The daily photographic selection from The Guardian's picture editors on Thursday, 20th November 2025, presents a stark and moving tableau of global events, from conflict and natural disaster to moments of resilience and everyday life.
Conflict and Crisis Across the Globe
In the Gaza Strip, the human cost of conflict was painfully visible. Palestinian boys were photographed walking through the debris of a damaged building belonging to the Ministry of Religious Endowments, targeted by the Israeli army just a day earlier. Further south, in Khan Younis, grieving families mourned beside the bodies of their relatives at Nasser hospital. The Palestinian ministry of health reported that at least 24 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the north and south of Gaza.
The war in Ukraine also featured prominently, with a sombre image from Ternopil showing a man praying in front of an apartment building hit by a Russian missile the previous day.
Enforcement, Environment, and Education
Across the Atlantic, US border patrol agents were seen detaining a person in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of an immigration enforcement surge known as Operation Charlotte's Web. Meanwhile, on the US-Mexico border in Santa Teresa, military personnel stood near a US army Stryker armoured vehicle.
Environmental challenges were captured in several frames. In central Vietnam, a man waded through severe floodwaters in Nha Trang after a week of torrential rain. In New Delhi, a fisher cast his net into the Yamuna river, its surface obscured by a thick layer of polluted foam on a smoggy morning. The destructive power of nature was also shown in East Java, Indonesia, where a residential area was destroyed by a pyroclastic flow during the eruption of Mount Semeru.
Contrasting scenes of education emerged from different corners of the world. In Renk, South Sudan, children gathered at the window of a safe-space classroom run by War Child Holland. In Lianyungang, China, primary school students participated in a physical education class, a moment of normalcy and routine.
Community, Culture, and a Cold Snap in Britain
Moments of community and culture provided poignant counterpoints. In Acara, Brazil, a boy named Riquelme was photographed playing in the backyard of his home in a quilombola, an Afro-descendant community. In Nashville, Tennessee, Kelsea Ballerini performed at the 59th Country Music Association awards. Nairobi firefighters battled a blaze in the village of Mukuru Fuata Nyayo as residents attempted to salvage their belongings.
Closer to home for UK readers, a familiar winter scene unfolded in Seaham, England. People were seen passing the iconic Tommy statue on Terrace Green, the seafront landmark and its surroundings dusted with a layer of snow. This peaceful image offered a quiet moment of reflection amidst a day of global tumult.
