Congo talks near deal for Kabila to step down in 2017
Deal would come as a surprise following a week in which security forces killed dozens of people protesting Kabila's tenure
Iraqis celebrate first Christmas near Mosul after Islamic State pushback
It will be some time before people can return to town which remains without basic services, and many buildings still bear the scars of fighting
Thousands flee coastal villages as typhoon approaches Philippines
Storm surges and flooding are also expected in low-lying and coastal areas and landslides are feared in mountain slopes
Defying pressure, U.S. lets U.N. denounce Israeli settlements
Most countries view Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and an obstacle to peace
Aleppo sees shelling, air strikes again as Assad urges peace talks
Damascus water supply cut after rebels pollute it with diesel
After U.S. abstention, UN Security Council demands end to Israel settlement building
It is the first resolution the Security Council has adopted on Israel and the Palestinians in nearly eight years
U.N. council fails to impose arms embargo on South Sudan
"This resolution would not have been a panacea"
Mediterranean death toll is record 5,000 migrants this year - agencies
IOM figures show 358,403 migrants and refugees had entered Europe by sea in 2016
Syrian rebels shell Aleppo after withdrawal
Rebels have frequently shelled the areas of Aleppo that have been under government control throughout the conflict
Angola declares end to world's worst yellow fever epidemic in decades
More than 15 million Angolans and 10 million Congolese were vaccinated under a campaign coordinated by the WHO