1.   Former Maine Sen. William Cohen is now defense secretary.

2.   He was replaced by his deputy, William J. Perry, who is still defense secretary.

3.   Officials say he wants to be sure that he is not, as defense secretary, part of a similar exercise next year.

4.   That professor was Paul D. Wolfowitz, now the deputy defense secretary.

5.   He named as the new foreign secretary a trusted ally, Malcolm Rifkind, who was previously defense secretary.

6.   In an extensive Cabinet shuffle, Major named as the new foreign secretary a trusted ally, Malcolm Rifkind, who was previously defense secretary.

7.   Rifkind was formerly defense secretary, and State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said Christopher was well acquainted with him in that job.

8.   Former US defense secretary Caspar Weinberger urged the Clinton administration Wednesday to publicly state that it would defend Taiwan in the event of unprovoked Chinese aggression.

9.   Former US defense secretary Les Aspin was hospitalized in critical condition Saturday after suffering a stroke, a spokesman for Georgetown University Medical Center said.

10.   The new US defense secretary is bluntly warning military leaders here that tight budgets will mean tough choices as the Pentagon maps out its strategy for the future.