Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a fire following an air attack on an industrial infrastructure facility in Zaporizhzhia on May 15, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Darya NAZAROVA / AFP)
NCC Leader Fadiel Adams appears at Pinetown Magistrate’s Court for bail application on May 15, 2026 in Pinetown, South Africa. Fadiel Adams faces charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice in relation to his alleged interference with the murder probe into ANC Youth League SG, Sindiso Magaqa. (Photo by Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)
Power lines are pictured on a street at Petare neighborhood in Caracas on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One after his departure from Beijing Capital Airport on May 15, 2026, on his way back to the United States. Trump said he had made “fantastic trade deals” with China’s Xi Jinping, as the pair met on May 15 at final talks of a superpower summit that according to the US leader has also reaped a Chinese offer to help open the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
Rescuers work at a residential building partially destroyed following Russian drone and missile strikes in Kyiv on May 14, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Ukraine’s capital came under heavy aerial attack early on May 14, an AFP journalist reported, as Kyiv’s mayor said Russia was striking the city. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)
Staff remove water from the tarp covering the clay court after the semi-final match between Italy’s Luciano Darderi and Norway’s Casper Ruud was interrupted due to a storm during the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 15, 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
Crew members at the change of command parades for SAS Amatola and SAS King Shaka Zulu at Simons Town Naval Base on May 14, 2026 in Simons Town, South Africa. The parades mark significant leadership transitions within the South African Navy and reaffirm the Navy’s commitment to professionalism, continuity and effective defense of a democratic South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)
Released Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) wrapped with Ukrainian national flags hug each other following a prisoner exchange at an undisclosed location, in the Chernihiv region on May 15, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each on May 15, Moscow and Kyiv said, a week after US President Donald Trump announced a large swap would take place between the warring sides. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)
Pedestrians cross rue de Rivoli at sunset in Paris on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
A French Foreign Legion paratrooper from the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) takes aim from behind a tree during a urban assault exercise in La Souterraine, central France, on May 14, 2026. The exercise, running from May 11 to 20 across Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Centre-Val de Loire, tests short-notice redeployment and interoperability between air and ground components — capabilities central to France’s contribution to NATO rapid-reaction forces. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP)
French actor Vincent Macaigne carries French actress and model Laetitia Casta on the red carpet as they arrive for the screening of the film “Karma” at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France on May 15, 2026. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)
A tourist boat sails under the Pont-Neuf bridge as “The Pont Neuf’s cave”, French photographer and street artist JR’s newest artwork, is being installed in Paris on May 15, 2026. As a tribute to the late French artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 1985 “Pont Neuf wrapped” performance on Paris’ oldest bridge, JR is set to completely transform the Pont Neuf into a long, monumental “cavern” of canvases and open space that will change the capital’s skyline from June 6 to June 28, 2026. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
People walk past a fire set by demonstrators during a protest against the lack of energy and blackouts in the Lawton neighborhood in Havana on May 14, 2026. Cuba blamed the United States for the “particularly tense” situation in its electricity grid, as the east of the country was hit by another widespread power cut on May 14, 2026. Washington has once again offered $100 million in aid, which the island’s government is “willing” to consider. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP)
Well-known entrepreneur, television personality and arts advocate Lenore Goss-Matjie (right) embraces her daughter, Meah Matjie ( left), during a proud and memorable celebration at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Westville campus in Durban, where Meah graduated as a Medical Doctor on Wednesday. Meah received her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree during the graduation ceremony attended by family, friends and supporters. Beaming with pride, Lenore congratulated her daughter on the achievement, saying: “I am so proud of my eldest daughter for achieving this remarkable accomplishment. It is a meaningful and inspiring moment for the Goss-Matjie family and the wider community.” Known for her role on The Mommy Club: Sugar & Spice, Lenore continues to inspire many through her dedication to family, entrepreneurship and the arts. Looking on is Meah’s boyfriend Kiarin Naidoo ( right) a 5th year Medical Student at (UKZN). PHOTO:RAJESH JANTILAL
Riot police on motorcycles chase miners through tear gas during a march to demand the resignation of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, in La Paz, on May 14, 2026. For the past two weeks, workers, farmers, school teachers, Indigenous groups and transport workers have been pressuring the government. Their demands range from wage increases and economic stabilization to opposition to the privatization of public companies. (Photo by AIZAR RALDES / AFP)
Participants wave Palestinian flags during a pro-Palestinian demonstration under the motto ‘Song Protest Vienna 2026 – No Stage for Genocide’ against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), in front of the Maria Theresa Monument in Vienna, Austria, on May 15, 2026. (Photo by Joe Klamar / AFP)
