* U.S. forces battle through central Baghdad streets,
widening their control of the city; U.S. says Saddam's fate
unknown after air raid
* Bush, Blair endorse "vital" postwar role for the U.N;
Chirac says up to U.N. alone to handle reconstruction
* Cameraman from Reuters and another from Spain's Tele 5
killed during U.S. tank fire on Baghdad hotel; al-Jazeera
cameraman killed after U.S. air raid on capital
* Two U.S. airmen listed as missing after their F-15E
warplane went down on Sunday
* U.N. says expects little oil to flow out of Iraq in the
foreseeable future and many goods ordered previously by Baghdad
do not cover emergency war needs

QUOTES
Under-secretary in charge of U.N. oil-for-food program for
Iraq: "There is no way for us to deliver during the 45-day
period everything which may be available in the pipeline to meet
the emergency need of the people of Iraq."
Bush on prisoners of war: "We will work to secure their
freedom, and we pray for their speedy and safe return."
Amnesty International on the hotel where two journalists
were killed: "Unless the U.S. can demonstrate that the Palestine
Hotel had been used for military purposes, it was a civilian
object protected under international humanitarian law that
should not have been attacked."
Iraq's information minister al-Sahaf on U.S. forces inside
Baghdad: "They are going to surrender or be burned in their
tanks."

EVENTS (TIMES IN GMT)

Wednesday -
* French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin meets
counterparts from western Mediterranean, north Africa
* Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Muhammad Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah
visits Moscow

Friday/Saturday -
* Putin, Chirac, Schroeder to meet in St Petersburg

CASUALTIES
* U.S. - 96 dead, 10 missing
* Britain - 30 dead
* Iraqi military - More than 2,320, according to U.S.
military. Iraq has given no figures for its military losses
* Iraqi civilians (Iraqi estimates as of April 3) - 1,252
killed, 5,103 injured

MILITARY ACTION
BAGHDAD: U.S. warplanes, tanks, artillery pound central
Baghdad, target government offices; U.S. troops push into
capital from several directions
U.S. Marines push into Baghdad from east, say have seized
Rashid military airfield, which Iraqi forces had abandoned
U.S. military says does not know if air raid on Mansur
district of western Baghdad has killed Saddam.
CENTRAL IRAQ: U.S. forces advance to northwestern edge of
city of Hilla, use planes, tanks, artillery to attack Iraqis
firing rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles. Fighting
sporadic, but intense at times, lasts most of the day.
NORTHERN IRAQ: U.S. special forces prevent Iraqi troops
moving south towards Tikrit.
U.S. says has seen Iraqi commanders leave their posts or
express willingness to stop fighting, but no defections from
ruling Baath party.