Intense fighting in South Sudan

Sudanese rebels fighting for autonomy in the south say they have captured part of a second large town in the southwest of the country.

The Sudan People's Liberation Army said that most of the town of Aweil was in its hands though some fighting with troops was continuing.

The government side has acknowledged that fighting is raging in and around Aweil as well as other towns in the province of Bahr Al-Ghazal.

In Wau, which the rebels began attacking last week, Sudanese troops have recaptured the local airport, but the rebels say continuing fighting is preventing the airport from being used.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service