Africa Benin As part of the Vodun Days 2026 event in Ouidah, in Maro Square paintings of the Egungun are on display, depicting them dancing: the Vodun Days Artistic Direction has chosen to go beyond live performance adding an exhibition of paintings of the Egungun
Europe Russia In Tiksi, Yakutia, the thermometer dropped to -56°C, the lowest temperature currently recorded in a populated area, and it could drop further as a snowstorm has paralyzed the village for three days burying streets and house entrances
Europe Lithuania A man in Vilnius is imparting a life lesson to his children choosing the 'ugliest' Christmas tree from the market on Žirmūnų Street, wanting his sons to see that it is not always necessary to pick the shiniest or seemingly perfect option
Europe Luxembourg Grand Duke Guillaume urges solidarity in his first Christmas address, paying tribute to Ukrainians, volunteers and frontline workers, calling for compassion amid rising living costs and global instability
America Belize A $500.000 fast-track residency program for foreign investors has been approved to attract capital and simplify bureaucracy, while maintaining its retirement visa scheme for older individuals with foreign income
America Bolivia Bolivia has authorized Starlink, OneWeb, and Kuiper to operate after years of restrictions, aiming to improve digital access and replace its outdated Chinese satellite amid efforts to attract tech investment and recover from an economic crisis
Asia Palestine Members of the clergy participated in the Christmas procession outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, and people paraded through the streets of the city at the rhythm of drums to begin the first festive Christmas after two years
America Mexico Mexico City is vibrant with Poinsettia flowers, also known as 'Flor de Nochebuena'; native to the region, these flowers symbolize the spirit of the holidays and play an important role in festive decorations across the city
Asia Azerbaijan 2nd Forum of Azerbaijani Religious Figures held in Baku was attended by over 100 leaders from various faiths, promoting constitutional values as secularism and freedom of conscience and discussing legal and cultural aspects of state-religion relations
Asia Yemen The International Committee of the Red Cross has welcomed the preliminary agreement reached between Yemen’s warring parties to release detainees held in connection with the conflict, while announcing its readiness to support and facilitate the process
Africa Nigeria Christmas is one of the busiest travel periods in Nigeria: millions journey across the country to reunite with family and loved ones; this year, many met the same challenges: overcrowded stations, limited transport options, inflated fares, endless delays
Asia United Arab Emirates As Christmas approaches offices across the UAE enter the year-end slowdown, although Christmas Day is not listed among the official public holidays issued under the Cabinet resolution regulating holidays which came into force on 1 January 2025
Asia Turkmenistan Turkmenistan and Spain have discussed closer cooperation to address desertification in Central Asia, including the possible creation of a regional center focused on land degradation; the talks took place in Ashgabat following UN hints to such initiative
Africa Guinea Following decreasing international financing, the fight against HIV in Guinea is rethinking funding mechanisms; REGAP+ and MSF organized a conference-debate on resilience strategies for HIV programs in Africa at Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry