24 hours in pictures, 21 May 2025

Picture of Michel Bega

Compiled by Michel Bega

Multimedia Editor


Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.


A general view shows a boat passing through the marina of Palm Jumeirah
A general view shows a boat passing through the marina of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai during foggy weather, with the landmark Burj Al-Arab (L) partially hidden behind the clouds, on May 21, 2025. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Lion dance performance to worship Lord Brahma at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine
Thai lion dance troupe performers, hired by foreign devotees, prepare to perform a lion dance to worship a statue of Lord Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, during a worship session after their prayers were fulfilled at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, 21 May 2025. The Erawan Shrine houses a golden statue of Lord Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. Built and blessed in 1956, the shrine is popular among both Thai and foreign tourists. Most devotees, primarily of Chinese origin, visit to offer prayers and hire Thai traditional dancers to perform worship rituals in gratitude after their wishes are fulfilled. Picture: EPA-EFE/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
An aerial view of the downtown area on 'soman' day
An aerial view of the downtown area on the day of ‘soman’, one of the 24 seasonal divisions of the calendar that marks the advent of a good time for planting, in Chuncheon, capital of South Korea’s northeastern province of Gangwon, South Korea, 21 May 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/YONHAP
Minister Enoch Godongwana Retables 2025 Budget Review
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana at the presentation of the Budget for the 2025/26 financial year at Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on May 21, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. This is the third time Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled the budget after he postponed the initial presentation in February following warnings from the Democratic Alliance (DA) to withdraw its support, and scrapped plans to increase VAT amid a court case with the DA and the EFF. (Photo by Gallo Images/Jeffrey Abrahams)
Aerial view of rice fields on the outskirts of Xingyi
Aerial view of rice fields on the outskirts of Xingyi, in China’s southwest Guizhou province, on May 21, 2025. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
Rising temperatures drive up watermelon demand in Peshawar
A vendor sells watermelons at a roadside market as temperatures rise in Peshawar, Pakistan, 21 May 2025. With the start of summer, watermelon demand has increased, selling at 50-60 Pakistani rupees (0.18-0.21 USD) per kilogram, according to the local fruit and vegetable market committee. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of a heatwave, with temperatures potentially exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in some regions. Picture: EPA-EFE/ARSHAD ARBAB
Bielefeld residents prepare for DFB cup final
A drone view shows the ‘Hermann Memorial’ wearing an oversized jersey of the soccer club DSC Arminia Bielefeld, a DFB Cup 2025 finalist which also got promoted to the Bundesliga 2, in the Teutoburg forest near Detmold, Germany, 20 May 2025. Arminia Bielefeld will face VfB Stuttgart, in the DFB Cup final on 24 May 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF
A model presents a creation by the Marangoni Miami
A model presents a creation by the Marangoni Miami brand during Bogota Fashion Week in Bogota on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Luis ACOSTA / AFP)
A farmer works in a rice field
A farmer works in a rice field on the outskirts of Xingyi, in China’s southwest Guizhou province, on May 21, 2025. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
A Private Life
Kimberley Garner at the premiere of ‘Vie Privee (A Private Life)’ during the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 20 May 2025. The film festival runs from 13 to 24 May 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN
inflatable dinghies and outboard engines
An aerial photograph shows inflatable dinghies and outboard engines stored in a Port Authority yard in Dover, south-east England, on May 21, 2025. More than 12,500 migrants have made the perilous Channel crossing so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on figures from the UK’s interior ministry. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

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