Dec 16 - Every week, Reuters journalists produce scores of multimedia features and human-interest stories from around the world.
Below are some stories from this week selected by our editors, as well as explanatory context and background to help you understand world headlines. For a full schedule of news and events, please go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect https://www.reutersconnect.com/planning.
Priest and geologist use volcanic ash for La Palma nativity scene
LA PALMA - Volcanic ash and lumps of lava blasted out of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma have become part of a Christmas nativity scene in a nearby church. (SPAIN-VOLCANO/NATIVITY (TV, PIX), 270)
British tourists head to snowy Lapland seeking Santa Claus
HELSINKI - Santa Claus and heavy snow falls are attracting British tourists back to Lapland, bolstering Finland's tourism industry that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. (CHRISTMAS-SEASON/TOURISM-SANTA (PIX, TV), 354 words)
Santa rides a fire truck to visit children in Peru with COVID
LIMA - In Peru Santa hopped on a fire engine and was lifted up in the truck's cherry picker to deliver Christmas cheer and presents to children infected with COVID-19 who are isolating with their families in a high-rise compound known as the Village.(CHRISTMAS-SEASON/PERU-SANTA (TV, PIX), 318 words)
The Mexican town where making Christmas baubles is a way of life
TLALPUJAHUA, Mexico - In Tlalpujahua, Mexico, the spirit of Christmas is baked into the small town's very existence. While people around the world prepare to decorate Christmas trees and buy gifts to celebrate the holiday, in Tlalpujahua thousands of workers do the delicate work of blowing glass into Christmas ornaments that are then hand-painted.(CHRISTMAS-SEASON/MEXICO-ORNAMENTS (TV), 311 words)
Head-balancing British strongman on record mission for 75th birthday
ILKESTON, England - Dressed in a Santa costume in his garden, British strongman John Evans balances a large chimney on his head. Having previously tackled bricks, milk crates and even cars, the 74-year-old is on a mission: to secure 100 world records for his head balancing feats by his next birthday in March. (CHRISTMAS-SEASON/BRITAIN-HEADBALANCING (TV, PIX), 343 words)
Gaza shelter turns toy cars, bikes into aids for paralyzed animals
GAZA - An animal shelter in the Gaza Strip is using the wheels of toy cars and kids bicycles to build mobility devices for disabled cats and dogs, helping them walk, run and play again despite a lack of access to specialized prosthetics. (PALESTINIANS-ANIMALS/AMPUTEES (TV, PIX), 325 words)
Geologists uncover 'treasure trove' of dinosaur tracks in Poland
WARSAW - Hundreds of dinosaur footprints, so well-preserved that even the scaly skin can be seen, have been found in Poland, giving an insight into a complex ecosystem around 200 million years ago, geologists said. (POLAND-DINOSAURS/ (PIX, TV), 190 words)
Dogs go back to school at Nigeria's canine festival
LAGOS - Hundreds of dogs strutted their stuff on a runway in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos competing for the awards on offer at this year's "Back to School"-themed canine extravaganza. (NIGERIA-FESTIVAL/DOG (TV, PIX), 310 words)
Berlin's public transit company promises relaxing trips with edible hemp tickets
BERLIN - Berlin's public transport operator BVG has introduced an edible "hemp ticket" which it jokes can help alleviate the stress of travel at Christmas and take the edge off Berliners' infamous crabbiness. (GERMANY-ODDLY/CANNABIS TICKET (PIX, TV), 248 words)
Keeping the bankers sweet: Hong Kong regulators send candy to quarantined financiers
HONG KONG - Jet-setting banking executives stuck in Hong Kong's weeks-long quarantine program have received confectionery from senior regulators as a morale-booster during their isolation. (HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/HONG KONG-FINANCE (PIX), 323 words)
EXPLANATORY CONTENT
Global vaccination tracker https://tmsnrt.rs/39xWS94
Global COVID-19 cases and deaths https://tmsnrt.rs/32CyMHu
U.S. COVID-19 cases and deaths https://tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR
EXPLAINER-How worried should we be about the Omicron variant?
EXPLAINER-What's at stake for Trump allies facing 'contempt of Congress'?
EXPLAINER-Why is Russia's Putin so focused on Ukraine?
FACTBOX-Five potential flashpoints between Russia and Ukraine
FACTBOX-How rebel-held regions of eastern Ukraine have grown closer to Russia
FACTBOX-How could UK PM Johnson be ousted by unhappy lawmakers?
NEWSMAKER-Chile's Kast channels Pinochet's ghost against 'communist' left (Compiled by Mark Porter and Patrick Enright)
