Rodman in DPRK with ex-NBA team

Dennis Rodman arrived in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Monday with a team of former NBA players for an exhibition game on Kim Jong-un's birthday.

Buoyant magma may trigger Earth's supervolcanoes

Geologists have revealed new insights into supervolcanoes, the brooding, enigmatic giants of the Earth's crust whose eruptions are as catastrophic as they are rare.

Bangladesh ruling party wins poll hit by violence, boycott

Bangladesh's ruling party won one of the most violent elections in the country's history on Monday, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition that made the results a foregone conclusion.

Expel 'terrorists', PM tells city

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for Fallujah residents on Monday to expel "terrorists" holding the city to avoid an assault by security forces, as they battled gunmen in nearby Ramadi.

Rebels pushed back in Syria

Syrian rebel fighters loyal to al-Qaida ceded ground near the Turkish border to rival Islamists on Sunday, activists said, in what seemed to be a tactical withdrawal to end clashes between Syrian- and foreign-led opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.

Kerry says Saudi supports his Middle East moves

Saudi King Abdullah offered his "enthusiastic support" to US efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday.

S. Sudan peace talks get started

South Sudan's government and rebels have finally begun formal peace talks in Addis Ababa aimed at ending more than three weeks of unrest, Ethiopia's government spokesman said on Monday.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Ship joins international convoy

A Chinese frigate has docked at the Cypriot port of Limassol in preparation for its mission to provide security support for the removal of Syria's chemical weapons, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

Africa will remain important pillar of China's diplomacy

China's top diplomat has chosen four African countries to visit on his first trip abroad in the new year, a move that highlights the continent's importance in Beijing's diplomatic blueprint.

US offers security help ahead of Sochi Games

The United States said on Sunday it was ready to help Russia with security for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, following the two bombings in Volgograd on Dec 29 and 30 that killed at least 34 people.

At least 11 people killed in Bangladesh election unrest

Police in Bangladesh fired at protesters, and opposition activists torched more than 100 polling stations on Sunday during a national election boycotted by the opposition and described as flawed by the international community. At least 11 people were killed in election-related violence.