A Week in Global Images: Conflict, Climate, and Space Exploration
This gallery presents 20 powerful photographs capturing pivotal moments from around the world over the past seven days, offering a stark visual narrative of current events. Warning: some images may be distressing.
Middle East Tensions Escalate
In Bat Yam, Israel, mourners gathered for the funeral of Staff Sgt Maxim Antis, who died in battle in southern Lebanon. This comes as Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, announced plans to occupy parts of south Lebanon and destroy homes along the border, potentially displacing around 600,000 residents and raising fears of long-term forced displacement.
In Jerusalem, police removed demonstrators protesting a new law approved by Israel's parliament, which introduces the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. The bill mandates that those sentenced will be held in isolated facilities with restricted visits and video-only legal consultations, with executions scheduled within 90 days of sentencing.
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, flamenco students danced in an underground parking garage after air raid sirens interrupted their studio class, warning of incoming missiles from Iran. Iran launched approximately 10 missiles into central Israel just hours before the Jewish Passover festival, with allies like Hezbollah and the Houthis also attacking with rockets and missiles.
Ukraine Under Drone Attacks
In Kharkiv, Ukraine, passengers were evacuated from trains during a Russian air attack threat. Notably, Russia's army recorded no territorial gains on the frontline in Ukraine in March, marking the first such occurrence in two and a half years, according to AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War.
A woman with burns received treatment in Kramatorsk after a Shahed drone attack on a residential building. Russian strikes across Ukraine on Thursday killed at least two people and wounded dozens, as Moscow intensified its attacks amid stalled peace talks.
Rescuers worked at the site of a Russian drone strike on a residential building in Kharkiv, where officials reported at least 20 drone strikes, some causing fires and injuring two people, including an eight-year-old girl.
Environmental and Space Events
In Heraklion, Crete, people walked through a haze caused by a Saharan dust storm, which blanketed the island with winds up to force 9 on the Beaufort scale, forcing several flights to be rerouted. Birds were seen perching on trees amidst the unusual conditions.
A hillside wildfire blazed in Chiang Mai, Thailand, as seasonal agricultural burning and forest fires contributed to an exceptional haze across northern Thailand, part of south-east Asia's annual pollution season.
At Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA's Artemis II Orion spacecraft ascended after lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center. The four astronauts on this mission are approaching 100,000 miles from Earth, heading towards the moon and set to reach the farthest distance humans have ever travelled into space.
Political and Social Unrest
In West Palm Beach, Florida, President Donald Trump waved while exiting Air Force One, amid accusations of running a 'misogynistic administration' after firing Pam Bondi, the second woman dismissed from his cabinet. This move came amid frustration over her performance, particularly regarding files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In Los Angeles, California, LAPD officers arrested a protester dressed as Lady Liberty in chains during the No Kings national day of protest. Organisers reported over 8 million participants at more than 3,300 events across the US and in dozens of countries, protesting the Trump administration.
In Tehran, Iran, portraits of girls killed in an airstrike on Minab school hung on a statue at Vanak square, one month after the bombing that killed at least 160 children and teachers. No one has been held accountable, with the US military investigating and President Trump denying responsibility.
Humanitarian Crises Persist
In Khan Younis, Gaza, relatives mourned over the body of a man killed in an overnight Israeli strike at a funeral at Nasser hospital. Nearly 30 months after the war began and five months post-ceasefire, airstrikes continue to kill civilians, with dire humanitarian conditions.
In Beirut, Lebanon, children played in a school courtyard turned into a temporary displacement camp, as Israeli jets bombed Hezbollah targets and troops conducted a ground invasion south of the Litani River.
In Tyre, Lebanon, Mustafa Ibrahim al-Sayyed was photographed with his daughter at a school used as a shelter for displaced people, with Lebanon's Ministry of Health reporting at least 1,268 killed by Israel.
In Gaza, displaced Palestinian children waited to refill water canisters at the Nuseirat refugee camp, where daily life is marked by fear and scarcity amid ruins, as global attention shifts to Iran.
Cultural and Global Moments
In Havana, Cuba, men jumped into the sea at the port, as Cuba announced plans to pardon 2,010 prisoners as a 'humanitarian' gesture during Holy Week, amid increased US pressure.
In Zamora, Spain, penitents of the Jesus Yacente brotherhood participated in a Holy Week procession, showcasing cultural traditions.
From space, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman captured a view of Earth from the Orion spacecraft after the translunar injection burn, remarking on the 'herculean effort' of sending humans 250,000 miles away.
