Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston revealed that he made an unannounced trip to the Vatican in the past few days to "seek counsel and advice" from the Pope and other Roman Catholic leaders. 

I return home encouraged in my efforts to provide the strongest possible leadership...(so) that no child is ever abused again by a priest of this archdiocese

Cardinal Bernard Law

He made his trip to Rome in secret while his home was besieged by protesters and journalists.

Cardinal Law, who is 70, said last week that he had no intention of resigning. He gave no indication that his talks with the Pope and other senior Vatican figures had changed his mind.

"The fact that my resignation has been proposed as necessary was part of my presentation," he said in a statement.

"The Pope and those others with whom I met are very conscious of the gravity of the situation. It is clear to me that the primary emphasis of the Holy See, like that of the church in the archdiocese, is upon the protection of children."

Summoned to Rome

Cardinal Law's statement came as the 13 American cardinals prepared to meet the Pope and other senior Catholic leaders in the Vatican next week to discuss the crisis.

The scandal began with the trial of defrocked Boston priest John Geoghan and has grown into the worst controversy which has ever shaken the American Catholic Church.

Dozens of priests in the United States were suspended or sued over allegations that they had molested children. A bishop in Florida has resigned.

Sex abuse scandals have also tarnished the church's reputation in some European countries.

Two bishops have been forced to resign - one in Ireland and one in Poland - both predominantly Catholic countries.

"I return home encouraged in my efforts to provide the strongest possible leadership...(so) that no child is ever abused again by a priest of this archdiocese," Cardinal Law said.

Difficult talks

Cardinal Mahony was blunt about the reason for the crisis talks

Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles said on Tuesday he was looking forward to talks with the Pope next week which would be "open, frank and without limitations".

"A healthy dialogue with officials in the Vatican is essential to repairing the past damage and to create a more open and honest way of dealing with any type of misconduct," he said in a statement.

The Vatican said the meeting was meant to "restore security and serenity to the families and trust to the clergy and the faithful".

The BBC's Justin Webb says that as Cardinal Mahony was speaking, the crisis deepened, with police in Los Angeles saying they were investigating allegations of child abuse after receiving 70 complaints involving 50 priests.

More than 400 complaints have been made in Boston alone - and the Archbishop of New York is also under pressure to resign over allegations that he took no action against priests accused of sexual misconduct. 

Our correspondent says the scandal has severely dented the credibility of the Church and the Vatican now believes it has to act.

Speaking after talks in Ramallah with the besieged Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, Mr Powell said a "ceasefire" was "not a relevant term at the moment - it will become relevant when the incursion ends and the withdrawals are completed".

Mr Powell said the withdrawal from the West Bank was proceeding more slowly than he wanted, but Israel had given him a "timeline" and he had been "assured of results in the next few days".

I have to ask the whole world... is this acceptable, that I can't go outside this door?

Yasser Arafat

He told reporters he had made it clear to Mr Arafat that the world was looking for him to act against "terrorism" and make a "strategic choice" by embracing the peace process.

US President George Bush said Mr Powell had made "made progress towards peace" during his visit.

Arafat furious

Mr Arafat, his shell-blasted headquarters surrounded by Israeli snipers, emerged from his talks with Mr Powell voicing outrage over his treatment by the Israelis.

He condemned Israel's crackdown in the West Bank and his own confinement, with the Israelis controlling his access to electricity, food and water.

"I have to ask the whole world... is this acceptable, that I can't go outside this door?" he told reporters.

	Click here to see town-by-town update

Mr Powell has now arrived in Egypt, where he will meet Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher after scheduled talks with President Hosni Mubarak were cancelled. 

The US secretary of State said he understood Mr Mubarak was "indisposed" to the meeting.

Mr Powell said his talks with leaders in the region had confirmed widespread support for a comprehensive approach to reaching a settlement and all parties should work to achieve that.

US special envoy Anthony Zinni and other senior US diplomats will work with Israel and the Palestinians to try to restart peace talks, Mr Powell said. 

CIA chief George Tenet - who drew up a ceasefire plan - is also ready to return to the region, he added.

Conditions

Palestinian officials say there will be no deal or truce until Israel makes a full withdrawal from all the West Bank areas it has occupied.

The two-week-old church siege in Bethlehem continues

The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, has pledged to pull troops out of Jenin and Nablus within a week. But they will stay in Bethlehem and Ramallah until Palestinian "terrorists" there surrender, he said. 

After a final round of talks with Mr Powell on Tuesday, Mr Sharon indicated that he might drop objections to Mr Arafat attending an international Middle East peace conference. 

One of Mr Arafat's top aides, Saeb Erekat, warned that the situation was worse than a week ago, with the Israelis "deepening the reoccupation". 

"I don't know if we have a Palestinian Authority any more," he said. "All we can say is Sharon did a good job to torpedo the secretary's mission here."

Palestinian casualties

In Bethlehem, witnesses told the French news agency AFP that a Palestinian had been shot and wounded inside the compound of the Church of the Nativity.

The town's mayor said negotiations were continuing to end the two week siege at the historic church.

In the city of Nablus, hospital records show that 71 Palestinians have been killed there since the Israeli army entered in force on 3 April. 

A Reuters correspondent there saw a mortuary overflowing with corpses - including 25 piled in a refrigerated dairy truck. 

Reuters reported that around 30 tanks were seen leaving the West Bank city of Jenin and the devastated nearby refugee camp, although it was not clear whether they were pulling out or being redeployed.

Red Cross teams and Israeli troops are continuing the search for the bodies of Palestinians killed in heavy fighting there.

But the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) accused the Israeli army of blocking rescue workers and earth-moving equipment from the area, where it thought survivors may still be trapped under rubble, AFP reported. 

The court declared void a previous decision by the country's High Constitutional Court (HCC), the body which accepts or rejects election results.

Ratsiraka, pictured, has not met Ravalomanana in many weeks

The ruling comes as Mr Ravalomanana and incumbent president Didier Ratsiraka are in Senegal, for talks aimed at defusing the increasinglly violent political crisis.

Fraud allegations

The supreme court said it was annulling the results because Mr Ratsiraka had changed six of the HCC's nine members just weeks before the ballot was held.
 
 

The BBC's correspondent in Antananarivo says the ruling is considered a victory for Mr Ravalomanana, who had argued that the election was rigged.

Our correspondent says there will now be a recount, but adds that it's unclear whether election officials will be able to find all the original ballot papers.

On Wednesday the two rivals held separate meetings with African leaders in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, to try to resolve the crisis.

Speaking after talks with the presidents of Senegal, Ivory Coast and Benin, and the Secretary General of Organisation of African Unity, Mr Ravalomanana said no agreement had been reached, but the talks were progressing. 

Fresh violence

More than 35 people have been killed in a conflict which has left the country with rival governments, two capitals and splits in the armed forces. 

In Madagascar's second city, Fianarantsoa, three more people died on Tuesday.

An army general loyal to Mr Ratsiraka was shot dead in hospital where he was being treated for gunshot wounds. 

Sources at the hospital said three hooded gunmen burst in and shot Raymond Randrianaivo seven times. 

Many fear a full-blown civil war

He had previously been wounded in an exchange of gunfire between two groups of Ratsiraka supporters, who mistook each other for supporters of his rival. 

Earlier two women were killed by stray bullets. 

Fianarantsoa is held by Ravalomanana supporters, but the provincial governor - who backs Mr Ratsiraka - is barricaded in his official residence and protected by armed guards.

At the weekend, five soldiers died and 18 others were injured in a struggle for control of the city.

No breakthroughs

The two leaders have been invited to Dakar on the sidelines of an African development conference. 

Senegal: mediation offer

The Organisation of African Unity's Secretary General Amara Essy is working for a new dialogue, despite the failure of OAU missions to Madagascar in February and March.

Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade says he and other African leaders are ready to assist, but first have to hear what Mr Ratsiraka and Mr Ravalomanana want. 

But Mr Ravalomanana said last month that he would only talk to his rival about how to get the island back on its feet - not about his political position.