The holiday season often brings joy and celebration, but it also sees a sharp rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to the National Department of Health. 

In Mozambique, police stations and schools have been burnt down, toll gates destroyed, and other public infrastructure damaged, while the main road to the airport in Maputo was barricaded under the latest nationwide protests dubbed "Turbo V8".

Protests have broken out in Syria over the burning of a Christmas tree, prompting calls for the new Islamist authorities to take steps to protect minorities.