Central African Republic sees sharp decline in violence
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country said a peace deal between the government and armed groups in February appeared to have allowed for a relative respite
Taiwan orders markets, schools closed on Friday as super typhoon approaches
Typhoon Lekima, which is packing maximum winds of 234 km per hour (145 mph), is expected to hit the island late on Thursday
Gazans too poor to afford sheep for Eid sacrifice under blockade, Israel cash row
Nearly 80 percent of the enclave's 2 million residents rely on some form of aid and over half are unemployed
Indonesia president makes moratorium on forest clearance permanent
The moratorium was first introduced in 2011 and has been renewed regularly as part of the efforts to reduce emissions from fires caused by deforestation
Floods in India kill 33, displace thousands
Floods in South Asia cause mass displacement and deaths annually, as the region gets seasonal monsoon rains during June-September
Taiwan braces for typhoon hours after earthquake strikes
Typhoon Lekima, categorised at the strongest typhoon level by Taiwan's weather bureau, is expected to approach off the island's northeastern coast late on Thursday
Young Taiwanese reconnect with indigenous roots to heal trauma
The historical trauma of Taiwan's 16 indigenous groups - who were evicted from their land and banned from speaking their own languages - has only recently been acknowledged
Three Congolese doctors arrested in connection with WHO official's death
Cameroonian doctor Richard Mouzoko was killed in an attack in April on a hospital in the city of Butembo, one of the epicentres of the year-long Ebola outbreak
Amid rising hunger, Venezuela plantain crops threatened by fungus -agronomists
A hyperinflationary economic collapse has left millions of Venezuelans unable to obtain enough calories and has pushed diets toward starchy staples that grow readily in its tropical climate
Taliban bomb kills 14, wounds 145, despite hopes for Afghan pact
Most of the dead and wounded are civilians, including women and children