A Global Tapestry: Royalty, Rock, and Resilience
On Thursday, 13th November 2025, The Guardian's picture editors curated a compelling visual narrative of events unfolding across the world. From royal engagements and rock concerts to the stark realities of conflict and environmental challenges, the day's photographs offered a powerful glimpse into the human experience.
Diplomacy, Performance, and Daily Life
In Singapore, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, conducted an official visit to celebrate six decades of diplomatic ties between the UK and Singapore. Her itinerary included a stop at the Airbus Asia Training Centre, highlighting the ongoing collaboration in aviation and training between the two nations.
Meanwhile, in Melbourne, Australia, the iconic sounds of AC/DC filled the Melbourne Cricket Ground as guitarist Angus Young delivered a powerhouse performance during the band's Power Up tour. The event showcased the enduring appeal of the rock legends, captivating a massive audience.
The day also featured moments of solemn ceremony and vibrant artistry. In Beijing, a People's Liberation Army honour guard participated in a welcoming ceremony for Spain's King Felipe VI, while in Mexico City, acrobats took to the stage in Cirque du Soleil's latest production, 'OVO'.
Conflict, Conservation, and Community
In more sombre news, the human cost of conflict was starkly visible. In Khan Younis, Gaza, Alaa Shabat was pictured with her six children after moving into a tent within the grounds of the city's Austrian cemetery. This drastic measure was taken after her husband became too ill to work, underscoring the dire humanitarian situation.
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visited a command position of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade at the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, demonstrating solidarity with his troops. Back in Kyiv, citizens navigated the city during enforced blackout hours, a necessary precaution due to Russian attacks on power infrastructure.
Environmental and community efforts were also in focus. In Ballersdorf, France, beekeepers from Api&Co are battling an invasive species by marking Asian hornets with felt-tip pens. Using advanced techniques like thermographic binoculars, they work to locate and neutralise the pests' nests to protect local biodiversity.
Closer to home in the UK, the Lumiere festival in Durham illuminated the night with stunning light works, including 'Elysium Garden' by Jigantics, displayed outside the historic Durham Cathedral for the festival's final edition.
Other notable images included a sponge farmer from the women-led Zanzibar’s Sponge Farmers’ Cooperative tending to her crops, a boy playing cricket on a smoggy bank of New Delhi's Yamuna River, and a man leading a cow at sunset in Afghanistan's Balkh province, painting a rich and diverse portrait of a single day on our planet.
