U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged Nepal's government to join in a cease-fire declared unilaterally by the Maoist rebels and due to expire Monday. Mr. Annan also called on the rebels to extend the cease-fire they put in place four months ago. Mr. Annan's spokeswoman says the U.N. leader "deeply regrets that despite repeated national and international appeals, no progress has been made towards a truce. She said the United Nations is ready to help both sides reach a cease-fire deal. She said the decrease in violence in the last four months has benefited the Nepalese people and they are the ones who will suffer the most, if the fighting resumes. The Maoist rebels are fighting to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with one-party Communist rule.