Laos hands over bodies

Laos yesterday handed over to the United States the remains believed to be of American presidential candidate Howard Dean's brother, his Australian friend and two US soldiers who vanished decades ago.

The remains thought to be of Charles Dean and Australian Neil Sharman were exhumed this month in central Laos after a tip by a Laotian villager.

Also excavated from other sites in northeastern Laos were remains suspected to be of two United States soldiers killed during the Vietnam War.

The remains were transferred to a US military C-130 cargo plane which flew to Hawaii, where a forensic laboratory will identify them.

Charles Dean, a 24-year-old University of North Carolina graduate, went missing in 1974 while travelling with Sharman.

Both are believed to have been killed by communist insurgents.