Thursday, 15 January 2026, presented a world of contrasts captured through the lens of global photojournalism. The day's most pressing news came from the skies, as a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the international Crew-11 mission made an unscheduled early return to Earth. Meanwhile, picture editors curated a visual journey from festive dances in India to a critical environmental failure in the UK.
SpaceX Crew Forced into Early Landing
The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, bringing its crew home a month ahead of schedule. The premature return was necessitated by an undisclosed medical issue concerning one of the astronauts on board. The crew comprised a truly international team: NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.
Photographs show the four crew members inside the capsule shortly after landing, marking the end of a truncated mission to the International Space Station. The spacecraft's re-entry created a dramatic plasma trail streaking across the west coast of the United States, visible from Los Angeles.
A World in Focus: From Celebration to Crisis
Beyond the space mission, Thursday's selected images painted a rich tapestry of global events. In Guwahati, India, dancers performed the vibrant bagurumba dance during rehearsals for the Bwisagu festival, which marks the Bodo New Year.
Closer to home, a significant infrastructure failure was being addressed in Whitchurch, UK. Staff from the Canal and River Trust and rescue services worked to recover two boats stranded in the collapsed Llangollen canal. The embankment had failed on 22 December 2025, releasing millions of gallons of water into neighbouring fields.
Culture, Politics, and Nature
The day's visuals spanned numerous other themes. In Takasaki, Japan, a pile of traditional daruma dolls burned at the Shorinzan Darumaji Temple in an annual ceremony where the lucky charms are symbolically returned to flames once wishes are fulfilled.
In The Hague, Netherlands, Paulus Potter’s famous 1647 painting The Bull was revealed to the media after a year and a half of restoration, ahead of its return to the Potter Gallery in February.
UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper visited an army training area in Mauken, Norway, to discuss Russian and Chinese threats to the Arctic and NATO's regional presence. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Palestine, a starkly different scene unfolded as a premature baby received care in the neonatal intensive care unit at al-Awda hospital.
From the smog-shrouded Republic Day parade rehearsals in New Delhi to the European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, the photographs of the day served as a powerful reminder of our planet's simultaneous beauty, struggle, and diversity.
