1.   But this pleased neither the defence ministry nor the navy who pointed out that it would merely sail back again.

2.   The defence ministry denied the report.

3.   The defence ministry refused to release his body to his family for a postmortem examination and radiation testing.

4.   Itar-Tass news agency later quoted the defence ministry in Moscow as saying the report was groundless.

5.   Hubbard met with senior officials from the foreign ministry and defence ministry, but details of the meeting were not available.

6.   Fourteen Maoist rebels and five government soldiers have been killed in clashes around Nepal, the defence ministry said Saturday.

7.   France on Friday carried out a third nuclear test in the South Pacific, the defence ministry said.

8.   France on Friday carried out a third underground nuclear explosion at its test site in the South Pacific, the defence ministry said.

9.   French jets were again in action Tuesday against al-Qaeda positions, the defence ministry in Paris said.