Dhaka  - The death toll in the Bangladesh troop mutiny rose to 62 Friday with rescuers recovering more bodies of army officers from headquarters the paramilitary border guards in central Dhaka.

The rescue teams retrieved 38 bodies, including that of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) chief Major General Shakil Ahmed, from a mass grave inside the compound.

British bishop Richard Williamson found himself back in the centre of controversy Friday despite a statement he issued expressing an apology over his Holocaust statements, with the Vatican calling it inadequate and Germany speaking about seeking his extradition.

Williamson, now residing at an undisclosed location in Britain after his expulsion from Argentina on Wednesday, had published a statement on the website of the British arm of the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X expressing "regrets" about the "harm and hurt" which his Holocaust denial remarks had caused.

Berlin - A second day of strikes in schools, courtrooms, university clinics and regional government offices across Germany on Friday charged the atmosphere ahead of public sector pay negotiations due Saturday.

Tens of thousands of public service employees, from 14 of Germany's 16 federal states, took part in demonstrations organised by Verdi trade union.

Madrid - A special anti-drug unit set up by the Spanish tax administration agency has intercepted a vessel carrying 5 tons of cocaine in the Atlantic, the agency said Friday.

The five Venezuelan crew of the 16-metre-long Dona Fortuna were detained in the operation, which took place some 1,500 kilometres off the Canary Islands on Thursday.

The cocaine, which was believed to come from Colombia, would have been worth about 250 million euros (300 million dollars) on the black market.

Rome - Italy's conservative government on Friday approved a bill to restrict strikes marring the country's transport sector, a move criticized by the country's main labour union confederation.

According to the bill, only unions representing at least half the workforce will be able to directly call transport strikes.

In cases where no single union has the support of at least 50 per cent of the workers, then a vote would be required to approve a

strike with at least 30 per cent in favour of stoppage.

Human rights advocate and community activist Martin Luther Kind III visited the headquarters of the Missionaries of the Charity on Thursday and prayed at the tomb of Mother Teresa.

"I am blessed that to get this opportunity to visit the place from where Mother Teresa carried out her service to humanity. World needs peace and humanity as Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi provided," Luther said.