Seventeen buildings by pioneering French architect Le Corbusier have been granted the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage status.

The UN's cultural agency said reggae music has contributed to "international discourse on issues" such as injustice and resistance. Kingston has described the music tradition as "uniquely Jamaican."

UNESCO adds the sprawling Mesopotamian city of Babylon to its World Heritage List, boosting Iraq's hopes of revived tourism nearly two years after jihadists ravaged other celebrated sites. Iraq had been trying since 1983 to have the site -- a massive 10-square-kilometre complex of which just 18% has been excavated thus far -- recognised by UNESCO.

Dutch ice skaters gather at dawn for one last glide at Kinderdijk frozen dike near Rotterdam, as temperatures are set to increase.

Ethiopia's Tigrayan rebels have seized the UNESCO World Heritage site Lalibela. The town, located in the northern Amhara region, is known for its rock-hewn churches dating from the 12th century. Some residents claimed fighters from the TPLF, Tigray's ruling party, entered Lalibela without a fight on Thursday, as security forces withdrew ahead of their advance. The United States has urged the TPLF to protect the historic site.

Kinshasa residents welcomed on Wednesday UNESCO's decision to add Congolese rumba to its list of global cultural treasures, although some older fans felt the genre lacked the storytelling power it had in the past.

In Niger the famous mosque of Agadez built about 700 years ago continues to attract tourists from all over the world. But unfortunately this UNESCO World Heritage Site is facing threats of destruction from floods due to climate change.