From Washington,this is VOA News.

Russian officials say a male suicide bomber is responsible for Monday's explosion on a bus in the southern city of Volgograd that killed 14 people, one day after a female suicide bomber killed 17 people at the city's train station.

Authorities say about 20 people were wounded in Monday's powerful blast that occurred on a crowded trolleybus during the early morning rush hour.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either explosion. The attacks came just weeks before the Winter Olympics open in Sochi, about 650 kilometers southwest of Volgograd. Islamist militants have threatened to disrupt the Winter Games.

And follow the latest on the pair of explosions in Russia on geilien.cn.

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo say gunfire has erupted in various parts of Kinshasa, and gunmen have taken several reporters hostage at the state television station in the capital.

The gunmen appeared on the air and made anti-government comments before the television feed was cut. Police have placed a security cordon around the station.

Police in China's restive far western region of Xinjiang say eight attackers armed with knives and explosives were shot dead during in assault on a police station.

Authorities said one of the nine attackers was captured in Monday's pre-dawn attack. There was no mention of any police casualties.

The deadly incident took place in an area known as Yarkand, not far from the city of Kashgar.

Earlier this month, police shot and killed 14 people during a riot near Kashgar Muslim region.

A Chinese Cabinet official says that about 3.33 million hectares of the country's farmland is too polluted to grow crops.

The vice-minister of land and resources told a news briefing on Monday that the government is working on a long-range plan and expects to spend billions of dollars a year on cleanup efforts.

On the last trading day of 2013, Japanese shares closed at a 57 percent annual gain, their best annual performance since 1972.

Analysts attribute the record to foreign investors jumping into the Japanese market after the government and central bank initiated policies that sent the yen plummeting against the dollar, making Japanese exports very popular.

The benchmark Nikkei average rose for a ninth day Monday, its longest winning streak since July of 2009.

In India, a new party that is promising to end graft and provide good governance has taken power in the capital after making a stunning debut in elections.

Anjana Pasricha has more.

As the Aam Aadmi Party or Common People’s party began the task of governing the politically sensitive Indian capital Monday, it was not just Delhi’s residents who were watching closely.

The one-year-old party made political waves when it won 40 per cent of the seats earlier this month in Delhi’s elections. It drew even more attention when it consulted the city’s people before agreeing to form a government with support from the Congress Party because it did not have a majority.

Political observers say the party, which was born out of a popular anti-corruption movement, has tapped into deep anger with mainstream political parties.

Anjana Pasricha VOA News NEW DELHI.

An Antarctic blizzard has halted an Australian icebreaker's attempt to retrieve 74 people on board a Russian research ship,trapped for nearly a week in ice, while high winds prevent a helicopter rescue.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokesperson, LISA MARTIN, "If the Aurora Australis cannot get through due to the ice conditions then we'd be looking at using the helicopter from the Chinese vessel to evacuate the passengers."

A Chinese icebreaker, Snow Dragon, was sent to free the vessel and came within 11 kilometers of the stranded Russian ship on Saturday, but had to stop when thick ice blocked its progress.

If the Australian vessel fails to break through the 3-meter-thick ice, a helicopter could be used to evacuate the passengers.

Formula One world racing champion Michael Schumacher is in 'critical' condition today following a fall while skiing in the French Alps with his sons.