Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
Health workers move a man on a stretcher to an ambulance after a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025. Australian police said two people were in custody following reports of multiple gunshots on December 14 at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach, urging the public to take shelter. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)Landslide victims and rescue workers remove mud and debris after landslides in Badulla, Sri Lanka, 13 December 2025. Many parts of the island were inundated, and there were numerous landslides due to Cyclone Ditwah. According to the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center, more than 630 people have been killed and 193 are missing nationwide. Picture: EPA/CHAMILA KARUNARATHNEA person in a Santa Claus costume dives and poses at the Guadalajara Zoo Aquarium in Guadalajara, Mexico, 12 December 2025. Picture: EPA/FRANCISCO GUASCOTourists ride camels during the seventh annual Pyramids Half Marathon at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, 13 December 2025. The event brings together runners from around the world to compete under the slogan Race Through History, offering distances of 21 km, 10 km, and 5 km. Picture: EPA/Mohamed HossamNic von Rupp of Portugal rides a wave during a WSL big wave challenge surfing session in Nazare, on December 13, 2025. (Photo by FILIPE AMORIM / AFP)Protesters gather at a protest in Los Angeles, California, USA, 13 December 2025. Several groups, including 50501, Valley Defensa, Human Liberation Coalition, and Extinction Rebellion, marched to the mayor’s house to demand accountability and reform of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Picture: EPA/JILL CONNELLYA composite of 480 stacked long-exposure images shows Geminid meteors streaking across the night sky over the Skopska Crna Gora mountain, about 45 km north of the capital Skopje, North Macedonia, 14 December 2025.The Geminid meteor shower is one of the year’s most spectacular celestial events, filling the night sky with bright, slow-moving streaks of light. Originating from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, the Geminids often show vivid colors and long trails, making them a favorite among astronomers and night-sky photographers. Picture: EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKIA mural of South African Kwaito and hip hop artist Pitch Black Afro is seen in Newtown in Johannesburg, 14 December 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenAn artist dressed as the Hindu goddess Kali takes part in a religious procession to mark the fourth anniversary of the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, in Varanasi on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Niharika KULKARNI / AFP)An aerial view shows the large bamboo ceremonial structure for staging rituals and performances during the decennial Jiao Festival of Kam Tin in Hong Kong on December 13, 2025. The Taoist ritual, held once every ten years, is performed to give thanks to deities, ward off misfortune and pray for peace and prosperity in the community. (Photo by Leung Man Hei / AFP)A car destroyed following an Israeli strike, near Nablusi junction, in the west of Gaza City on, 13 December 2025, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli army stated it struck a key Hamas terrorist in the area of Gaza City. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa the drone strike that hit a vehicle near Nablusi junction resulted in multiple casualties. Picture: EPA/MOHAMMED SABEREmergency squad at the Gauteng Health media briefing on the state of readiness for the festive season at TotalEnergies Petroport N3 on December 12, 2025 in Heidelberg, South Africa. The briefing outlined the operational and resource preparedness of various entities to manage anticipated high volumes of emergencies during the festive season. (Photo by Gallo Images/OJ Koloti)Dancers from the Kalay Shakti dance group perform an Indian classical dance at the Shree Veeraboga Emperumal Temple (SVET) marking the the celebration following the global inscription on UNESCOS’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List declaring #DeepavaliGoesGlobal. The event was held by the Consulate General of India and (SVET) who are also marking the temple’s 108 anniversary. Picture: Rajesh JantilalCornelia Huetter of Austria in action during the Women’s Super G at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup stop in St. Moritz, Switzerland, 14 December 2025. Picture: EPA/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTTA person (L) dressed in a gingerbread man costume greets children during a Christmas parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 13 December 2025. Picture: EPA/Isaac FontanaTwo colossal alabaster statues of ancient Egyptian King Amenhotep III are re-erected at his mortuary temple on Luxor’s West Bank, Luxor, Egypt, 14 December 2025. Each statue stands over 10 metres tall and weighs around 100 tonnes. Picture: EPA/STRINGER
