Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
The statue of late Pope John Paul II outside of Agostino Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized in Rome, Italy, 24 February 2025. The pope was admitted on 14 February due to a respiratory tract infection. Picture: EPA-EFE/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI
A member of #StandWithUkraine holds a placard during a demonstration outside the Russian Embassy in Pretoria on February 24, 2025 on the third anniversary of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. South Africa said on February 21, 2025 that talks to end Russia’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine must involve all parties and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected on a state visit soon for discussions. President Cyril Ramaphosa invited Zelensky to talks after heavy criticism of moves by Russia and the United States to negotiate an end to the war through a process to which neither Ukraine nor its European allies were invited. (Photo by Marco Longari / AFP)Children from St Mary’s Ukrainian School sing during an Interfaith Prayer Service for Peace in Ukraine at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family, to mark three years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in London, Britain, 24 February 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/NEIL HALLA person uses a mobile phone next to a commercial advertisement in Bangkok, Thailand, 24 February 2025. Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) is forecasted to expand by 2.9 percent in 2025 at a slower pace than its peers, mainly driven by the ongoing recovery of the tourism industry and supported by private consumption, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Picture: EPA-EFE/RUNGROJ YONGRITSpain’s King Felipe VI (L) grants Nyamkhuu Ulambayar an audience to receive her credentials as the newly appointed ambassador of Mongolia to Spain, at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain, 24 February 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/JAVIER LIZONDeputy Minister in the Presidency Buti Kgwaridi Manamela speaks to students at the NASFAS reigistration centre during his his visit to Wits University in Johannesburg, 24 February 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenPeople spin fireballs near a bonfire during the celebration of Shrovetide in the village Goren Lozen near Sofia, Bulgaria, 23 February 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEVActor Cynthia Erivo arrives on the red carpet for the 31st annual Screen Actor Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, USA, 23 February 2025. The annual SAG Awards presents 13 awards exclusively to actors in TV and film. Picture: EPA-EFE/ALLISON DINNERA Sadhu (holy person) takes part in a religious rally ahead of the Maha Shivratri festival at Pashupati Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, 24 February 2025. The festival, celebrated 26 February, sees Hindu devotees from across the country and neighboring India gather to celebrate the birthday of the Hindu god of creation and destruction, Lord Shiva, by fasting and offering prayers. Picture: EPA-EFE/NARENDRA SHRESTHAA man tries on a new prayer cap ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 February 2025. The beginning of Ramadan is expected to fall on 01 March 2025, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. Muslims around the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan by praying during the night time and abstaining from eating, drinking, and sexual acts during the period between sunrise and sunset. Picture EPA-EFE/BILAWAL ARBABA tram is decorated on the 152nd anniversary of Kolkata’s Heritage Tram, amid protests against the government’s decision to suspend the city’s tram service, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 24 February 2025. In September 2024, the West Bengal government announced the decision to end Kolkata’s tram service, which dates back to 1873, maintaining only the small heritage loop. Picture: EPA-EFE/PIYAL ADHIKARYSupporters pose for photos during the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) election event in Berlin, Germany, 23 February 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/HANNIBAL HANSCHKEGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz reacts as he attends the Social Democratic Party (SPD) press conference at the party’s headquarters ‘Willy-Brandt-Haus’ in Berlin, Germany, 24 February 2025. Germany held its federal elections on 23 February. Picture: EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILANActivists block the entrance to Maersk’s headquarters on Esplanaden in Copenhagen, Denmark, 24 February 2025. The demonstrators were protesting against the company shipping military equipment to Israel, a statement reads. Picture: EPA-EFE/Mads Claus Rasmussen
