Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he will study a UN proposal for "local ceasefires" in the war-ravaged northern city of Aleppo.

The first visit to Serbia for 68 years by an Albanian prime minister turns into a diplomatic spat broadcast live on TV.

Residents of parts of the Russian capital Moscow are urged to stay indoors after authorities say a noxious gas is spreading through the city.

Egyptian militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis pledges allegiance to radical Islamist group Islamic State, saying it offers them a "new dawn".

Uganda plans to introduce a new anti-gay law that will withstand any legal challenge after an earlier bill was struck down by the courts, a government minister tells the BBC.

The US and the EU express concern at reports of a build-up of separatist reinforcements in eastern Ukraine after a day of shelling in Donetsk.

An informal vote on independence for the Spanish region of Catalonia has shown more than 80% in favour, organisers say.

Police detain at least 14 people in Mexico City after attacks on government buildings during protests over the suspected murder of 43 students.