BBC - With the band Africa 70, Fela Kuti and Tony Allen developed a whole new genre: Afrobeat. As part of BBC Culture’s Power Pair series, Arwa Haider looks at how Kuti and Allen came up with a musical style that continues to influence today.

AFP - Turkey on Wednesday warned Iran and Russia to hold back the Syrian regime in bombing the rebel-held northern Idlib province, as tensions mounted ahead of mooted peace talks later this month.

Ankara has been working closely with Russia and Iran to end the Syrian conflict over the last months but has stepped up pressure on Moscow and Tehran as the bombardments on Idlib intensified.

NBCNEWS - These days, your workout routine might not involve a big box gym. And if you’re up on the latest fitness trends, it might look a little something like this: sled pushes and battle ropes before work, mindfulness meditation during your lunch break, and a cryotherapy appointment before dinner.

NBCNEWS - It's January so most of us are dusting off those New Year’s resolutions and recommitting to our (somewhat foggy) health goals. Right up there with actually using our gym membership and becoming a morning person? Quit sugar.

 AFP - Thousands on death row for drug crimes in Iran will escape hanging as a new softened anti-narcotics law is enforced, local media reported on Wednesday.

Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani on Tuesday ordered judges to halt death sentences for concerned convicts and review their cases, the judiciary's Mizanonline news agency said.

AFP - Novak Djokovic made a resounding return on Wednesday after six months out with an elbow injury, declaring he felt "great" after beating world number five Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 at the Kooyong Classic.

AFP - Drones that attacked Russian bases in Syria last week were sent from Idlib, a "de-escalation" zone controlled by anti-Damascus fighters, the Russian defence ministry's official newspaper said Wednesday.

BBC - Rescue workers in southern California are searching for survivors after mudslides and flooding in which at least 13 people have died.

REUTERS - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that relations with the United States were harmed by Washington’s refusal to extradite cleric Fetullah Gulen and its provision of arms to the Kurdish militant YPG.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Cavusoglu said that ties between the NATO allies could be harmed further if Washington does not correct its mistakes.

AFP - Israeli forces set up roadblocks and deployed around a major Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday in a manhunt for attackers who shot dead an Israeli settler.

Raziel Shevah, a 35-year-old rabbi, was killed late Tuesday while driving near the wildcat settlement where he lived, Havat Gilad near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.