Dec 22 - 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.
Philippines street transforms into Christmas wonderland with Santas and snowfall
MANILA - A regular residential street in the Philippines has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland, drawing a throng of daily visitors with its dazzling lights, festive decorations and artificial snowfall. (CHRISTMAS-SEASON/PHILIPPINES-HOUSE (PIX, TV), 164 words)
Signs of Salome, said to be nurse to baby Jesus, unearthed in Israel
LACHISH FOREST, Israel - Excavations of a cave reputed to be the burial place of Salome, said in non-canonical scripture to have been nurse to the newborn Jesus, have found more signs it was both an important Jewish tomb and a Christian pilgrimage site, archaeologists say. (CHRISTMAS-SEASON/ARCHAEOLOGY-JESUS (PIX, TV), 253 words)
Messi's World Cup soccer post beats egg to become most-liked on Instagram
Lionel Messi set yet another record on Tuesday after his Instagram post celebrating Argentina's World Cup win became the most-liked on the platform, breaking a nearly four-year-old record held by a photo of an egg. (SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG/ (PIX), 357 words)
Belgian social media star uses power of visuals to demystify disability
BRUSSELS - "Being disabled doesn't define a person," says Sarah Talbi, who was born without arms and has become a social media star with her videos on cooking, painting and other activities she is able to do thanks to the extraordinary dexterity of her feet. (BELGIUM-DISABILITY/ (PIX), 339 words)
Scientists freeze Great Barrier Reef coral in world-first trial
SYDNEY - Scientists working on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have successfully trialed a new method for freezing and storing coral larvae they say could eventually help rewild reefs threatened by climate change. (AUSTRALIA-REEF/CRYOPRESERVATION (TV), 387 words)
Five endangered Iberian lynx set free to populate new territory in Spain
IZNALLOZ, Spain - Five Iberian lynx have been released into the wild in southern Spain as part of an expanding breeding program aimed at conserving one of the world's most endangered feline species with distinctive long black ear tufts. (SPAIN-ANIMALS/ (TV, PIX), 303 words)
Endangered pink iguana hatchlings seen for first time on Galapagos island
QUITO - Scientists have discovered hatchling and juvenile populations of the Galapagos pink land iguana, an endangered reptile native to a sole island on the Ecuadorean archipelago, for the first time since the species' discovery just decades ago. (ECUADOR-GALAPAGOS/IGUANA (PIX, TV), 269 words)
Foie gras or 'faux gras'? Paris chef offers festive vegan alternative
PARIS - Vegan and animal-friendly alternatives to foie gras are taking off in France just as a severe bird flu outbreak has ravaged duck flocks and cut short supplies of the traditional Christmas delicacy. (CHRISTMAS-SEASON/FRANCE-FOIEGRAS (TV, PIX), 328 words)
Researchers discover over 100 new ancient designs in Peru's Nazca lines
More than a hundred new designs discovered in and around Peru's ancient Nazca plain and surrounding areas could bring new information to light about the mysterious pre-Columbian artworks that have intrigued scientists and visitors for decades. (PERU-ARCHAEOLOGY/NAZCA (TV, PIX), 304 words)
Germany hands over 20 looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
ABUJA - Germany has handed over 20 Benin Bronzes from its museums to Nigeria, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, making it the latest European country to return cultural artifacts to their African homeland. (NIGERIA-ARTEFACTS/GERMANY (TV, PIX), 295 words)
Sewing for Ukraine: volunteers make army uniforms for women
KYIV - The tens of thousands of women in Ukraine's armed forces have long had to make do with men's uniforms. That is now changing, thanks to volunteers who have started designing military clothing for women. (UKRAINE-CRISIS/FEMALE-UNIFORMS (TV, PIX), 324 words)
EXPLANATORY CONTENT
TIMELINE: Musk to step down as Twitter CEO once he finds successor
NEWSMAKER-South Africa's Ramaphosa: wounded president re-elected to party helm
EXPLAINER-How hybrid wheat could lead to more food without GMO fears (Compiled by Mark Porter and Patrick Enright)
