The past seven days have been captured in a series of powerful and poignant images by leading photojournalists across the globe. From the ongoing devastation of conflict in Ukraine and Gaza to natural disasters in Asia and a moment of political spectacle in Washington, these twenty photographs document a world in flux.
Conflict and Human Cost
The grim realities of war remained starkly visible. In Ukraine, the frontline town of Kostyantynivka showed a soldier walking past utterly destroyed buildings, a testament to the intensifying Russian attacks. A separate image from Kyiv revealed a haunting scene: a Ukrainian soldier's uniform hanging inside a charred wardrobe following a drone strike. Meanwhile, in the eastern regions, a soldier from the Da Vinci Wolves battalion was pictured carrying an artillery shell, underscoring the relentless fighting.
In Gaza, the human toll continued to mount. Displaced children were seen playing in the wreckage of a car in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, a stark contrast to the reported Palestinian death toll surpassing 70,000. Another image from Khan Younis showed mourners at a funeral for five Palestinians, including two children, killed in an Israeli strike.
Global Disasters and Political Moves
Heavy monsoon rains and tropical cyclones brought devastation to parts of Asia. In Colombo, Sri Lanka, a woman stood inside her flood-affected home, while in Padang, Indonesia, a woman walked among tree trunks following deadly flash floods and landslides that killed over 700 people on Sumatra island alone. The outskirts of Chennai, India, were also submerged as people waded through floodwater from Cyclone Ditwah.
On the political stage, former US President Donald Trump was in the spotlight, shaking hands with FIFA President Gianni Infantino before receiving the inaugural FIFA peace prize during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC. Concurrently, his administration's immigration crackdown, dubbed 'Catahoula Crunch', continued in Louisiana, with Border Patrol agents detaining individuals at worksites and on streets in New Orleans, leaving immigrant communities terrified.
Moments of Contrast and Resilience
The week also held moments of eerie contrast and human spirit. In Gaza, a youth played on the rubble of a destroyed building as the year's last supermoon, the Cold Moon, rose over the Nuseirat camp. In Hong Kong, emergency crews removed bodies past collapsed bamboo scaffolding after a deadly residential fire that claimed at least 159 lives, an event officials warned against exploiting for political disruption.
Elsewhere, diplomacy continued as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi, assuring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "uninterrupted" oil shipments. In Rome, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni laughed during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics cauldron lighting, and in El Salvador, a performer spat fire during a parade marking National Clown Day.
These twenty frames, frozen in time, collectively tell the story of a week marked by profound loss, political manoeuvring, natural fury, and enduring glimpses of daily life and resilience amidst global turmoil.
