61.   The attack came as Kumaratunga prepared to complete a year in office Sunday, and as Sri Lankan troops pursued their assault on Jaffna.

62.   The attack came as the first French units of the chiefly Anglo-French rapid reaction force began their first full day in Bosnia.

63.   The attacks came as Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba prepared to ask parliament for an extension to the three-month emergency measures.

64.   The attack came as armed Algerian extremists vowed to step up their campaign against the government.

65.   The attack came as Guatemalans were wrapping up joyful preparations for the arrival Monday of Pope John Paul on his second visit to the largely Roman Catholic country.

66.   The attack came as security forces conducted a major offensive against Tamil Tiger guerrillas in the north of the country.

67.   The attack came as security forces kept up a major offensive against the LTTE inside the rebel-held Jaffna peninsula.

68.   The attack came as security forces stepped up search and destroy missions against Tamil guerrillas in the northern and eastern region, officials said.

69.   The attack came as the government is embroiled in a civil war with Islamic fundamentalist guerrillas.

70.   The attacks came as Israel stepped up air and artillery bombardment of roads in south Lebanon to paralyse Hezbollah guerrillas and stop them firing rockets into northern Israel.