UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned Sudan's bombardment of a border area in South Sudan.
Mr Ban called on "the government of Sudan to cease all hostilities immediately", saying there could be no no military solution" to the two countries' simmering border dispute.
On Monday Sudanese warplanes dropped bombs near the South Sudanese town of Bentiu, witnesses said.
Earlier, Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir ruled out talks with South Sudan.
Mr Bashir was speaking while visiting the oil field and border town of Heglig, which South Sudanese troops had occupied for nearly two weeks.
South Sudan says its forces withdrew from Heglig, but Sudan says it expelled them, killing 1,000 soldiers.
"We will not negotiate with the South's government, because they don't understand anything but the language of the gun and ammunition," Reuters news agency quoted Mr Bashir as telling troops on his arrival in Heglig.
The past few months have seen sporadic fighting in the oil-rich areas along the two countries' undemarcated border, prompting concern the violence could escalate into a full-blown war.
Mr Ban called on Mr Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir "to stop the slide toward further confrontation and... to return to dialogue as a matter of urgency".
US President Barack Obama has said both countries "must have the courage" to return to the negotiating table and resolve their differences peacefully.
However, Sudan's ambassador to the UN Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman accused the South of "aggression" and said his country had the right to defend itself.
"We have been targeted by... the South. We have every right to militarily repel that attack and aggression," Mr Osman told the BBC's World Today programme.
"Let me make it clear: we will not cross the international border and attack the south... inside their territories," he added.
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