Six trucks took the corpses, shrouded in white cloth, to communal graves at a cemetery after hundreds of Muslims gathered to pray for the victims at the palace of the Emir of Kano, the city's powerful traditional ruler. 

In some cases we only found hands or legs

Mohammed Tahir Agamou, Kano official

"Most of them were just burned or mutilated beyond recognition," state commissioner for religious affairs Mohammed Tahir Agamou told Reuters news agency. 

He said the government had delayed the burial for as long as possible, but could wait no longer because the bodies were decomposing. 

"In some cases we only found hands or legs. 

"We've wrapped the different parts together but we are not sure they all belonged to the same person. 

"It's a great tragedy." 

Sorrow and anger

More than two days after the plane ploughed through at least 10 buildings in the poor Gwammaja suburb before bursting into flames, grieving relatives and simple bystanders were still struggling to cope with the scale of the tragedy. 

"My sister was on the plane," said Idowu Iterogoba, who like other women had to watch the mass burial from a distance because of a Muslim rule. 

Kano residents accuse the airline industry of putting profits before the safety of its passengers

"I have been to all the mortuaries, all the hospitals but I can't find her. So she must be there." 

Many mourners covered their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs as the stench of decomposing bodies filled the air. 

For many Gwammaja residents, sorrow quickly turned to anger. 

Relatives of the victims accused President Olusegun Obasanjo of insensitivity after he paid a fleeting visit to the rundown district and did not stop to speak to the mourning families. 

"They said he had other appointments," said Habibu Yussuf Hibbu, standing in front of his ruined house. 

"Maybe his appointments were better than us". 

We use planes that have been grounded by airlines in Britain

Mourner

According to a statement released after his return to Abuja, President Obasanjo, a born-again Christian, saw things differently. 

"I believe the accident happened because God allowed it. 

"We have to thank God that a school had just closed before the accident. 

"God still left room for us to thank him." 

All but four of the 79 people on board were killed, along with dozens of residents on the ground. 

Safety standards

The plane, had made a stop in Kano on its way from Jos to Lagos. 

It came down minutes after takeoff, smashing a mosque and a Koranic school as it plunged to earth. 

Although the cause of the crash remains unclear, Nigeria's deadliest air disaster in more than five years raised fresh concerns about the local airline industry's safety standards. 

Many private companies have sprung up to challenge the state carrier Nigeria Airways since Africa's most populous state deregulated the sector in the mid-1980s. 

The government, worried by the ageing aircraft often used by the dozen or so local airlines, last month banned the use of aircraft older than 22 years - triggering strong protests from private airline operators. 

But for Kano's residents, the airline industry was guilty of putting profits before the safety of its passengers. 

"What I find really bad is the callousness of it all," said one mourner. 

"In this country we use planes that have been grounded by airlines in Britain and the rest of Europe. 

"They sell them to us and we are the ones risking our lives." 

The government of President Charles Taylor "has not yet complied fully" with UN demands to end its support for rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone, the council said. 

The sanctions are: 

• an arms embargo 
• a ban on diamond sales from Liberia 
• a travel ban on Liberia's leaders

The Liberian authorities said the arms embargo was hampering the army's ability to fight rebels based in the north of the country. 

The fighting, which has approached the Liberian capital, Monrovia, has forced thousands of people to flee their homes. 

'Blood diamonds'

The sanctions were imposed because Liberia was accused of selling so-called "blood diamonds" on behalf of Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front rebels in exchange for supplying them with weapons. 

Almost 50,000 former RUF fighters have disarmed and the group has transformed itself into a political party to contest elections due next week. 

Taylor is not allowed to travel abroad

But Security Council president Kishore Mahbubani said that peace in Sierra Leone was not yet guaranteed and so the sanctions were renewed. 

The Organisation of African Unity had asked the UN to end sanctions because of their "negative impact" on the Liberian people. 

But some human rights groups have argued that they should be widened to include the timber trade and the shipping register. 

They say that, after the imposition of sanctions, Liberia started funding its weapons purchases by selling timber. 

The Security Council said "there was no consensus" on extending the sanctions, but urged Liberia to set up an internationally verifiable auditing system to prove that revenue from registering ships and timber was not being used to buy weapons "in violation of this resolution". 

The official, Mohamed Ali Abukar, of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), was seized by gunmen on his way home in south Mogadishu on 28 April. 

We don't negotiate and we don't pay ransoms

Maxwell Gaylard UNDP

Since Somalia descended into clan warfare following the overthrow of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, abductions have been used by gunmen to extract ransom money. 

Mr Gaylard told the BBC's Focus on Africa that a programme to eradicate polio would be one of those hit by the decision, which, he said "had not been taken lightly". 

Mr Abukar suffers from high blood pressure and Mr Gaylard said he did not think that he had his medication with him. 

Dangerous

Mr Abukar is the second UN official kidnapped by gunmen in Mogadishu this year. 

In February, a Somali representative of the UN children's Fund, Unicef, was picked up by unidentified gunmen and released later. 

Militiamen are everywhere in Mogadishu

The family said it paid no ransom, but AFP news agency quotes unnamed militia sources as saying money had changed hands before his release. 

"We don't negotiate and we don't pay ransoms," said Mr Gaylard. 

In a report published three months ago, UN Secretary general Kofi Annan said Somalia remained one of the most dangerous environments in which the UN operates, and that the security situation did not allow for a long-term presence. 

The report was based on the findings of a security mission which went to Somalia in January, about 18 months after the fledgling interim government was set up. 

In September 2001, the UN withdrew its international staff from Mogadishu because insurance companies refuse to insure flights in the wake of the attacks on the United States earlier that month. 

Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said Australia would take between 100,000 and 110,000 immigrants, up from 93,000 last year. 

He said the level would be maintained for the next four years, with preference given to applications from skilled workers. 

The number of refugees allowed in will remain fixed at 12,000. 

However, because fewer asylum seekers are arriving illegally by boat, Australia will provide for more refugees to be processed this year at its offshore detention camps. 

While there will be more places for immigrants, the pass mark to gain entry as a skilled worker will rise by five points, Mr Ruddock said. Bonus points will be granted to those who migrate to regional Australia, away from overcrowded cities such as Sydney. 

There will be 10,000 places for offshore refugees and 2,000 for those processed in Australia next year, Mr Ruddock said. 

Mr Ruddock said that of the 1,259 still in detention centres in Australia itself, 824 were to be removed from Australia, while the remaining 435 had been rejected and were appealing. 

Turning to the US

Australia's asylum policy has been strongly criticised by the UN and members of the international community. Australia has cited security concerns in its defence. 

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer unveiled plans on Tuesday to refocus the country's foreign policy, with greater emphasis on its ties with the United States. 

Mr Downer said the primary trigger for the shift in policy was the terrorist attacks on 11 September. 

But leader of the opposition Labor Party, Simon Crean, warned that Australia risks alienating itself from its Asian neighbours, who take 60% of its exports.

These people want to form a single Islamic state out of Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad

All three countries have made a series of arrests over the last six months as the spotlight has turned on Asian Muslim militants in the wake of 11 September. 

Mr Mahathir goes to Washington next week to receive thanks from US President George W Bush for Malaysia's help on America's war on terror. 

'Useful weapon'

Mr Mahathir and visiting Philippines' President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo witnessed the signing of the trilateral accord by foreign ministers from the three countries at Malaysia's new administrative capital, Putrajaya. 

Malaysia has been at the forefront of the region's war on terror

"It is an important mark in our regional co-operation to combat terrorism. It is an agreement signed by three countries... but it is also open for other Asean (Association of South-East Asian Nations) members to join in," said signatory Hassan Wirayuda, Indonesia's foreign minister. 

Officials said that Thailand, and possibly Burma, may join the pact later. 

Malaysian leader Mahathir, addressing a meeting in Kuala Lumpur of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) earlier, said the pact would be a useful weapon against regional terrorism groups. 

"As you know, these people want to form a single Islamic state out of Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines," Mr Mahathir said. 

"What is their Islamic state I do not know. I have not seen them do anything except to do a lot of damage to people and carry out a lot of terrorist attacks," he said. 

Terror crackdown

South-East Asia has detained several members of Jemaah Islamiah and Malaysian Mujahideen Group (KMM), both of which are believed to be fighting for a pan-Asian Islamic state. 

But the US and local officials also allege that they have links with Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda. 

US troops are also helping to train the Philippine armed forces to combat the rebel group Abu Sayyaf, which is currently holding an American couple hostage. 

Abu Sayyaf say they are fighting for a Muslim state in the south of the country, although they have predominantly engaged in kidnap for ransom. 

The Philippines has also made arrests in connection with a series of bombings in the southern city of General Santos two weeks ago. 

The authorities say the are investigating possible links between the bombers and Bin Laden. 

But in a sign of the military government's wariness about change, Burma's official media gave little coverage to Aung San Suu Kyi's release and did not publish a government statement on political rights. 

Aung San Suu Kyi met the ambassadors of Germany, France, Britain and Italy, and later with the US charge d'affaires. 

It's a new dawn for the country

Aung San Suu Kyi

The European Union and the US have welcomed her release from nearly 20 months of house arrest. 

But they have warned Burma's military rulers that further reforms are needed before trade embargos imposed in protest at the government's human rights record can be lifted. 

Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secret talks with the country's military rulers since she was put under house arrest. 

The hope is that there will now be progress towards substantive negotiations on democratic reform. 

There is a lot to do, the spokesman for her National League for Democracy party, U Lwin, told the BBC. 

The NLD won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military junta refused to hand over power. 

The US has given a cautious welcome to her release. President George Bush called it "very positive" and "a good development". 

	Aung San Suu Kyi's political life 1988: Returns to Burma during political upheaval  1990: Her party elected to power, result ignored by army  1991: Awarded Nobel Peace Prize  1995-2000: Release from house arrest  2000: Begins secret talks with generals Click here for full profile

But US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington wanted to see concrete steps towards political reform and national reconciliation before any review of current sanctions against Burma would take place. 

"We'll be closely watching to see if Aung San Suu Kyi is afforded full freedom of movement and association," he said. 

Jubilant supporters

The BBC's Larry Jagan, who was in Rangoon to witness Aung San Suu Kyi's release, says the opposition leader is convinced there are no restrictions on either her movement or her political activity. 

But he says the opposition will be cautious at first so as not to antagonise the military rulers or give them any reason to suspend the talks they started while Aung San Suu Kyi was confined. 

Aung San Suu Kyi was quick to rally her followers after her release on Monday. 

Thousands of cheering supporters mobbed her as she arrived at the headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), after being driven from her lakeside villa in Rangoon. 

"It's a new dawn for the country... we only hope the dawn will move very quickly," the Nobel Peace Prize winner told jubilant supporters. 

She said the "confidence-building" stage was now over and that the dialogue process with the military was ready to move onto the next stage. 

"My release should not be looked at as a major breakthrough for democracy. For all people in Burma to enjoy basic freedom - that would be the major breakthrough," she said. 

She went on to meet the leaders of five ethnic political groups, including the Shan nationality's League for Democracy. 

According to opposition sources they joined members of the NLD central committee to discuss how the ethnic groups might be involved if and when substantive talks on political issues start. 

Aung San Suu Kyi also met European Union ambassadors and briefed them on her release. 

by David Schepp  BBC News Online's North America business reporter in Houston

Selling off a few pieces of household furniture to raise a bit of cash may not sound unusual. 

But when you are Linda Lay, the wife of former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay, and the furniture you are selling comes from several, well-outfitted mansions, eyebrows will be raised. 

The Lays, along with other former Enron executives, have been held up as examples of corporate greed, vilified for putting personal gain ahead of sound business practices. 

Nevertheless, Mrs Lay and daughter Robin are set this month to open a second-hand store in the Lays' hometown of Houston in a sort of inventory-reduction sale. 

'Jus' stuff'

The sale of several of the couple's multi-million dollar vacation homes, in locales such as Aspen, Colorado, and Galveston, Texas, has left the Lays awash in too many furnishings. 

So Mrs Lay has opted to open to sell them in an upmarket thrift shop, which will also feature the cast-offs of friends and decorating services. 

Bargain-seekers still have a few days to wait

The store remains shackled - set for a mid-May opening - for now. 

A sign hanging outside greets curiosity-seekers with a thank you but advises them the Lays are still "sorting through our stuff". 

Mrs Lay decided to open a store rather than storing the family furnishings in the space partly because she could not sell the former pet shop. 

Depressed real-estate prices in Houston mean Mrs Lay paid more for the shop a few years ago than what she could get for it today's sluggish market, a Lay family spokeswoman told BBC News. 

"It didn't make sense for her to keep those furnishings," says Lay spokeswoman Kelly Kimberly. 

Image breaker

It is a gesture that could viewed as the modern-day, American equivalent to Marie Antoinette's 18th century declaration, "let them eat cake". 

While it may seem like "jus' stuff" to Mrs Lay, for the 4,000 displaced employees of the bankrupt energy giant, her effort to make trite the significance of her possessions is emblematic of the Lays' insensitivity. 

"It creates a sense of incredulity," says Robert Dilenschneider, president of the public-relations firm Dilenschneider Group. 

He says Mrs Lay's latest endeavour in opening the high-end thrift shop will not help her family's image. 

Mrs Lay already sparked an uproar when earlier this year she went before a nationwide audience on US television and announced that she and her husband were "broke". 

Americans did not buy it, and Mrs Lay's efforts have been held up as a prime example of how not to conduct public relations. 

It is akin, Mr Dilenschneider says, to the Lays sticking "their head outside of the canvas and let[ting] people throw baseballs at them." 

Rather than selling furniture to Enron-weary Houstonians, he says, the couple would be better off setting up shop in a bunker. 

Fortuyn: Described Islam as "backward"

"It would be sensible not to change the original date," Mr Kok told reporters, adding that the decision meant that "democracy had prevailed". 

Fortuyn, 54, an openly gay politician who was attracting widespread support for his policy of restricting immigration to the Netherlands, was shot dead on Monday evening by a lone gunman. 

But during Tuesday's meeting with Mr Kok, his party - Fortuyn's List - requested that the election be held as originally planned. 

"Of course we took into serious consideration what we heard from Pim Fortuyn's List, but also the opinions of the other political parties," said Mr Kok. 

Wim Kok: "A dark shadow has fallen over the Netherlands"

It is not clear yet whether the party will retain the name of its late leader. 

Minutes after making the election announcement, the Dutch prime minister led a minute's silence in the upper house of Parliament in memory of Fortuyn. 

"A dark shadow has fallen over the Netherlands that has given way to deep emotions," he told the house. 

Man arrested 

The shooting happened after Fortuyn had given a radio interview in the central Dutch city of Hilversum. 

Police have arrested a 32-year-old white Dutchman in connection with the killing, which has stunned the normally peaceful Netherlands. 

There has been speculation that Fortuyn's call for the lifting of a ban on fur farming may have motivated the attack. 

The public prosecutor said ammunition was found at the suspect's house, matching the calibre of the bullets which killed Fortuyn. Police also removed environmental literature from his home. 

Politicians across Europe and the United States have expressed shock at the murder. 

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said he believed something like this was "impossible in this day and age, in the European Union, in the 21st Century". 

"The United States ... condemns this senseless act of violence," said State Department spokeswoman Brenda Greenberg. 

Bruno Megret, head of France's right-wing National Republican Movement (MNR), said: "If it was politically motivated, this criminal act shows to what extent certain hysterical positions like those shown by the French left over the past 15 days can incite hatred." 

'Close the borders' 

Fortuyn came to prominence in March when his party made a strong showing in local elections in Rotterdam. 

He provoked public indignation by calling for the Netherlands' borders to be closed to immigrants and by describing Islam as a "backward" religion. 

He was hit six times, suffering multiple wounds in the head, chest and neck, and died shortly afterwards. 

In an interview last week, Fortuyn expressed fears that he might be the victim of an attack and said he had received threats by phone, email and letter. 

In the hours after the killing, scuffles broke out in front of the parliament building in The Hague between police and Fortuyn supporters, who had gathered to express their anger at his death. 

About 300 people were involved in the protest, in which bottles and stones were thrown at police. 

The team includes a powerful new Minister of the Interior and Security, Nicolas Sarkozy, who will have powers aimed at combatting France's rising crime rate. 

We won't forget the discontent that the French people have expressed

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin

The announcement of the new government , at the Elysee Palace in Paris, came after Mr Raffarin had spent the day locked in talks. 

Other key appointments include: 

• business executive Francis Mer, who becomes finance minister 
• Dominique de Villepin, Mr Chirac's chief of staff, who is named foreign minister 
• Michele Alliot-Marie, a member of parliament and head of Mr Chirac's RPR political party, who becomes France's first female defence minister. 

An announcement had been expected earlier on Tuesday, but reports said it had been delayed by last-minute wrangling over the line-up. 

Mr Raffarin was named yesterday as prime minister by Mr Chirac, the day after he trounced the far-right's Jean-Marie Le Pen in the presidential poll. 

The new ministers - who will not have the backing of a parliamentary majority - face the task of rallying right-wing voters and wooing the fragmented left to deliver victory in the parliamentary elections, held over two rounds on 9 and 16 June. 

Mr Chirac is hoping for a right-wing parliamentary majority, to prevent another period of power-sharing between left and right. 

Mr Raffarin took office after Lionel Jospin bowed out, two weeks after losing to Mr Le Pen in the first round of the presidential elections. 

Mr Raffarin travelled from his own official residence, the Matignon Palace, to the presidential Elysee Palace, from where the announcement was made. 

Mr Chirac's choice of Mr Raffarin, who is seen as a grass-roots consensus politician, is widely seen as a move to tackle the alienation from politics blamed in part for Mr Le Pen's shock first round success. 

Jospin (left) had five years of uneasy "cohabitation" with Chirac

"We won't forget the discontent that the French people have expressed... and this demand for action, this demand that we be closer to them," Mr Raffarin said after taking office. 

The new cabinet has five weeks until the election in which to set its agenda. 

Ministers are expected to launch policies including setting up new police squads and juvenile centres, in line with President Chirac's commitment to combat crime. 

Lowering income tax and amending the 35-hour working week are also expected to be early priorities. The new government will not have the power to pass the relevant laws until after the election. 

"It is possible to do a certain number of things that are more than symbolic but less than legislative before the next National Assembly starts to sit," said constitutional expert Guy Carcassonne. 

Chirac needs to take the concerns of his country far more seriously

Michael, Canada  E-mail your views on the result

A former businessman experienced in public relations, Mr Raffarin's only previous national post was as minister for small businesses from 1995 to 1997. 

Left backlash?

Mr Chirac scored a mere 20% in the first round - a record low for a front-runner - but his 82%-18% margin of victory in the second round was the biggest-ever in a French presidential election. 

French opinion polls released on Sunday night suggested that centre-right parties backing the president would win a small majority in the National Assembly. 

Earlier, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators struck a deal to end the five-week stand-off at the Church of the Nativity which involved sending the militants into exile in Italy. 

What are the responsibilities of the hosting state? How must we keep them? In prison? In a convent? Are they free?

Italian Foreign Ministry official

An Israeli army spokesman, Captain Jacob Dallal, said: "The agreement is that they will go to another country, but right now we don't have a country". 

More than 100 people are still inside the besieged church. 

Israeli preparations

Israeli forces have set up barriers and metal detectors outside its small main entrance, in preparation for those inside to leave. Buses are standing by. 

Families of those to be exiled have gathered outside the church

The Italian Foreign Ministry said it had "never received any information from the parties about the process of the negotiations, nor were any requests advanced in the past few days from these parties". 

Another possible sticking point is that there is now said to be a dispute about the terms under which the gunmen in the church will surrender their weapons. 

Click here for Bethlehem siege timeline

The gunmen reportedly want written assurances that any weapons turned over to the Israelis will be returned after they leave Bethlehem. 

The deal, which also involves the transfer of another 26 Palestinians to the Gaza Strip, came after 48 hours of talks mediated by the United States and the European Union. 

Apart from the gunmen, there are civilians, priests and nuns in the church

The Israeli Defence Minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, said Israel had already signed the deal and he expected the siege to be over "within a few hours". 

Civilians, including nuns and priests, are among those in the church. 

Sharon meets Bush

In Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is due to meet US President George W Bush on Tuesday. 

Sharon: seeking support from Bush to sideline Yasser Arafat

Mr Sharon has taken to the US details of what he calls "a serious plan, maybe the most serious" to end the conflict with the Palestinians. 

Aides said the prime minister would argue that a long-term interim deal with the Palestinians should be worked out at a regional peace conference proposed by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. 

The Bush administration has so far resisted attempts by Mr Sharon to sideline Mr Arafat. 

However, Mr Bush is said to be interested in the proposals to reform the Palestinian Authority. 

Mr Sharon is expected to hand over to the US president a collection of documents which officials say proves links between Mr Arafat and terrorist organisations. 

The documents have been dismissed as "lies and fabrications" by leading Palestinians. 

Violence

Israeli tanks reportedly staged an incursion into the northern West Bank town of Tulkarm early on Tuesday, in search of Palestinian militants, army officials said. 

Israeli forces also launched a raid into the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. 

Witnesses said that a 17-year-old youth was shot dead by troops. 

The army said it had been searching for tunnels used for arms smuggling and that its soldiers shot at armed Palestinians who had fired on them first.

The assessment was carried out by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in co-operation with the governments of Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States, and the World Bank. 

The damage appraisal is the first step in drawing up a plan for the reconstruction of the West Bank. 

It will be distributed to international donors who will then be asked to allocate funds for specific projects. 

Unease

The UN says that donors have in principle agreed to disburse around $1.2bn over the coming year, but the extent to which this money can in practice be distributed will depend on whether or not the military conflict continues. 

According to this latest assessment, Nablus was the hardest-hit of all the Palestinian towns, suffering an estimated $110m worth of damage during the Israeli army's 18-day occupation. 

Israeli tanks wrecked much Palestinian property

Throughout the West Bank, many Palestinian Government buildings were destroyed by heavy shelling. 

The UNDP says it has already provided $1.9m in emergency aid over the past three weeks. 

However, the head of the World Bank's programme in Gaza says that though donor countries are committed to providing aid, they are also concerned that they could end up financing a programme of reconstruction only to see the Palestinian infrastructure reduced to rubble again by more fighting. 

Al-Qaeda terror group leader Bin Laden - accused of masterminding the 11 September attacks on the United States - was believed to have fled the eastern region during heavy fighting late last year. 

Bin Laden: Fled... or dead?

Four hundred Canadian troops and a small number of American military investigators spent three days searching the area's cave complexes, tunnels and bunkers. 

The samples they took from bodies of al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters will be analysed and the DNA results compared with a list of the most wanted al-Qaeda and Taleban leaders - a list topped by Bin Laden and Mullah Omar. 

Bin Laden's bodyguards?

At least one cave complex which had been sealed by bombing in December's battle had to be reopened by the troops so they could carry out their searching and testing. 

DNA samples were also taken from 23 bodies unearthed from a village cemetery that the Canadians believe may contain the bodies of Bin Laden's bodyguards. 

Mullah Omar: Spiritual leader of the Taleban

The bodies were reburied after the inspections. 

During their mission, the Canadian forces also found what they described as substantial information to help the planning of future missions in Afghanistan. 

Before they left, the coalition forces destroyed numerous bunkers, firing positions and cave systems, including what they describe as one major cave complex. 

The Americans say that hundreds of al-Qaeda members were killed in the fighting at Tora Bora late last year, but the figures are disputed. 

It is believed that many of the fighters who were there escaped, possibly over the border into Pakistan. 

US military criticised 

The Pentagon had previously asked Bin Laden's relatives to provide DNA samples to help determine if human remains found in Afghanistan were those of the terror group leader. It is unclear if they complied with this request. 

The US-led coalition has been stepping up its search for al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters in recent weeks, exploring caves and bunkers they were suspected of having used in the recent past. 

The BBC's David Chazan says that however much American leaders try to downplay his importance, some Americans still equate success in Afghanistan with getting rid of Bin Laden. 

He adds that the renewed focus on his fate comes a few weeks after American military commanders were criticised for allegedly letting him slip away from Tora Bora. 

It is important for the security forces to respect the right to life and uphold international standards

Amnesty International

In a television broadcast, the army said nearly 550 rebels had been killed since Thursday, making it the bloodiest battle in the six-year insurgency. 

There is no independent confirmation of the figure as the media and human rights groups have been barred from the conflict zone. 

The London-based rights group, Amnesty International, called for an independent investigation into what it called "unlawful killings" by the army. 

'Deliberate' killing

"So far, no figures have been released with the number of Maoists wounded or arrested," Amnesty said in a statement sent to the BBC in London. 

Deuba is seeking US endorsement

The latest fighting came as Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived in Washington to seek US endorsement of his government's campaign against the rebels. 

Mr Deuba is expected to meet President George W Bush at the White House on Tuesday - the highest-level talks ever between Nepal and the US. 

Observers say the reported success of Nepalese security forces over the weekend would strengthen Mr Deuba's position in Washington. 

The Bush administration has already asked Congress for $20m in non-combat military aid for Nepal, which would include army uniforms, provisions and medical supplies. 

The Nepalese Government wants more. 

Military aid

"We are seeking arms and ammunition, helicopter gunships and other military supplies," the prime minister's adviser, Achhyut Wagle, told the Associated Press. 

We are seeking all sorts of help, except the presence of American soldiers

Achhyut Wagle,  PM's adviser

The extent of US help will depend on what assessment American advisers who visited conflict areas in Nepal recently make to the administration. 

The main area under siege is in the Maoist heartland district of Rolpa, where the guerrilla movement is thought to have began its uprising in 1996. 

The security forces said they have seized arms, ammunition, training manuals and food supplies for hundreds of rebel fighters. 

They say the area under siege is a major Maoist training facility, and that a number of senior leaders were inside when the current battle began. 

Correspondents say recent fighting will be a boost to the government's hopes of crushing a rebellion which has claimed more than 3,000 lives so far. 

The pleas were entered on Paul Shanley's behalf at a court in Cambridge, Massachussets. 

Bail for the 71-year-old, who was extradited from California on Monday, was set at $750,000. 

Cardinal Law: Under pressure to resign

These are the first criminal charges to be brought against Mr Shanley, who faces a possible life sentence if convicted. 

Cardinal Bernard Law, the leader of an estimated two million Catholics in the Boston archdiocese, has been accused of knowingly protecting Mr Shanley. 

In another twist, the cardinal has been ordered to appear in court in connection with a civil lawsuit over child sex abuse allegations involving another former priest. 

This follows the rejection by the archdiocese's finance council on Friday of a deal to pay millions of dollars in compensation to alleged victims of John Geoghan, who was imprisoned earlier this year. 

Boston charges

Mr Shanley faces three counts of child rape, involving one child, between 1983 and 1990 in the Boston area. 

Prosecutors said the priest was alleged to have sexually abused the boy in a bathroom, a rectory and a confessional when the child was between six and 13 years old. 

Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of life. 

The alleged victim is said to have came forward to file the first criminal complaint against Mr Shanley after reading news reports that the Boston archdiocese knew of the allegations against the priest. 

Protesters were outside Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross again on Sunday, calling for Cardinal Law to step down and also urging the church to make a financial settlement to the victims now. 

One parishioner who confronted him told him "no real healing will take place... as long you are the archbishop here", the Associated Press news agency reported. 

Surprise decision

The Boston Archdiocese's finance council announced on Friday it was rejecting a proposed $15m to $30m settlement with 86 sexual abuse victims of Geoghan because it would "consume substantially all the resources of the archdiocese". 

After the surprise decision, the lawyer for the plaintiffs filed a motion to reopen the trial preparations and compel Cardinal Law to give a deposition. 

Ordering Cardinal Law to appear in court on Wednesday, judge Constance Sweeney said she was concerned he might be called to Rome by the Pope before he could give evidence. 

In the US, almost 200 Catholic priests have been suspended in 18 different states since the child abuse scandal broke in January. 

Pope John Paul II has said there is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who harm the young. 

Two weeks ago the Vatican held an emergency meeting with American cardinals to discuss accusations that it covered up abuse by priests.