AFP Video

Beirut (AFP) – Ships in the Beirut harbour blast their horns in mourning for the thousands of Palestinians killed by Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip. The war on Gaza was triggered when Hamas carried out the deadliest-ever attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, and taking about 240 hostages back to Gaza. Israel has responded with a military offensive that has reduced much of Gaza to rubble and killed at least 17,997 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The UN estimates 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced — roughly half of them children — by the war and Israel’s intense bombing campaign.

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.