Fire-prone Indonesian province declares early emergency to combat "haze"
Indonesia faces pressure to end to slash-and-burn land clearances for palm and pulp plantations which sends toxic smoke over the region
World must not miss early signals of any flu pandemic -WHO
World is better prepared for next influenza pandemic - "but not at all well enough" - WHO chief Chan
Russia and Turkey push Syria's warring sides to seal truce
The meetings in Astana, which the UN Special Envoy for Syria is attending, could help jump-start the U.N.-led negotiations
Putin allies propose easing penalty for domestic violence
Each year about 14,000 women die in Russia at the hands of husbands or other relatives
Some Mosul residents face new fears after Islamic State rule
Iraqis worry that sectarianism, which already provoked one civil war since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, will destabilise Iraq
Poor countries allowed to import generic drugs - WTO
Deal gives poor countries without manufacturing capacity access to generic drugs
Congo's Catholic church warns Kabila deal risks falling apart
Congo has never experienced a peaceful transition of power and millions have died in conflicts in the country's east since 1996
Swiss asylum requests plunge 31 percent in 2016
People from Eritrea made the most Swiss asylum requests last year, followed by citizens of Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Iraq
Iraq PM orders investigation into abuses reported in Mosul battle
Amnesty said Iraq's Popular Mobilisation units engaged in a "systematic pattern of violations," including enforced disappearances, torture, killings
Prices soar, families use river water as Islamic State besieges Syrian city
A siege imposed by Islamic State threatens tens of thousands of civilians