Rodman to fly in for 'friends'

Flamboyant former US basketball star Dennis Rodman has said he will fly to Singapore to support his "friends" Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un at their historic peace summit on Tuesday.

His tweet came after the White House Thursday ruled out any role for the high-profile retired player in the hotly-anticipated talks with the North Korean leader, with whom Rodman has struck up an unlikely friendship.

Rodman has made five trips to Pyongyang since Kim took power and once called him his "friend for life."

However, Trump on Thursday confirmed that Rodman would not be attending the summit, as he met with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"I like him. He's a nice guy. No, he was not invited," Trump told reporters.