A fantastical Chinese winter festival

CHINA: If possible, the Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival gets more fantastical every year.

FRANCE: A Saturday morning explosion at a bakery in central Paris killed at least four people and injured dozens and was caused by an apparent gas leak. The deadly blast wasn’t far from an area where police fired tear gas on thousands of yellow vest protesters who marched for the ninth straight week in protest of the Macron government’s economic reforms.

MACEDONIA passed an amendment to its constitution changing the country’s name to the Republic of North Macedonia, putting to rest a dispute with Greece.

CANADA: Saudi asylum-seeker Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, 18, arrived in Toronto on Sunday after Canada granted her asylum.

CHINA: A member of Chengdu’s Early Rain Church has confirmed he was severely tortured—bound to a “tiger chair” for 24 hours and denied food and water. At least 20 church leaders remain in criminal detention as a government crackdown on the church continues.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Presidential runner-up Martin Fayulu has challenged in court the outcome of election results made public last week, claiming he defeated opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi by a wide margin.

ZIMBABWE: While government leaders head to South Africa for healthcare, their own system faces continuing collapse, with doctors on strike to protest the lack of surgical gloves and basic surgical instruments and being forced to collect urine in plastic bread bags. “The patients are being turned away to die somewhere else,” said the treasurer of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association.

SOUTH AFRICA: That viral video of lions taking a stroll and stopping traffic in Kruger National Park.

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