The Guardian's picture editors have curated a compelling collection of photographs from around the world on Friday 28th November 2025, capturing moments of beauty, crisis and cultural significance across multiple continents.
Natural Wonders and Seasonal Celebrations
In West Sussex, Glow Wild's winter lantern trail at Wakehurst, Kew Gardens' wild botanic garden in Ardingly, featured stunning fungal-inspired installations that illuminated the November darkness. The seasonal event continues to attract visitors seeking magical evening experiences.
Meanwhile, in Selfoss, Iceland, nature provided its own spectacular light show as the aurora borealis danced across the night sky, its vibrant colours perfectly reflected in the calm waters of the Ölfusá River. This natural phenomenon continues to draw photographers and tourists to Nordic regions during winter months.
Alicante, Spain, showcased human-made wonder with the world's largest nativity scene, featuring an impressive 18-metre tall figure of Saint Joseph, creating a striking visual display for the approaching Christmas season.
Global Crises and Humanitarian Challenges
The collection also documented serious global challenges, including severe flooding in Malaysia's Perlis state, where thousands of people have been affected by days of heavy rainfall. Aerial photographs revealed homes completely surrounded by flood waters in Kangar, illustrating the scale of the disaster.
In Chad's Wadi Fira province, a more poignant image showed Sudanese refugee children playing in a tree at the Iridimi refugee camp, highlighting the resilience of young lives amid displacement and hardship.
Indonesia faced tragedy as Tropical Cyclone Senyar triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 72 people across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces. Photographs from Meureudu showed houses inundated with mud, illustrating the destructive power of the natural disaster.
Similarly, Sri Lanka deployed military forces for relief operations as the death toll from floods and landslides rose to 56, with another 21 people reported missing. Images from Kaduwela showed stray dogs wading through flooded roads, symbolising the widespread impact of the extreme weather.
Cultural Events and Global Diplomacy
The day also featured numerous cultural celebrations and political engagements. Liverpool Cathedral hosted a preview of The Light Before Christmas: The Gift, a light and sound experience now in its fourth year, attracting visitors to its immersive festive display.
New Orleans witnessed the sixth annual Thanksgiving Day Human Horse Race, where participants wore elaborate costume horse hats, maintaining the city's reputation for unique cultural traditions.
In Berlin, diplomatic proceedings saw German chancellor Friedrich Merz welcome Slovenia's prime minister Robert Golob for talks at the chancellery, highlighting ongoing European political cooperation.
Cultural performances included Tel Aviv activists preparing clown performances, Hyderabad artists dressed as the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, and Senegal's Ngueweul Rythme group delivering fiery traditional shows accompanied by unique percussion instruments.
The photographic journey concluded with spiritual moments from Luang Prabang, where novice Buddhist monks prayed inside temples as evening light faded, and Gaza City, where Palestinians walked among rubble in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, capturing contrasting scenes of peace and conflict.
