Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stands for the national anthem before the State of the Nation (SONA) address in Cape Town on February 12, 2026. (Photo by Gianluigi GUERCIA / AFP)Protesters, made up of South African communities affected by mining, demonstrate, 12 February 2026, outside Anglo American’s headquarters in Rosebank. The group are demanding accountability before Anglo American exits South Africa, including rehabilitation, outstanding social obligations and transparency on liabilities. Picture: Michel Bega/The CitizenA demonstrator waving a national flag is hit by a water cannon fired by riot police during a protest called by trade unionists against the labor reform debate taking place in the National Congress in Buenos Aires on February 11, 2026. Argentine police fired tear gas and used water cannon on February 11 to disperse demonstrators, who threw rocks and firebombs outside Congress during a Senate debate over radical labor reforms. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)Dancers from the Joburg Ballet perform during a rehearsal for Giselle, 11 February 2026, at the Joburg Theatre. Produced and staged by Angela Malan, the 2026 Giselle runs from 12 to 15 February, and launches Joburg Ballet’s 25th anniversary year. Giselle was the first ballet presented by Joburg Ballet, known then as South African Ballet Theatre, when the company was launched in 2001. Picture: Michel Bega/The CitizenBangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Shafiqur Rahman (C) gestures to the media after casting his vote at a polling station during Bangladesh’s general election in Dhaka on February 12, 2026. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)Community members mourn during a candlelight vigil for the victims of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School where a mass shooting took place a day earlier in the small town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on February 11, 2026. Canadian police said February 11 an 18-year-old carried out a mass shooting in a remote mining town, killing six people at a local school, after slaying her mother and stepbrother. Police commander Dwayne McDonald said authorities still don’t know the motive in Tuesday’s mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, but the shooter, who took her own life, was known to have mental health issues. (Photo by Paige Taylor White / AFP)Members of the SAPS and SANDF during a parade at the Castle before the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. The State of the Nation Address (SONA) is an annual address to the nation delivered by the President of the Republic of South Africa as the Head of State. The President highlights achievements, flags challenges, and outlines interventions for the coming financial year, deliberating on South Africa’s domestic affairs as well as its continental and international relations. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)General views of rehearsals ahead of SONA 2026 on February 11, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his State of the Nation Address at Cape Town City Hall on February 12th. (Photo by Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas)Revellers pose as they arrive for the start of the carnival season during the Women’s Carnival Day in Cologne, western Germany on February 12, 2026. The festivities begin with “Weiberfastnacht”, a raucous street party in which women snip off men’s ties. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)Italy’s Federica Brignone reacts in the finish area after competing in on the podium of the women’s super-G event during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 12, 2026. (Photo by François-Xavier MARIT / AFP)Residents stand next to damaged structures in the city of Toamasina, on the east coast of Madagascar, struck by Tropical Cyclone Gezani on February 12, 2026. A cyclone packing violent winds has killed at least 35 people and caused devastation in Madagascar’s second-largest city, the Indian Ocean island’s disaster authority said Thursday, releasing an updated toll. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the eastern coastal city Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour. The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC) on Thursday said it had recorded 35 deaths, while six people remained missing and at least 374 were injured. More than 8,800 people were displaced, it said. (Photo by Tsiky SIkonina / AFP)Melville residents collect water from emergency tanks at a property in Melville, 12 February 2026. The tanks are arranged for and sponsored by the community. Joburg Water and other concerned parties refill the tanks with fresh water regularly. Melville and the surrounding suburbs have been hit with water cuts due to poorly maintained infrastructure, with some residents experiencing no water supply for almost a month. Picture: Michel Bega/The CitizenA K9-X robot dog climbs the stairs during a presentation by Mexican police at the BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, on February 11, 2026. The four-legged robots are designed to enter dangerous areas and broadcast live video back to security forces. The World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, is being hosted by Mexico alongside the United States and Canada. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP)A gaggle of Canadian geese are seen on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2026. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
