Saturday marked one year since the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement between the government of Sudan and one Darfur rebel group. But instead of bringing peace to the region, the agreement has lead to more violence, which has crippled the world's largest humanitarian operation. Noel King has this report from Khartoum.

The leaders of Chad and Sudan have signed an agreement aimed at reducing tension between their countries. Chad's President Idriss Deby and President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan signed the reconciliation agreement Thursday in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital, as King Abdullah looked on.

Organized protests took place around the world Sunday to mark the fourth anniversary of the deadly conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. Demonstrators in dozens of cities chanted slogans calling for world leaders to take action to stop the bloodshed.

The Bush administration confirmed Thursday it put off the imposition of new sanctions against Sudan at the urging of U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon. However U.S. officials are skeptical that diplomacy by the U.N. chief will lead to a breakthrough on peacekeeping in Darfur. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department

Sudan's traditional society paired with a strict Islamic government means that HIV and AIDS are not often discussed in the public arena. Now, in an effort to stem the spread of the disease, the government is partnering with the United Nations to teach journalists how to accurately and honestly discuss the disease in the media.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the U.N. Security Council must be ready to impose new sanctions on Sudan if it rejects a U.N. plan to end the violence in Darfur. Speaking at a news conference in London Tuesday, Mr. Blair said the only thing that will make the Sudanese government understand its responsibilities is pressure.

Sudan has agreed to the first large deployment of U.N. peacekeepers and equipment in Darfur to bolster a beleaguered African Union force. But as VOA's Peter Heinlein reports from U.N. headquarters, western diplomats reacted cautiously to the announcement, and Khartoum's U.N. ambassador appeared to contradict it.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expressing optimism that Sudan will soon accept the presence of attack helicopters in a robust peacekeeping presence in Darfur. VOA's Peter Heinlein reports the U.N. chief also called for the immediate release of a British journalist kidnapped in Gaza.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, John Negroponte is expected to arrive in the Sudanese capital Khartoum Thursday. While in Sudan, Negroponte is expected to press Sudanese officials on the continuing crisis in Darfur.

The Sudanese military says 17 of its soldiers were killed late Monday during a raid by the Chadian army on a Sudanese border town. A Sudanese army spokesman says Chadian troops attacked the Fur Baranga area, using land cruiser vehicles and tanks. He said Sudanese forces pushed the attackers back across the border, but took casualties that also included 40 people injured.

A deadly armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan has left hundreds of thousands dead, and millions more displaced. For many people who have fled the violence, moving on can be difficult. Kari Barber has more from Ngor, Senegal, where she met one man, who like many other refugees, is far from home and trying to figure out what to do next with his life.

China will strengthen it's military and other cooperation with Sudan although being criticized for supporting the African country, state media said. China buys two-thirds of Sudan's oil and sells it weapons and military aircraft, but has been criticized for not using its influence to do more to stop the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.