethical standards were respected.

80.   The defense ministry has confirmed the deaths of two soldiers and a policeman in the operation.