A World in Focus: Crisis and Remembrance
Monday, 10th November 2025 presented a stark contrast of global events, from the devastating aftermath of a super typhoon in the Philippines to solemn acts of remembrance in Belgium. The Guardian's picture editors have curated a powerful collection of photographs that capture these pivotal moments.
Natural Disasters and Climate Action
In the Philippines, super typhoon Fung-wong caused severe flooding, submerging entire districts. In Navotas City, Metro Manila, fire personnel on rafts and police worked tirelessly to offer transportation assistance to residents stranded by a combination of high tide and storm surges. The scene was similarly dire in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan province, north of Manila, where a resident was photographed paddling a boat past inundated houses after a river overflowed from the typhoon's heavy rains.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, a Greenpeace activist walked a highline 30 metres above the city centre with a banner reading ‘The planet on a tightrope’, a poignant visual statement hours before the start of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The climate conference is set to host the largest number of Indigenous leaders in its history, with over 3,000 registered to participate.
War, Politics, and Institutional Upheaval
In Diksmuide, Belgium, a profoundly moving ceremony took place as the exhumed remains of an unknown Belgian First World War soldier were prepared for reburial ahead of Armistice Day. A torchlight procession at dawn along the banks of the Yser River commemorated the 250 soldiers who died in and around the Trench of Death.
The political world saw significant developments. In Paris, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was seen leaving court as it deliberated the potential release of her husband, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, from prison. He had begun serving a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy related to his 2007 election campaign.
In London, Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News, and Director General Tim Davie resigned following accusations of bias in the broadcaster's coverage of US President Donald Trump, the war in Gaza, and transgender issues. Ms Turness was photographed speaking to media outside Broadcasting House.
In Washington DC, President Donald Trump addressed the press upon arriving at the White House. The ongoing conflict in Gaza was also highlighted, with a photograph from the Nusairat area of the Gaza Strip showing Palestinians surviving in makeshift tents after their homes were destroyed in Israeli attacks.
Justice, Environment, and Culture
In Magdeburg, Germany, the trial of Saudi medical doctor Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen opened. He stands accused of driving an SUV through a Christmas market in December 2024, an attack that killed a nine-year-old boy and five women. He faces six counts of murder and 338 counts of attempted murder.
Back in the UK, an environmental clean-up was underway on Camber Sands beach near Rye, East Sussex. The group Nurdle Coast used a specialised machine to pick up thousands of tiny plastic bio-beads to avert a potential disaster for marine life.
On a lighter note, in Manchester, singer Zara Larsson performed during her Midnight Sun Tour at the O2 Victoria Warehouse. In Tegucigalpa, Honduras, people attended the funeral of Ramon Matta Pozo, who died in a US prison after spending 37 years inside for alleged drug trafficking connections to major cartels.
