A culture that has been preserved for centuries in Burundi

Royal drumming is now allowed only at official functions. The government says this is to avoid commercialising the culture.

The royal drums of Burundi have been considered sacred since ancient times, and a symbol of unity.

Now young children are being taught the ritual dance to keep the culture alive.

Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi reports from Gishora.

Floods, winter add to Syrian refugees' plight

Hundreds of thousands of refugees in Syria are facing a harsh winter and floods.

Winter weather and floods in Syria are adding to the plight of hundreds of thousands of war refugees.

They are sheltering in camps in the northwestern province of Idlib.

Many have been driven from their homes as pro-government forces hunt opposition fighters.

Al Jazeera’s Rob Matheson reports.

Lebanon protesters launch campaign against harassment

As anti-establishment protesters call for an end to corruption, women too are fighting a system that they blame for sexual assaults.

Lebanese anti-political establishment protesters have been calling for an end to the sectarian power-sharing system, which they blame for corruption and mismanagement.

Women too are fighting to change that system they say has been unjust to them.

Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut, where the protest movement has given them a new platform to raise their voices against sectarian politics, harassment and sexual assaults.

People in Yemen go solar amid fuel shortages

Yemen has now become one of the largest importers of solar panels, providing some comfort for families devastated by years of fighting between Saudi-UAE coalition and Houthis.

Millions of people have been displaced by the war in Yemen, now in its fifth year.

Many live in camps or abandoned buildings, with no electricity or proper sanitation facilities.

Fuel imports are restricted, or banned, making their hardship worse.

Many people are now turning to solar power to try to ease their suffering.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed al-Attab reports from Sanaa.

Israel arrests Palestinian university students

Israeli army is accusing occupied West Bank’s most prestigious university, Birzeit, of being recruitment centre for what it calls ‘terrorism’.

The Israeli army is accusing the occupied West Bank’s most prestigious university, Birzeit, of being a recruitment centre for what it calls “terrorism”.

Dozens of students are currently in Israeli jails.

The university denies the accusations but has told Al Jazeera that it fears there are more raids to come.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan reports from the occupied West Bank.

Lebanon's economic crisis fuelling Syria's currency fall

Many say the financial crisis in neighbouring Lebanon has further devalued Syria’s wounded economy.

Syria’s local currency has been under pressure for months as a result of the country’s deepening economic problems.

And in recent weeks, the value of the Syrian pound has plummeted.

Many say the financial crisis in neighbouring Lebanon has made the situation even worse.

Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from the Lebanon-Syria border.

Tackling drug addiction: Myanmar ethnic group steps up fight

How a rebel group in one of Myanmar’s main drug-growing areas is combating addiction.

Governments in Southeast Asia say more regional cooperation is needed to tackle a growing drug problem.

Much of the methamphetamine and opium comes from Myanmar, where armed groups use drug money to fund their wars against the government.

But as Wayne Hay reports, one of those armies says it is anti-drugs and is stepping up its fight against addiction.

Iraq: Gunfire heard as protesters storm US embassy in Baghdad over deadly airstrikes

Hundreds of Iraqi protesters have broken down the gate of the US embassy in Baghdad attempting to storm the compound.

Crowds have been gathering outside the building for hours over controversial American airstrikes that killed 25 fighters of an Iran-backed militia.

Gunfire has been heard at the scene and there are reports of tear gas.

It is understood that US embassy staff and the US ambassador are not in the building.

More follows…

Kenya floods: More rain expected in region

Authorities warn of more heavy rain in Kenya. Thousands have already been displaced after two months of flooding.

Thousands have been displaced in southern Kenya in the last week after the River Tana burst its banks.

More than 130 people have died across the country since October, as a result of flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains.

Nearly 20,000 people have been displaced.

Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb reports from one of the communities affected in Tana River County.

London Bridge attacker’s dark past in spotlight

Usman Khan, who killed two people and injured several others, had a terrorism conviction and was only released from prison last year.

It has been a week since the attack on London Bridge in which two people were killed and many others injured.

The attacker, Usman Khan, had a conviction for terrorism and was only released from prison last year.

He was taking part in a rehabilitation programme when he began stabbing people. The attack has led to many questions about the effectiveness of such initiatives.

Al Jazeera’s Emma Hayward reports.

Crude Oil Futures Hold Near 3-month High

Crude oil prices are moving in a tight band amid thin holiday deals Tuesday morning.

Despite a sluggish display today, oil futures look set for their biggest yearly rise in three years.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures for February are up marginally at $61.72 a barrel.

On Monday, WTI crude oil futures for February snapped a four-session winning streak and ended down $0.04 at $61.68 a barrel, after rising to a high of $62.34 earlier in the day.

Oil’s recent uptrend is due to easing concerns about the outlook for energy demand following China and the U.S. agreeing on a trade deal. The two countries are most likely to sign the deal sometime in January.

Other significant factors that have contributed to oil’s rise are the decision of OPEC and allies to deepen output cuts and extend the period of cuts to March 2020, and the ongoing political unrest in the Middle East.