This week's selection of 20 photographs from around the world captures a range of significant events, including devastating wildfires in Europe, the impact of Russian strikes on Kyiv, the ongoing Meta trial in the US, and a moment of resilience in Gaza.
Conflict and Its Aftermath in Ukraine and Russia
In Kyiv, Ukraine, smoke rises over the city during a Russian drone strike. A heavy Russian missile and drone bombardment killed at least 16 people in and around the city, marking one of the most intense aerial attacks on Ukraine's capital since the war began. Another image shows charred books after a fire at the country's largest book market, caused by a Russian missile attack. The Ukrainian Book Institute has called on the international publishing community to support Ukrainian publishers after Russian attacks in July and early August destroyed about 10 million books and a significant share of the country's book production capacity.
People take shelter and sleep inside a subway station during an air raid alert. Russia and Ukraine have been escalating long-range attacks recently while air defences remain short. Ukraine has attacked oil refineries and warehouses close to Moscow using newly developed cruise missiles and drones, while Russia has stepped up its attacks on Kyiv, making heavy use of hard ballistics.
In Moscow, drivers line up at a Lukoil petrol station, where many other stations have run out of fuel. Moscow confirmed this week that Russia was having to import refined petroleum products to try to stabilise supply following Ukraine's attacks on its refineries. Reuters used industry contacts and market data to establish that a tanker from India had recently arrived and unloaded, while supplies were also being sourced from east Asia. In Podolsk, Russia, a helicopter prepares to drop water during a fire at Wildberries' logistics complex. Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks since the start of the war, causing a fire at a distribution warehouse near Moscow and killing at least six people overnight, according to Russian authorities.
Gaza: Recovery and Ceasefire Stalemate
In Gaza, Palestinians remove iron from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes to repair and recycle it. Benjamin Netanyahu told Donald Trump's son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner there can be no progress on the stalled Gaza ceasefire deal or an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal strip until Hamas first disarms. In Khan Younis, Gaza, Rimas Abu Shalouf, 16, who lost both legs after being injured during the Israeli offensive, receives swimming training from the Heal Palestine organisation. Israel has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 4,100 since agreeing to the ceasefire on 10 October 2025, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Legal, Social, and Natural Events Across the Globe
In Oakland, California, protesters and campaigners gather for the federal trial against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, at the district court. Meta has taken a 'don't ask, don't tell' strategy when it comes to the safety of children on its social media platforms, according to a whistleblower who testified during the landmark trial this week. In London, attendees hold flowers and placards during a vigil for former Cambridge professor Jason Arday in Trafalgar Square, after he was found dead at his home in south London. Arday's family said in a statement: 'Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him. The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and always wanted to see the best in everyone'.
A homeless man is seen on a street in central London. Prime minister Andy Burnham has urged local leaders to offer all rough sleepers in England a route off the streets by Christmas, as he pledges another £100m to end street homelessness. In Quibdó, Colombia, buildings lie destroyed during last week's earthquake in the Medrano neighbourhood. In Ruteng, Indonesia, children observe the damage at St Fransiskus Asisi-Karot church, in the aftermath of an earthquake. Rescue crews dug through collapsed buildings and landslide debris in eastern Indonesia as they searched for bodies and possible survivors after a powerful earthquake killed at least 53 people, injured more than 100 and displaced thousands.
Wildfires, Anniversaries, and Sporting Triumphs
In Salamina, Greece, a firefighter walks towards a house engulfed in flames during a wildfire. Wildfires are projected to burn 39% more of Europe by the end of the century even in the best-case scenario for stopping the planet from heating, a study has found, unless action is taken to manage them better. In Waimes, Belgium, firefighters work in a forest affected by a wildfire. In Kandahar, Afghanistan, a woman uses a smartphone to film celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban government's return to power. The United Nations described a recent 'cascade of [Taliban] edicts and laws' that have banned women from universities and most employment, denied teenage girls education and imposed strict dress codes. In Kabul, a boy holds an AK-style rifle during celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Five years after the Taliban took power, an increasing number of countries are renewing ties or scaling up diplomatic contacts with the hardline Islamists, who seized power in Kabul in 2021 after 20 years of insurgent warfare.
In Iga-Barrière, Democratic Republic of the Congo, people search for gold at a mining site. At Lake Tuz, Turkey, visitors wade in the vibrant pink shallows, a colour believed to be caused by an increase in salinity, high temperatures and microalgae that produce betacarotene as a protective shield. In Yaounde, Cameroon, a player kisses a boy on his forehead during a parade after the Indomitable Lionesses became only the fourth country to lift the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. Cameroon had not reached a Wafcon final in a decade and had never scored a goal in the final, but had three before half-time against Malawi. In Budapest, Hungary, a member of Team Russia performs a somersault during the final of the World Aquatics Junior Artistic Swimming Championships.
