Armed militants killed over 35 civilians during an attack on a cluster of villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province on Monday night, a village chief said on Tuesday.

As part of its crackdown on Palestinian militants, the Israel military has closed roads and diverted Palestinians through traffic-jammed checkpoints all over the occupied West Bank.

Lawyers are giving opening statements at the trial of the man charged with trying to kill author Salman Rushdie in western New York.