Deir Ezzor (Syria) (AFP) – The eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor has been left in ruins after nearly 14 years of civil war, which ended when Islamist-led forces toppled long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year.
Almería (Spain) (AFP) – Spanish police seize drugs during an operation against aerial drug trafficking, announcing they have thwarted a criminal gang that flew helicopters to smuggle hashish into the country from Morocco. Six people have been arrested in connection with these events, they say.
Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Two members of the creative team behind the French indie video game “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” say that the game’s success comes from trying “to make a work that’s original, moving, emotional, that appeals to everyone’s creative side.” The role-playing game dominated the annual Game Awards in Los Angeles, winning a record of nine categories including best video game of the year.
Thailand (AFP) – On the grey walls of a rural Thai school’s concrete bunkers, a man calmly paints details of a rocket as artillery booms nearby. “Peace amidst chaos — not everyone can feel this way,” says Watthanachai Kamngam, a 38-year-old music teacher whose vibrant murals are inspired by the harsh reality around him. At least 25 people have died in the past week since the conflict was reignited.
Abbotsford (Canada) (AFP) – Swathes of the Canadian city of Abbotsford are swamped, with hundreds of properties at risk, after days of heavy rain forced rivers to burst their banks. Storms have also battered British Columbia, and Washington state over the US border, for several days, with rivers continuing to rise.
Washington (United States) (AFP) – “I think we just did a very good job,” US President Donald Trump hails the progress made in Thailand and Cambodia. “It wasn’t good. And we got it, I think straightened out today, so Thailand and Cambodia is in good shape,” he tells reporters at the White House. But Thailand says it is continuing military strikes against Cambodia despite Trump saying the countries agreed to stop fighting after calls with him. Renewed clashes between the Southeast Asian neighbours, which stem from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, broke out this month and have displaced around half a million people on both sides.
Alma al-Shaab (Lebanon) (AFP) – Several Democratic members of the US Congress call on the Israeli and US governments to investigate the Israeli attack on journalists in southern Lebanon in 2023. The attack killed Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah and wounded six others, including AFP reporters Dylan Collins and Christina Assi, who had to have her right leg amputated. AFP conducted an independent investigation which concluded that two Israeli 120mm tank shells were fired from the Jordeikh area in Israel. The findings were corroborated by other probes conducted by Reuters, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Quito (AFP) – Peruvian President Jose Jeri places a floral offering at the Independence Monument of the Plaza Grande in Quito, Ecuador, ahead of a binational cabinet meeting aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two South American nations. The meeting seeks to deepen bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of security, the fight against organized crime, border governance, and resource management. IMAGES
Oslo (AFP) – Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, says she feared for her life during her clandestine journey from Venezuela to Norway to receive the award. “Yes, I can tell you they were very intense hours, with moments when I felt there was a real risk to my life,” she tells reporters during a press conference in Oslo.
Ahmedabad (India) (AFP) – Six months after a London-bound passenger plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, Sita Patni still bears the scars left by the inferno. “I can’t bear the sound of a plane,” she says, recalling the tragedy of Air India flight AI171 on June 12, which claimed the lives of her son and 259 others on board and on the ground, making it one of the deadliest air disasters in decades.
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – An extraordinary botanical spectacle is drawing crowds in Rio de Janeiro: several talipot palm trees, planted more than six decades ago, are blooming for the first — and last — time in their lives.
Bogotá (AFP) – Cyclists, runners, rollerbladers and pedestrians take over Bogota’s streets during the Colombian city’s Christmas Nighttime Cycle. For the event, over 95 kilometers of roads are adapted and opened to the public, creating a space that blends recreation, sustainability and festive celebrations in the lead-up to Christmas. “I believe that these events greatly motivate people to strengthen the cycling culture in our city,” says Luis Castro, who participated in the cycle.
