A week of extraordinary turbulence unfolded across the world, captured by photojournalists documenting conflict, grief, celebration, and crisis from Southampton to Gaza, from Kyiv to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The scale of Russian bombardment against Ukraine intensified dramatically. On a single night, Moscow launched 73 missiles and 656 drones at Ukrainian targets, including eight hypersonic Tsirkon weapons. The toll mounted in cities across the country. In Kyiv, residents peered through shattered windows of apartment buildings, while teenagers embraced at sites of devastation. A woman in Kramatorsk limped from her damaged shop after an airstrike tore through the neighborhood. Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to Donald Trump for Patriot air defense interceptors, as analysts warned that global shortages of the weapons were creating a window of vulnerability for countries defending themselves against sustained Russian assault.
Ukraine struck back. Ukrainian drones attacked St. Petersburg's port on Wednesday, hitting energy and military installations and sending black smoke billowing across Russia's second-largest city just hours before Vladimir Putin's flagship economic forum was set to convene with international attendees.
In Southampton, England, rage over a police killing boiled into the streets. Henry Nowak died after being restrained by officers who had responded to a false report. When Vickrum Digwa was convicted of murdering Nowak, demonstrators gathered near Portswood police station. Clashes escalated rapidly. Police reported that eleven officers and a police dog were injured as crowds attacked a police van. Hampshire police accused the protesters of attempting to spark fear and division.
Paris erupted in celebration and chaos after PSG defeated Arsenal in the Champions League final on penalties following three hours of tense, high-quality play at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Gabriel Magalhães missed the decisive penalty kick for Arsenal. Back in Paris, the victory sparked violent street clashes. Police detained 780 people across the French capital and other cities as supporters set cars ablaze and fought with law enforcement.
The Middle East remained a landscape of suffering and confrontation. In Gaza City, Palestinian children played in the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes during Eid al-Adha celebrations. The territory faced cascading crises: severe shortages of engine oil, spare parts, and gas were hampering bread production, water supplies, and emergency response systems. Food and medicine remained scarce.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah rejected a US-brokered ceasefire plan that had been agreed by Lebanese and Israeli governments, jeopardizing regional peace efforts. Israel issued forced evacuation orders for nine villages in southern Lebanon, and strikes followed that killed six people. The wreckage of buildings bore Israeli flags planted atop destroyed structures. A woman in Tyre walked past the remains of an airstrike on her town.
Jerusalem saw mounted police disperse ultra-Orthodox Jews blocking roads to protest military service requirements. In Jerusalem and across the occupied territories, tensions over conscription and broader policies continued to simmer.
Africa confronted a spreading health catastrophe. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an Ebola outbreak that may have begun as early as January was spreading with alarming momentum, according to the World Health Organization. Médecins Sans Frontières workers in full protective equipment emerged from red zone treatment centers to be sprayed with disinfectant. Children passed awareness posters on their way home from school. The delay in detection meant the virus had gained what health officials called a big head start.
In Argentina, women marched in the annual Ni Una Menos protest against femicide after two teenage girls were found murdered within two days of each other. The killings revived anguish over the country's persistent violence against women, compounded by the far-right government's decision to slash support services for gender-based violence victims.
Scotland saw the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, Peter Murrell, arrive at Edinburgh's high court in a prison van to face a hearing after admitting he had embezzled over £400,000 from the party. The luxury motorhome he purchased with the stolen money had been driven only four miles before sitting unused for more than two years.
In Central Africa, women and children fetched water at dusk at the Korsi refugee camp in Birao, their daily survival bound to the rhythms of displacement. Indonesia's Tengger Hindu community ascended the active slopes of Mount Bromo to present offerings during the Yadnya Kasada festival, continuing ancient tradition.
In Albania, flamingoes inhabited the Vjosa-Narte protected area where a luxury resort backed by investors linked to Jared Kushner was planned. Environmental opponents had rejected the government's offer to discuss solutions, and demonstrations were expected to intensify.
Author James Rodriguez: "These images tell a story that transcends borders, but the pattern is unmistakable: the weak are bleeding while the powerful maneuver for advantage, and the week captured here feels like it never ends."
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