A Visual Chronicle of Global Events: Conflict, Resilience, and Culture
This week, the world's leading photojournalists have captured a series of powerful images that highlight the stark contrasts and pressing issues across the globe. From the devastation of war to moments of cultural celebration, these photographs offer a poignant snapshot of life in late February 2026.
Conflict and Humanitarian Crises
In Kyiv, Ukraine, firefighters were seen working at the site of a Russian missile strike on a residential area, underscoring the ongoing brutality of the invasion. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russia is projected to sustain its military campaign throughout 2026, despite economic and manpower pressures. Meanwhile, a makeshift memorial in Independence Square honored fallen Ukrainian and foreign soldiers as the conflict reached its four-year mark. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a video address, appealed to Donald Trump to visit Kyiv and reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to its people in any negotiations with Russia.
In Gaza City, the Palestinian Nasir family broke their fast amid the rubble of the Abu Hilwe school in the Bureij refugee camp during Ramadan. Progress on the Gaza peace plan stalled over disagreements on disarming Hamas, with Israel threatening a return to full-scale war. Other images showed Palestinians spinning steel wool sparklers and gathering for iftar meals amidst destroyed buildings, while a report from the Committee to Protect Journalists revealed that 129 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025, two-thirds by Israeli forces.
Elsewhere, in Beit Furik, West Bank, mourners attended the funeral of Muhammad Hanani, killed in an Israeli raid. This came as the US announced it would provide on-site consular services in two Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move criticized by Palestinian officials as a violation of international law.
Violence and Unrest in the Americas
In Mexico, cartel gunmen went on a violent rampage of revenge after federal forces killed their leader, "El Mencho." Images from Acatlán de Juárez showed burned cars and trucks on a highway, while in Puerto Vallarta, a burned-out bus stood in front of a closed pharmacy. Mexico deployed 10,000 troops to quell clashes that left dozens dead, with President Claudia Sheinbaum urging calm as authorities cleared over 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states.
In Havana, Cuba, doctors assisted in a birth at the Ramón González Coro maternity hospital, highlighting the country's deepening crisis. Cuba is reeling from a four-year economic slump, hyper-inflation, and the migration of nearly 20% of its population, weakening the 67-year-old communist government. Ambassadors from US-allied countries expressed frustration with Washington's attempts to unseat the Cuban government while planning to draw down their missions.
Environmental and Humanitarian Challenges
In Meilhan-sur-Garonne, France, land was flooded near the overflowing River Garonne after days of heavy rainfall, illustrating the impacts of extreme weather. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a woman carried firewood collected in a forest near the village of Romée, as locals resist investors seizing concessions in the tropical wilderness.
Humanitarian crises were evident in South Sudan, where Nyayual Chuol watched her 18-month-old grandson receive treatment for a gunshot wound at Akobo County hospital, and in Chad, where Sudanese refugees waited for registration papers at the Oure Cassoni camp after fleeing conflict. A UN-mandated mission described the siege of El Fasher in Sudan by the Rapid Support Forces as bearing "the hallmarks of genocide."
Political and Cultural Moments
In Washington, DC, Representative Al Green of Texas protested silently before Donald Trump's State of the Union address, marking the second year in a row he was ejected from the event. In New York City, heavy snow and strong winds created whiteout conditions, grounding flights and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Cultural resilience shone through in Kyiv, where performers danced at a Masnytsya celebration, marking the end of winter, and in Milan, Italy, where models walked the runway at the Diesel show during fashion week. In Al Mālikīyah, Syria, clothes lay on the floor of a tent housing Australian relatives of suspected Islamic State militants, following a failed repatriation attempt, while in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, Taliban security personnel stood guard near the Torkham border crossing after exchanges of fire with Pakistan, which bombed major cities including Kabul.
These images collectively paint a vivid picture of a world grappling with conflict, environmental stress, and political tensions, yet also finding moments of hope and tradition amidst the chaos.
