International report

More than two million people in Zambia are in need of emergency humanitarian assistance following a two year persistent drought in the southern part of the country.

This winter, the Grand Palais in Paris is home to a giant ice-skating wonderland. Advertised by organisers as the largest indoor temporary ice skating rink in the world, the rink becomes a discothèque after nightfall.

The Palestinian cultural heritage is rich in food, clothing, arts, farming, industry and many other examples. In rural areas of the Gaza Strip, ovens that are made of clay are still being used by many of the inhabitants.

Environment stakeholders and agri-business traders in Kenya are urging African leaders to insist on legislation to curb the effects of climate change, which is now having a great impact on agriculture and food production.

Every January, French bakeries proudly sell the 'Galette des Rois', a golden-brown almond pastry associated with Epiphany. The cake has a hidden trinket, and the person who gets the slice with the lucky charm is crowned king for the day.

Prior to 2005, Gaza was a major exporter of strawberries, particularly to Europe.

In recent years, Gaza's excellent fruit has been marketed locally, either in Gaza or in the nearby Palestinian West Bank.

Only limited quantities have been exported to some Arab countries, through Jordan.

Around 400,000 people gathered on Paris' Champs-Elysées avenue to usher in 2020. A light and sound show and spectacular fireworks at the Arc de Triomphe announced the new decade with pomp and fanfare. However, transport strikes dampened the celebrations as hundreds of thousands of people were left stranded, with many having to walk hours in the bitter cold to get home.

In the second part of our podcast A Parisian Winter, Arnab Béranger spends an evening at the Versailles palace. 'A King's Tour' is an immersive show that takes you back to the 17th century to witness how King Louis XIV and his courtiers entertained in the evenings around the New Year.

From France's top literature prize, the Prix Goncourt, to the International Comics Festival and the premier film event Cannes...not to mention Tutankhamen's Paris visit and the biggest ever exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci at the Louvre. Take a listen to 2019's cultural highlights in France by clicking on 'Play'.

The Christmas market at Paris' Tuileries garden is a special treat for old and young alike. Children can personally deliver letters to Santa's gnomes, while their parents can savour hot wine and traditional Christmas food from Germany and the Alsace region. The first of our four-part podcast "A Parisian Winter".