NAIROBI - Fighting between government troops and rebels has intensified in the area of south Sudan where international aid agencies are struggling to avert a hunger crisis.

KINSHASA - Rebels occupying a hydro-electric dam in the Congo Republic and disrupting electricity supplies to the south west of the country have surrendered.

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has warned that a border row with Eritrea could develop into full-scale conflict if mediation efforts end in deadlock.

JOHANNESBURG - South African President Nelson Mandela, regarded by the country's apartheid-era regime as an arch-foe, said he could recommend living to the age of 80 as a way of winning the respect of enemies.

BELFAST - People on both sides of the Irish border voted on an historic but controversial peace agreement designed to end 30 years of Protestant-Catholic feuding.

SPRINGFIELD, Oregon - A 15-year-old boy angry over being suspended for bringing a gun to school walked into the school cafeteria here Thursday and opened fire with a rifle, killing one student and injuring 23 in latest shooting.

PELL LAKE, Wisconsin - A retired couple from suburban Chicago claimed to have won a record-breaking $104 million U.S. lottery prize.

WASHINGTON - Researchers who cloned the first genetically engineered calves described their work and said they hoped it would lead to the production of whole herds of designer animals.

NEW YORK - Seagram Co. Ltd. agreed to buy PolyGram NV for $10.6 billion in a deal that makes the Canadian drinks and entertainment company No. 1 in the world music industry with acts like U2 and Elton John.

KABUL - The heaviest fighting for 10 months broke out north of the Afghan capital Kabul morning when the Taleban launched an attack on opposition positions.

BARTIN, Turkey - Turkish aid workers distributed bread by boat in the Black Sea town of Bartin, stricken by flooding that has killed at least 11 people across the country.

LOS ANGELES - Frank Sinatra did it his way, making sure there was no family feud over his fortune by ordering that anyone who contested his will be automatically disinherited.

ISTANBUL - Turkish police have arrested six people suspected of a role in the shooting last week of the country's top human rights campaigner.

ROME - Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini said in an interview it was too early to talk of a cabinet reshuffle, but did not rule one out before the end of the year.

WASHINGTON - U.N. sanctions imposed on Iraq after the Gulf War are likely to stay in place as long as Saddam Hussein remains leader of the country.

LONDON - Pakistan's Minister of Commerce Ishaque Dar said his government was "keeping its options open" on whether or not to respond to India's nuclear tests by unleashing its own.

BOGOTA - Colombia showed signs of becoming unhinged ahead of the May 31 presidential elections as an oil workers' strike threatened to cut fuel supplies to Bogota and politically motivated violence surged across the country.

PRISTINA, Serbia - A powerful Serbian attack helicopter flew over villages in western Kosovo on the eve of talks between ethnic Albanian separatists and the government.

HARTFORD, Conn - Millions of pagers across the United States beeped back to life as the operator of the satellite rerouted traffic and restored service to nearly all customers.

WASHINGTON - The United States believes it is "very important" that Israel and the Palestinians achieve a breakthrough soon in their stalled peace talks.

ANKARA - Turkey will boycott a key meeting with the EU next week in anger at being left out of EU expansion plans.