Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
US rock climber Alex Honnold raises his arms from the top of the Taipei 101 building after he successfully free soloed the landmark skyscraper without ropes or safety gear in Taipei on January 25, 2026. (Photo by I-HWA CHENG / AFP)National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA)’s marches to the U.S. Consulate in Sandton, 24 January 2026, to handover a memorandum to reject American aggression against Venezuela and to demand the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and the first Lady Cilia Flores. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenA man wearing traditional simba mask, a famous senegalese culture attire of handmade cloth dance along the streets during the Janjanbureh Kankurang Festival in Janjanbureh, Central River Region, on January 24,2026. Held every January, the festival is an expression of Mandinka cultural heritage, celebrating identity, community values and the continuity of tradition. The Janjanbureh Kankurang Festival has grown into a multi-day cultural event, bringing together culture bearers, artists, performers and visitors from across The Gambia and beyond. (Photo by MUHAMADOU BITTAYE / AFP)A snow removal machine is seen working on the tarmac of LaGuardia airport in New York on January 25, 2026. A massive winter storm on January 24, 2026 dumped snow and freezing rain on New Mexico and Texas as it swept across the United States towards the northeast, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. Shoppers stripped supermarket shelves as the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast huge snowfall in some areas and possibly “catastrophic” ice accumulations. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)Memorial service for Vanderbijlpark crash victims at Saul Roster Sports Ground in Sebokeng, 23 January 2026. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenA Palestinian boy searches for recyclable material at a landfill against the backdrop of destroyed buildings in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip on January 25, 2026. Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations. (Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP)Cars make their way along a mountain road outside Cortina, northern Italy, prior to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)Julius Malema appears for pre-sentencing in the firearms discharge case at East London Regional Court on January 23, 2026 in East London, South Africa. Julius Malema was convicted in October 2025 of unlawfully possessing and firing a firearm in public, from a 2018 incident where he fired a rifle at a rally. (Photo by Gallo Images/Randell Roskruge)Women mountain bikers share a light moment during the Team Absa Mountain bikers training camp at the Absa Karkloof Country Club in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in Howick over the weekend. This annual camp serves not only as a final check on preparation for the gruelling Absa Cape Epic but also as a celebration of community empowerment. The training camp held over four days, exposed the bikers to breathtaking cycling routes, aimed at preparing them for the upcoming ultimate challenge of the Absa Cape Epic. The Absa #SheUntamed movement is a cornerstone that empowers women and young girls and this year’s programme will see the ladies take on the Absa Cape Epic set to take place in March in Cape Town. Picture: Rajesh JantilalA march of protesters waving flags, moves away from the entrance to the Crowborough Training Camp, a former military site, in Crowborough, south-east England on January 25, 2026, during a protest calling for the barracks not to be used to house asylum seekers. Britain’s government confirmed on January 22, that the first 27 illegal migrants had been moved into the Crowborough military barracks in East Sussex, which will eventually house more than 500 illegal migrants. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Wayne Parnell and wife Aisha Baker at the Bridgerton Season 4 Launch: Red Carpet at V&A Waterfront on January 24, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. Bridgerton Season 4 is celebrating its launch with a global tour that includes a dedicated premiere event in South Africa, following the world premiere in Paris on January 14th. (Photo by Gallo Images/ER Lombard)Fikile Mbalula (ANC Secretary-General) during day 1 of the African National Congress National Executive Committee at Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre on January 24, 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This gathering comes right after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s January 8 Statement, where he laid out the party’s key priorities for the year, focusing on decisive actions to fix local government and transform the economy ahead of the upcoming local elections. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo)67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day Founder, Carolyn Steyn, at Steyn City in Johannesburg, 25 January 2026, during the 12th Birthday celebrations and so far celebrated an early 67 Blankets are knitted. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen
