A World in Focus: Conflict, Climate and Resilience
The past week has presented a stark tableau of global events, from ongoing conflicts to environmental challenges and moments of human resilience. Through the lenses of the world's leading photojournalists, we see the raw reality of life in Gaza, the disruption of a major climate summit, and the continued assault on Ukraine.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in Gaza and West Bank
In Gaza City, the devastating impact of two years of Israeli attacks is painfully visible. Thousands of Palestinian families are now facing winter living in torn and leaking tents after losing their homes. The situation is compounded by a 'catastrophic' drop-off in donations to fundraisers for Palestinian civilians since the ceasefire was announced in October.
The conflict's human cost remains high. At the Palestine-Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Younis, medical staff treated a Palestinian child injured in an Israeli attack on the al-Mawasi district. Israel stated its soldiers came under fire in the area, though they suffered no reported casualties.
Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza has reported a sobering statistic: more than 300 deaths have occurred since the ceasefire came into effect, averaging more than seven fatalities per day. Palestinians continue to inspect the ruins of buildings targeted in Israeli strikes.
In the West Bank, tensions escalated at the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem, where an Israeli soldier aimed his weapon at protesters calling for the return of displaced Palestinians. The total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces and settlers since 7 October 2023 in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, now exceeds 1,000 people.
Violence has also increased as Palestinian farmers attempt to harvest their olive trees before the season ends, facing harassment from armed Israeli settlers. Israeli security forces clashed with 'hilltop youth' as they evacuated and demolished an illegal outpost near the Jewish settlement of Metzad.
Ukraine Conflict and Global Diplomacy
In Eastern Europe, the war in Ukraine continued its destructive path. In Ternopil, rescuers worked at the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike. Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least 25 people in the city amid reports that US and Russian officials were quietly drafting a new plan to end the war.
This proposed plan would require Kyiv to surrender territory and severely limit the size of its military. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed this week he would negotiate with Donald Trump on a US-backed peace plan that calls for painful concessions to end the Kremlin's invasion.
The frontline town of Kostiantynivka showed further evidence of the conflict's toll, with a Ukrainian serviceman walking near apartment buildings damaged by a Russian military strike.
Climate Challenges and Global Unrest
At the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil, talks were unexpectedly disrupted when a fire broke out at the Pavilion of Countries. The blaze triggered an evacuation just as negotiators were preparing to finalise a deal to strengthen international efforts to address the climate crisis.
Environmental concerns were also highlighted in England, where environmental campaigners filmed a large pile of fly-tipped waste dumped in a field between the River Cherwell and the A34 road near Kidlington. Evidence suggested some waste originated from primary schools and local authorities in south-east England, raising concerns about potential large-scale fraud or corruption in local authority waste management.
Severe weather caused significant disruption on both sides of the Atlantic. In Naivasha, Kenya, residents used push poles to manoeuvre makeshift rafts over a flooded access road after heavy rains caused Lake Naivasha to flood nearby homes, displacing families. Similarly, in Monmouth, Wales, a man and woman navigated Monnow Street by boat after Storm Claudia caused severe and widespread flooding.
In Indonesia, Mount Semeru erupted, unleashing searing clouds of hot ash that travelled up to 7km down its slopes, covering the surrounding area in volcanic ash.
Social Movements and Global Events
Social unrest manifested in various forms worldwide. In Mexico City, at least 120 people were injured as thousands of Gen Z protesters took to the streets to voice anger at corruption and drug violence that claims tens of thousands of Mexican lives annually. The protests contrasted with cultural celebrations elsewhere in the country, where people participated in the National Dancing Masks festival in Coscomatepec de Bravo.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, protesters lay on the ground during the women's nationwide shutdown at Constitution Hill ahead of the G20 summit. The group Women for Change called on communities across South Africa to refrain from all paid and unpaid work to demonstrate the economic and social impact of their absence and demand that gender-based violence and femicide be declared a national disaster.
In the United States, immigration enforcement operations continued aggressively. In Charlotte, North Carolina, US Border Patrol agents detained individuals as part of Operation Charlotte's Web, an ongoing immigration enforcement surge across the region. Authorities detained at least 130 people in North Carolina's largest city, prompting Governor Josh Stein to warn that the crackdown was simply 'stoking fear' and causing severe disruption.
Meanwhile, in Tampa, Florida, an immigrant woman deemed eligible for an expedited order of removal waited in detainment shackles to board air transport by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On the diplomatic front, Donald Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to the White House, showing him the Presidential Walk of Fame. Trump shrugged off the Saudi regime's 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, describing the journalist as 'extremely controversial' and dismissing the killing by saying 'things happen'. This marked the crown prince's first visit to the US since Khashoggi's murder and dismemberment in Istanbul by Saudi state operatives.
Conservation and Celebration
Amid the conflict and challenges, moments of conservation and celebration emerged. In Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service rangers guided a juvenile Masai giraffe into a transportation crate using ropes after tranquillising it from a helicopter. The giraffes are being moved out of their natural habitat in the Rift Valley, which is deteriorating after having been sold.
In sports, Curaçao players and fans celebrated qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals after a goalless draw with Jamaica at the National Stadium in Kingston. Curaçao will be the smallest nation – by both land area and population – ever to play at the World Cup, with winger Kenji Gorré describing the achievement as 'an impossibility that is made possible'.
These twenty photographs collectively tell the story of a world grappling with conflict, environmental pressures, and social change, while still finding moments of resilience, conservation, and celebration.
