Kingstown (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) (AFP) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Guyanese counterpart Irfaan Ali shake hands after a two-hour meeting in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. There was no immediate news on the outcome of talks about Caracas’s claim on oil-rich Essequibo, which makes up more than two-thirds of neighboring Guyana. IMAGES
Mango Landing (Guyana) (AFP) – A mining village, Mango Landing, in a region close to Guyana’s border with Venezuela, is home to people of various nationalities including Venezuelans, Brazilians and Guyanese, who live off farming, fishing and artisanal mining. Essequibo has been administered by Guyana for more than a century and is the subject of border litigation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. In a controversial December 3 referendum, 95 percent of Venezuelan voters allegedly supported Venezuela being declared the rightful owner of Essequibo.
Stockholm (AFP) – People gather in Kungsholm Church, Stockholm, to watch the traditional Santa Lucia celebrations that mark the beginning of the Christmas holiday season. Participants in the ceremony carry candles and sing to celebrate Lucia, a mythical figure who bears light in the dark of Swedish winters.
Beijing (AFP) – Snow continues to fall in China’s capital amid forecasts of further cold weather.
Stockholm (AFP) – People gather in Kungsholm Church, Stockholm, to watch the traditional Santa Lucia celebrations that mark the beginning of the Christmas holiday season. Participants in the ceremony carry candles and sing to celebrate Lucia, a mythical figure who bears light in the dark of Swedish winters.
Moscow (AFP) – Speaking at his end-of-year press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin says “there will be peace when we achieve our goals,” adding that Russia sought “the de-nazification” and “de-militarisation” of Ukraine. His comments come as the conflict nears the two-year mark, with the fighting largely locked in place.
New York (AFP) – Some 19,000 lowlights illuminate a vacant lot in the heart of Manhattan, like colourful stems blooming into a field of lights. British artist Bruce Munro presents his large-scale art project “Field of Light” in New York, installed for one year.
Zhejiang (China) (AFP) – At a cemetery in eastern China, bereaved father Seakoo Wu pulls out his phone and plays a recording of his son. They are words that the late student never spoke, but brought into being with artificial intelligence. Stricken by grief, Wu and his wife have joined a growing number of Chinese turning to AI technology to create lifelike avatars of those they have lost.
Tokyo (AFP) – The defence ministers of Japan, UK and Italy meet in Tokyo for talks on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) joint fighter project. IMAGES
Tokyo (AFP) – The defence ministers of Japan and Italy meet in Tokyo. The two are expected to meet with their British counterpart for talks on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) joint fighter project. IMAGES
