Chad

N'DJAMENA, Chad -- A rebellion aimed at toppling Chad's president appeared to falter yesterday as France declared that it would intervene to protect the Chadian government if called upon, and a Darfur rebel group with close ties to the Chadian government said it had sent troops to help bolster the president, Idriss Deby. French military officials in Chad said the rebels were far from N'Djamena, the capital, and the streets of the city were quiet. For the first time since the weekend, the sound of automatic gunfire disappeared.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia --Armed rebels entered N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, before dawn yesterday, but government troops beat them back in fierce fighting, prompting embattled President Idriss Deby to take to the airwaves and declare, "The situation is under control." That might have been an overstatement. The rebels, known as the United Front for Democratic Change, vowed to continue their effort to overthrow Deby before the May 3 presidential election. An undetermined number of rebels crept into the capital early yesterday.

UNITED NATIONS - Continued attacks by Arab militias in Sudan may drive tens of thousands of villagers across the border into Chad, overwhelming refugee camps there, the United Nations said yesterday. Hundreds of refugees have crossed the border in the past several days, an indicator that killings and rapes by members of the militias have continued. U.N. officials fear that once the rain-swollen river on the border between the two nations dries up after the rainy season, residents of entire villages will flee into Chad.

This is about the other Chad. It is a place, rather than part of a punch-card ballot. It rarely garners much attention in the United States. From the time the Central African country won independence from France in 1960, it has been the setting for civil wars, border disputes with Libya and poverty. The country, about three times the size of California, is landlocked. Most of its 8.4 million citizens are illiterate. About 80 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day. The infant mortality rate is 14 times that of the United States'.

FAYA-LARGEAU, Chad - Until a few weeks ago, the first and only land mine that United Nations mine-clearing team members had removed from this war-torn country was the one they took care of accidentally. They drove over it. The force of the anti-tank mine explosion tossed the engine and front tires off the team's Land Rover, shot the clutch pedal through the truck's floor - breaking the driver's leg - and sent the team's leader tumbling through the air. He landed 30 feet away with blood streaming from his nose and ears.

When the Rabinovitz triplets graduate from South Carroll High today, they'll be taking most of the class leadership positions with them.Among the honors for the triplets, all 4.0 students, are senior class officers; newspaper editor; presidents of the Student Government Association, the Varsity Club and Stagelighters Drama Club; members of the National Honor Society; sports team captains and an all-county lacrosse player; school mascot; and prom queen and...

Following in his father's footsteps is something Chesapeake's Chad Duncan wants to do, not something he feels obligated to do.His father's athletic achievements have served as an inspiration.Duncan, a Cougar junior in his second full season as a varsity wrestler, won the Anne Arundel County 171-pound championship Saturday at Annapolis High on a pin at 2:27.In 1969, Chad's father, Carl, a three-sport standout at Glen Burnie High, won the first of his two county and region championships as a junior.

BERO, Chad - Sitting in the shade of a giant mango tree, the chief of this tiny Central African village of mud brick homes considers for a moment what to make of the untapped oil reserves beneath him. Are they piles of gold or the seeds of his village's destruction? Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Daingar Ndingambaye, the slender 45-year-old leader, concludes, "We don't know what to expect in the future, but we hope that good things can happen." He's speaking of a pipeline that will carry up to 250,000 barrels of oil a day from deposits near his home across the tropical scrubland of southern Chad, over the mountains of eastern Cameroon, and through the rainforest homes of isolated Pygmy tribes before it reaches gas tanks in the West.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The central African nation of Chad, by most measures, doesn't have much to boast about. Eighty percent of the population lives in poverty. Most adults die before their 50th birthdays. Droughts and locust plagues are common. The country does have a basketball player it can be proud of. His name is David Kay Keyba Baroum, a 17-year-old, 6-foot-8, 207-pound center who averages 12 points per game and 15 defensive and 10 offensive rebounds. He was also recently selected as one of Africa's top 100 players.

Good morning --Steve Smith-- You were already the top receiver, and with Chad Johnson gone, you're the most creative celebrator left in the playoffs.