Newry (United States) (AFP) – “It combines fun, it combines skiing, and it combines donations for people who need money,” says Yelena Walsh, one of some 300 people dressed up as Santa Claus for an annual fundraising event at the River ski resort in Newry, Maine.
Dubai (AFP) – The UN’s climate chief, Simon Stiell, has urged countries negotiating at the COP28 climate summit to lift “unnecessary tactical blockades”, 24 hours before the official end of talks in Dubai that are focused on a deal to phase out fossil fuels.
Beijing (AFP) – Hundreds of people flock to the parks and streets of Beijinh to enjoy the capital’s first snowfall this winter season, as temperatures dip and forecasts predict more chilly weather to come during the week.
London (AFP) – In central London’s Trafalgar Square, members of the public gather to watch the lighting ceremony for the traditional Christmas tree imported from Oslo.
Zapopan (Mexico) (AFP) – Hundreds of joggers dressed as Santa Claus and other festive characters compete in the Run Santa Run race in the Mexican city of Zapopan.
Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Faced with power outages, a lack of cooking gas and the high price of firewood, displaced people in the southern Gaza Strip are turning to old brass camping stoves. Many of the stoves are old and in need of repair, a task taken on by Ibrahim Shouman. According to UN estimates, 1.9 million people in Gaza have been displaced, representing 80 percent of the territory’s population. They now face severe shortages of food, water and medicine, with aid groups warning that Gaza is on the verge of being overwhelmed by disease and starvation.
Bogotá (AFP) – Two spectacled bears have been transferred from Pasto, western Colombia, to the capital Bogota to be relocated at a sanctuary exclusively for their species after failed releases into the wild. The Spectacled Bear of the tropical Andes is South America’s last surviving bear species. Conservation group WWF estimates that in 2017 there were about 8,000 bears left in Colombia.
Vatican City (AFP) – In the Vatican, hundreds gather in St. Peter’s Square to inaugurate the Nativity Scene and light up the Christmas tree.
Sustainable fashion takes centre stage at this year’s Dakar Fashion Week, the 21st edition of the annual showcase of African fashion. “We’ve got Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Congo, we’ve got lots of nationalities. I’m very happy with this diversity,” says the show’s creator, Adama Ndiaye — also known as Adama Paris.
Cairo (Egypt) (AFP) – Egyptian incumbent president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi casts his vote at a polling station in Cairo in a presidential election where four candidates are contending, with little doubt that Sisi will secure a third term.
Carisbrooke (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Thundering at each other with lances while dressed in full armour, modern-day knights still practice the ancient sporting tradition of jousting at historic sites in the United Kingdom, following in the centuries-old hoof prints of their predecessors. “It’s not pretend. This is the real thing,” says Dominic Sewell, one of the UK’s best known jousters and trainers.
Hollywood (United States) (AFP) – To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the famed Hollywood sign partially lights up once again. “The sign was first lit with about 3700 light bulbs around the perimeter of each letter when it originally said Hollywoodland,” says Jeff Zarrinnam, chairman of the Hollywood Sign Trust.
