Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
A group of people against foreigners are separated by a line of South African Police officers with riot shields, from about 100 people (not visible), taking part in a march, organised by the March and March movement, protesting against illegal immigrants, in Wynberg, a Cape Town suburb, on June 20, 2026. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)A Japanese photographer aims his camera to the stands during celebrations at the end of the 2026 World Cup Group F football match between Tunisia and Japan at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, on June 20, 2026. Japan defeated Tunisia won 4-0. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP)A Ukrainian rescuer holds a parrot rescued after an airstrike in Kharkiv on June 20, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A Russian aerial attack killed one person and wounded nine others in Kharkiv city in eastern Ukraine, local authorities said on June 20, 2026. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)Lorraine Arbuckle watches as Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg Helen Zille signs an autograph on her book titled “Not Without a Fight” by Helen Zille at Panorama Primary School, Weltevredenpark, west of Johannesburg, 20 June 2026, as part of her visits to voting stations across Johannesburg. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenBrides and grooms dance at their wedding reception of twin brothers Taiwo and Kehinde Oguntoye and twin sisters Taiwo and Kehinde Adediran at the International Conference Center in Ibadan, on June 20, 2026. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP)People take part in a yoga session to celebrate International Yoga Day at the Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in Yangon on June 21, 2026. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla briefs media after their expulsion from the MK Party in Sandton, Johannesburg, 21 June 2026. They were expelled from the MK Party because of continued behaviour which undermined the party’s authority. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The CitizenPeople march near the Colosseum during the Pride Parade in Rome on June 20, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)A ballon vendor sits in front of closed shops during the Surabaya Fashion Festival along a street in Surabaya on June 21, 2026. (Photo by JUNI KRISWANTO / AFP)A swimmer dives into the Canal Saint-Martin, from an unapproved spot for swimming as France experiences a heatwave in Paris on June 20, 2026. Due to the ongoing heatwave sweeping across France – the Bassin des Recollets – a portion of the Canal Saint-Martin in the French capital has been opened for swimming from June 17. France issued a red heatwave alert across more than a third of the country for June 21, as a ferocious heatwave dug in and the government banned the consumption of alcohol in certain areas during the annual Fete de la Musique festivities. (Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP)A competitor gets ready before fighting in an MMA (mixed martial arts) arena during the Knights of the Cage, a gala of a medieval armored combat or buhurt, in Onet-le-Chateau, southwestern France, on June 20, 2026. Fighters in armor with shields and swords, or axes, have taken part in about twenty fights in an MMA cage in Aveyron. It was overwhelmingly men who fought in individual “behourd profight” clashes, presented as the modern version of “what was the equivalent of MMA of the Middle Ages” by the town hall of Onet-le-Chateau. French, Polish, and British fighters participated in this event at the Salle d’Armes Ecole Ancienne (SAEA), a club specializing in buhurt. “The word ‘buhurt’ comes from Old French; it was a recreational activity for men in the Middle Ages… It’s the intersection of history and combat sports,” explains Clement Carsac, president of SAEA Aveyron. Before the fights, participants must be weighed because, as in boxing, there are weight categories in buhurt profight. They then put on their armor and helmets, which can weigh up to six kilos. The outfit is rather expensive: “A complete set costs between 3,000 and 4,000 euros,” according to Clement Carsac. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP)France were crowned the FIH Nations Cup champions after edging hosts South Africa 2-1 in front of thousands of supporters at the Hartleyvale Stadium in the shadow of the Table Mountain cheering the home side chasing their First Nations Cup title on home soil in Cape Town over the weekend. Picture: Rajesh JantilalSudanese refugee women perform traditional songs and dances during an event marking World Refugee Day at the Ura Refugee Site in Asosa Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia, on June 20, 2026. (Photo by Marco Simoncelli / AFP)EFF president Julius Malema greets members during the party’s Voter Registration Weekend Programme at Bagale Primary School on June 20, 2026 in Atteridgeville, South Africa. The programme forms part of the EFF’s nationwide campaign aimed at encouraging voter registration ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. (Photo by Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images)Azerbaijan’s Team competes in the five balls routine of the 2026 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Beijing on June 21, 2026. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
