Vatican City (AFP) – The Vatican erects a 26-metre high silver fir tree at the centre of St. Peter’s Square, just over a month before Christmas. The 62-year-old tree comes from a forest in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Bangkok (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Rajadamnern Thai boxing stadium in Bangkok. Macron is joining other world leaders in Thailand for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
Brooklyn (United States) (AFP) – The Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York kicks off the holiday season with giant luminous sculptures and artworks nestled in the landscapes. “You can hear the holiday music, it’s a good gateway into the season”, says a visitor.
Bangkok (AFP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Thailand on Thursday for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which is due to focus on pandemic recovery and the war in Ukraine.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – The first snow of the winter falls on Maidan Square in Kyiv, blanketing its statues and anti-tank obstacles as the Ukrainian capital faces blackouts and power outages from a fresh series of Russian strikes targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.
Dubai (AFP) – Every weekend, migrant workers in Dubai play informal cricket matches on spare patches of ground.
Bangkok (AFP) – Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron who will join rulers from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum for the high-level talks. IMAGES
Seoul (AFP) – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is greeted by South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo upon his arrival in Seoul for a two-day official visit to South Korea.
Washington (AFP) – The United States has “seen nothing that contradicts” the Polish government’s assessment that a deadly explosion in Poland near the country’s border with Ukraine was caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile, says Vedant Patel, a US department of state spokesperson, during a briefing in Washington.
Nusa Dua (Indonesia) (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron states that “the G20 does not want war,” as he discusses Ukraine and Russia’s return to the negotiating table at a press conference in Bali following the end of the G20 summit.
Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt) (AFP) – Showered with applause and chants of “Lula!”, Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva makes a splash at a UN climate conference in Egypt, his first foreign trip since his election. Expectations are high for Lula to protect the Amazon after rampant deforestation seen under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. At COP27, Lula vowed to fight deforestation, offered to host UN climate talks in the Amazon region in 2025, and pledged to make Brazil a leader in the global battle against climate change again.
Palm Beach (United States) (AFP) – Supporters of former US President Donald Trump celebrate his presidential campaign announcement as they stand on a bridge near his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
