Monday, 12th January 2026, offered a vivid tapestry of global events, captured through the lenses of photojournalists from Tokyo to Turin. The Guardian's picture editors curated a selection that spanned celebrity glamour, political manoeuvring, cultural traditions, and stark reminders of conflict.
Spotlight on Politics and Protest
In the UK, the political landscape showed signs of significant movement. Nadhim Zahawi, the former chancellor, announced his defection to Reform UK during a press conference at the Institute of Directors, standing alongside party figurehead Nigel Farage. This move signals potential upheaval in the British political scene as parties position themselves ahead of the next general election.
Meanwhile, on the policy front, Labour's Peter Kyle and Keir Starmer visited an Ikea store in Croydon to promote new measures designed to protect working families. Concurrently, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, accompanied by Laura Trott, met with concerned parents at the Phene Pub in Chelsea to discuss proposed social media restrictions. Badenoch reiterated a pledge to ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms, following Australia's recent implementation of a similar policy.
Beyond British shores, protest made its mark in Le Havre, France. A French farmer was pictured inspecting imported goods from a truck, as part of nationwide demonstrations against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement and the government's response to a contagious nodular dermatitis epidemic affecting livestock.
Ceremony, Sport, and Global Affairs
The day was also rich in cultural and sporting spectacle. In Yokohama, Japan, thousands of kimono-clad young people celebrated Coming-of-Age Day, lighting up the Yokohama Arena with smartphone torches to mark their transition to adulthood at 20. In Numazu, participants carried portable shrines through Ushibuseyama Park in a traditional New Year festival, praying for peace and bountiful harvests.
The sporting world focused on Doha, Qatar, where China's Chen Xingtong faced Macau's Zhu Yuling in the women's singles final of the World Table Tennis Champions tournament. In Turin, Italy, crowds gathered in Piazza Castello to welcome the Olympic flame on its final journey ahead of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
High-stakes global proceedings continued at The Hague, where the International Court of Justice began its first hearing into the case where Myanmar is accused of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The Gambia's justice minister presented the case, originally filed in 2019.
From Glamour to Grim Reality
The glamour of the 83rd annual Golden Globes in Beverly Hills provided a stark contrast to other images. Stars like Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal graced the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton, showcasing the pinnacle of cinematic celebration.
However, the day's imagery also carried sobering reminders of ongoing strife. In Kyiv, Ukraine, firefighters worked at the site of a residential building struck by a Russian drone. Elsewhere, the natural world displayed its awe-inspiring power, with the northern lights creating a shimmering green and purple display over Reykjavik's Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral during a powerful geomagnetic storm.
From the Vatican, where Pope Leo XIV met Venezuelan Nobel peace laureate María Corina Machado, to a fishery-solar hybrid project in Tianchang, China, the photographs presented a comprehensive and compelling snapshot of a single day on a interconnected planet.
