Several dozen snow-covered tents line a street in the historic heart of Paris, sheltering young homeless migrants from the bitter cold. Around 300 young African migrants, many seeking official recognition as minors, are spending freezing nights outdoors, facing harsh and dangerous conditions.

The Nigerian air force will take over from the United States after Washington’s Christmas Day strikes against jihadists, relying on American reconnaissance flights to support its own operations,

President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday urged security forces to distinguish between what he called rioters and protesters, urging them not to target peaceful demonstrators.

Authorities in Burkina Faso say they have thwarted a new coup attempt amid heightened political tensions in the West African country. The alleged plot was uncovered late on Saturday night, January 3, before it could be carried out, according to official sources.

Clashes in Aleppo forced residents to flee Kurdish areas, with at least nine killed. The violence follows stalled talks to merge Kurdish forces into the army.

The first China-led BRICS joint naval exercise is due to start on Friday in South African waters.

Brazil marked Three Kings Day on Tuesday with a colourful procession in Rio de Janeiro, where music and dance echoed through a hillside neighbourhood.

Amnesty International says Uganda’s opposition is being subject to a “brutal campaign of repression” ahead of the country’s general election on 15 January.

President Putin attended an Orthodox Christmas service near Moscow, highlighting soldiers’ sacred duty and unity.

Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Cops in Egypt, a predominantly Muslim country, are one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

Claude Pivi was convicted in absentia in 2024 for his role in a 2009 massacre at a stadium in Conakry, where at least 156 people were killed.

Thousands of Orthodox Christians in white traditional attire celebrated Christmas Eve with a Mass, prayers and hymns during a candlelight ceremony in Ethiopia’s capital.

New Orleans kicked off the Carnival season on Tuesday with parades for Twelfth Night, featuring police motorcycles, marching bands, and colourful floats.

The Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal lineup was finalized Tuesday with Algeria and defending champion Ivory Coast booking the last places

Thousands gathered for Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christmas Eve in Addis Ababa, marking the end of a 43-day fast with prayers, hymns, and midnight Mass.

Peruvian street sellers Kely Peraza and Jeanelys Torres use AI to create T-shirts depicting President Maduro, helping Venezuelan migrants stay connected to home.

Thousands of informal miners are working every day beneath South Africa’s coal heartland, but they worry that the government-led transition to green energy might leave them behind.

Algerian supporters held their breath for almost two hours until winger Adil Boulbina scored the goal that sealed their fate and sent Congo out of the tournament at the 119th minute.

After more than 20 months in detention, Sherifa Riahi has been reunited with her family following her release from prison in Tunisia. The former director of the French NGO Terre d’Asile, along with two colleagues, was freed on Tuesday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep concern over recent US military action in Venezuela, calling for the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Monday condemned, “in the strongest terms,” the unauthorized incursion of the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs into Hargeisa, describing the visit as a “serious violation” of Somalia’s territorial sovereignty.

The Israeli foreign minister said Tuesday that Israel would soon open an embassy in Somaliland as he made the first visit there since his government’s contentious move to formally recognize the breakaway Somali territory as a sovereign state.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issues an official decree declaring Wednesday, January 7, 2026, a paid public holiday in observance of Christmas.

In the Czech Republic, more than 40 swimmers took part in Prague’s Three Kings Swim, diving into the icy Vltava River near the Charles Bridge.

Greeks celebrate Epiphany with the traditional blessing of the waters. In Piraeus, men dove into the cold sea to retrieve a wooden cross for good fortune.

Morocco’s tourism sector is hitting record highs. In 2025, the country welcomed 19.8 million tourists, a 14% increase from the previous year, according to the tourism ministry.

Filmmakers in the north of Nigeria are pushing the boundaries of censorship in search of international recognition.

Lebanon faced new Israeli air strikes, with damage in the south and east. President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks, citing efforts to calm tensions.

A Russian strike on a private medical clinic in Kyiv killed one person and injured three others overnight on January 4–5, Ukrainian civil defence authorities said.

Central African Republic’s President Faustin-Archange Touadéra celebrated on Monday after provisional results confirmed that he’d won a third term in office.

With Maduro’s arrest, Cuba has lost its closest ally. United States President Donald Trump has criticised the island as a nation “ready to fall” without the support of Venezuela.

The trial of 45 people charged in connection with a 2020 attack on a military checkpoint resumed in Cote d’Ivoire’s Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday.

Ugandan has denied plans to shut down internet access during next week’s elections, dismissing reports of a possible blackout as unfounded.

The support committee for Sherifa Riahi, former director of the NGO Terre d’Asile in Tunisia, posted a video on Facebook showing her leaving prison and stated that the other humanitarian workers had also been released.

Congolese supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has become a social media star by posing like a statue of the country’s assassinated independence hero, Patrice Lumumba, during matches at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle instead of every two years has not been well-received by coaches at the tournament.

Mohamed Salah scored with the last kick in extra time to seal’s Egypt’s 3-1 win over Benin in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16, and Nigeria enjoyed a 4-0 rout of Mozambique on Monday

Spain celebrates its most magical night for children on 5. January with Three Kings tradition and its festive processions, where 2,100 participants, including 250 royal servants, handed out 1,200 kilos of sweets.

A goal from Mohamed Salah in extra time sealed the match for the Pharaohs.

A strong 6.2 quake hit Shimane Prefecture, Japan, shaking nearby areas but causing no injuries or damage. Authorities confirmed no tsunami risk or nuclear plant issues.