RABAT, Afghanistan/WASHINGTON - Forces opposed to the ruling Afghan Taliban gained ground in the north as fresh political efforts emerged to bolster support for the US-led campaign to flush out Osama bin Laden and punish his protectors.

US planes launched new attacks on Taliban fighters as Britain, the staunchest US ally in its war on terrorism, told Egypt the military strikes had to continue to keep up pressure on the Taliban regime.

* KABUL/RABAT - Afghanistan's Taliban rulers paraded what they said were parts of a downed US helicopter through the streets of war-shattered Kabul in a show of defiance on the 31st day of Washington's air assault.

* ISLAMABAD - Pakistani officials said they had found no evidence to back rumours that a US helicopter had crashed in a remote southwestern region bordering Afghanistan.

* YEKATERINBURG, Russia - The worldwide anthrax scare extended to the edge of Siberia when the US consulate in Yekaterinburg in Russia confirmed it had received mail tainted with anthrax.

* BERLIN - Germany will mobilise up to 3 900 troops for the Afghanistan campaign in response to a US request, but has not been asked to join air raids or commit long-term ground troops, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said.

* ISLAMABAD - Pro-Taliban Islamic parties in Pakistan have called a general strike for Friday, saying government pressure will not stop them bringing the country to a standstill over the US bombing of Afghanistan.

* WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush accused bin Laden's al Qaeda network of seeking chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, and called on Afghans fed up with Taliban rule to help locate the elusive accused mastermind of the September 11 attacks.

* LONDON - Britain said acts of terrorism could be carried out in the name of bin Laden even after he has been captured or killed.

But the removal of the Saudi-born dissident and his al Qaeda supporters remained an important aim of the US-led coalition in its campaign against Afghanistan.

* ROME - The son of Afghanistan's ex-king urged his father to give the go-ahead for a general uprising against the Taliban, saying the time had come for Afghan patriots to lay down their lives for their country.

Mir Wais Zahir told Reuters "many thousands" of his family's supporters were ready to take up arms inside Afghanistan and were waiting for the green light from his 87-year-old father, Mohammad Zahir Shah.

* WARSAW - East European leaders met for a summit to boost security cooperation in a show of solidarity with West's "war on terrorism" after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

- Nampa-Reuters