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Children's Art Supplies Enter into Gaza for First Time in Two Years

A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Children's Art Supplies Enter into Gaza for First Time in Two Years

A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

The UN children's agency (UNICEF) told AFP on Friday that it was able to bring recreational supplies including notebooks, crayons and art materials into the war-scarred Gaza Strip for the first time in more than two years.

Since the start of the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, humanitarian organizations have repeatedly denounced major difficulties bringing equipment and supplies into the Palestinian territory, blaming Israeli restrictions.

Israel rejects those accusations, saying it oversees the entry of goods into Gaza to ensure its security.

UNICEF's announcement comes after the United States announced in mid-January the launch of phase two of President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in effect since October 2025.

"Since Thursday 15 January, 5,168 recreational kits have entered the Strip, supporting more than 375,000 children -- including 1,000 children with disabilities," UNICEF said in a statement.

COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, told AFP it was not in a position to comment immediately.

Phase two of Trump's peace plan aims at paving the way for Gaza's reconstruction including the gradual restoration of public services, but does not include specifics about the school system which has been largely paralysed for more than two years.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, US officials presented their vision for a "New Gaza" that would turn the shattered Palestinian territory into a glitzy resort of skyscrapers by the sea, saying the transformation could emerge in three years.

The issue of education was not mentioned among priorities for "the next 100 days".

UNICEF official Ted Chaiban, who visited Gaza this week, called for the authorisation to bring all other educational and early childhood development supplies into the territory.

Quoted in the UNICEF statement, he said these would provide children "with the most basic materials they need to be able to learn".

Humanitarian officials have told AFP they have not obtained authorisation from Israel to bring in school supplies.

AFP correspondents in the Gaza Strip say they have seen school supplies sold on the private market at exorbitant prices.

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Varieties

'Large-scale' Avalanche Kills Two Skiers in French Alps

Members of the CRS Alpes Grenoble mountain rescue team prepare to board a Securite Civile helicopter (emergency management) after after an avalanche emergency response rescue mission in an off-piste area of the Ecrins massif, French Alps on January 29, 2026. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)
Members of the CRS Alpes Grenoble mountain rescue team prepare to board a Securite Civile helicopter (emergency management) after after an avalanche emergency response rescue mission in an off-piste area of the Ecrins massif, French Alps on January 29, 2026. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)
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'Large-scale' Avalanche Kills Two Skiers in French Alps

Members of the CRS Alpes Grenoble mountain rescue team prepare to board a Securite Civile helicopter (emergency management) after after an avalanche emergency response rescue mission in an off-piste area of the Ecrins massif, French Alps on January 29, 2026. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)
Members of the CRS Alpes Grenoble mountain rescue team prepare to board a Securite Civile helicopter (emergency management) after after an avalanche emergency response rescue mission in an off-piste area of the Ecrins massif, French Alps on January 29, 2026. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)

An avalanche has killed two off-piste ski tourers in the French Alps, a local prosecutor said on Sunday.

According to local rescue services, the two men died when an avalanche was triggered on Saturday afternoon near the village of Saint-Veran, known as the highest village in the French Alps.

The two victims-- one born in 1997 and the other in 1991 -- were part of a group of four unguided skiers when a "large-scale" avalanche swept down the north side of the Tete de Longet mountain peak, Gap prosecutor Marion Lozac'hmeur told AFP.

The other two skiers were unharmed, Lozac'hmeur added.

An autopsy has been ordered as part of an investigation into the cause of death, according to the prosecutor.

Avalanches have already claimed the lives of more than 20 skiers across the French, Swiss and Austrian Alps so far this season.

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Olympic Tourists in Cortina Can Explore the Dolomites with the New ‘Uber Snowmobile’ Service

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Olympic Tourists in Cortina Can Explore the Dolomites with the New ‘Uber Snowmobile’ Service

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

For one month starting on Saturday, Olympic spectators keen for a side trip to a UNESCO World Heritage Site can use Uber to reserve a ride on a snowmobile along the snow-covered road to the base of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo.

The dramatic, jagged limestone pinnacles stand just 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) from the Cortina venues where athletes are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

One of the Olympic torchbearers, Giulia Baffetti, runs snowmobiling tours through Cortina-based winter activities outfit Snowdreamers. The company partnered with Uber, the official ride-hailing sponsor for the Games, to offer free tours on the weekends in February to people in town.

"Uber Snowmobile" tours, which can only be booked through Uber, include a ride in an Uber transfer bus for up to eight people from Cortina to the spot where riders mount their snowmobiles for departure. Tourgoers then follow the instructor, who leads the line of snowmobiles.

The first slots offered went fast, but Uber spokesperson Caspar Nixon said Friday that it planned to add more.

The three peaks are a magical place, Baffetti said, and this is a way for more people to experience it. Hikers and climbers flock there in the warmer months. In the winter, it’s a prime spot for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. Snowmobiling is allowed in a limited area in order to protect the environment.

"We want to give an experience to the tourists, so they can feel the mountains in a different way," she said.

The Associated Press took the one-hour tour on Thursday, ahead of the Saturday launch, along with one other person. Helmets are essential, while heated handgrips are a most welcome feature. And that red button? Passengers can push it to stop the snowmobile if it veers off course or they feel unsafe.

The adrenaline-filled ride reaches speeds up to 40 kph (25 mph) when zooming past snow-covered trees, and drivers are instructed to slow when coming upon cross-country skiers and sledders. Deer and wolves are sometimes seen along the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) route up to the base of the peaks.

Also visible on Thursday was the southernmost of the three Lavaredo peaks, rising sharply out of the fog. While the Dolomites are breathtaking from Cortina — and on Friday, the sun shone and the view was clear from town — they are even more impressive up close.

The route back includes a short loop around Lake Antorno. Before traversing all the ups and downs, the snowmobile instructor leading the tour offers a reminder about that red button.

Saher Deeb, an Israeli tourist, was along for the ride Thursday, one day after his 29th birthday. It was his first time on a snowmobile, and he was all smiles as he climbed off at the end.

"It was perfect," he said.

Varieties

French Duo Finish Walking from France to Shanghai After 1.5 Years

Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
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French Duo Finish Walking from France to Shanghai After 1.5 Years

Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)

Two French adventurers reached the end of an epic walk from France to Shanghai on Saturday, after nearly a year and a half crossing 16 countries almost entirely on foot.

Loic Voisot and Benjamin Humblot embraced as they stood by the river on the Bund promenade, the financial hub's distinctive skyline glittering in the background.

Voisot and Humblot set off from Annecy in September 2024.

"We were thinking about this moment almost every day for more than a year now, so it's a really strong feeling," Humblot said of reaching their destination.

Hanging out after work one day, the two friends realized they both yearned for a "great adventure".

They wanted to visit China -- but without flying, which they believe is too harmful to the environment.

A plan to set out on foot was hatched, and except for a stretch in Russia which was done by bus for safety reasons, 518 days and around 12,850 kilometers (7,980 miles) later they took the last steps to completing it.

Around 50 people gathered at the start point for the last 10km stretch of their odyssey, many local people who have been following them on social media.

Along the way their numbers swelled, as media, French residents of Shanghai and others joined.

"If your dreams are crazy, just take it step by step and sometimes you will not succeed, but sometimes you will," said Voisot.

Asked what he would do first now the walk was over, he joked: "Sleep a lot!"