Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
Action SA leader Herman Mashaba speaks after his announcement as the party’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg in the upcoming Local Government Elections at Orlando Hall in Soweto, 21 February 2026. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenFar-right Britain First party supporters carry Union Jack flags during an anti-migration protest as they demand mass deportation in Manchester, England, on 21 February, 2026. (Photo by Loannis Alexopoulos/Anadolu via Getty Images)Local performers perform a dragon dance at the Chinese New Year temple fair in Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by WANG LEI / Xinhua via AFP)A woman in her temporary shelter in a refugee camp on February 22, 2026 near Iriba, Chad. The border town fell to the RSF yesterday after heavy fighting on the Sudanese side. In April 2023 civil war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the armed militia group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The ongoing conflict has so far displaced around 14 million people across the region, triggering a widespread humanitarian crisis, as neighboring countries like Chad struggle to absorb refugees, while coping with populations already suffering high poverty rates and food insecurity. Chad has become Africa’s largest host of refugees per capita, hosting a total 1.4 million refugees – more than 900,000 of which fled the conflict in Sudan. The most recent wave of arrivals from Sudan follows the RSF’s offensive to capture the north Darfur city of El Fasher, where 6,000 people were reportedly killed by the RSF in the space of three days in October. A recent UN report has accused the RSF of atrocities that amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. As many as 400,000 people have reportedly been killed since the conflict began. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)A white-coated weasel stands on snow-covered ground after shedding its brown summer fur for winter camouflage in Sarikamis district of Kars, Turkiye, on February 21, 2026. The nocturnal animal, rarely seen in the wild, changes its fur color during winter and remains among the protected wildlife species in the region. (Photo by Huseyin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images)A performer takes part in the Chinese New Year parade on February 22, 2026 in London, England. In the Chinese zodiac this year is the year of the horse, known for its vitality and confidence. It symbolises a year of bold and decisive action, a year to chase ambitions, to express oneself and challenge limitations. As well as the Horse, this Chinese New Year marks the year of the Fire Horse which happens approximately every 60 years. The last Fire Horse Year was in 1966 – 67. The energy is reported to bring cultural shifts, war, natural disasters, intense change, rebellion, and progress. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images)Five Chinese tourists were killed after a vehicle carrying them fell into Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, according to initial reports by the Russian Investigative Committee, on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The incident occurred when the vehicle, transporting a group of tourists, plunged into the lake under circumstances that remain unclear. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident. Authorities said further details would be released as the probe continues. (Photo by Russian Investigative Committee / Handout /Anadolu via Getty Images)A mural made with plastic bottle caps by Venezuelan artist Oscar Olivares is seen on an apartment building in the Zacamil neighborhood in Mejicanos, El Salvador, on February 20, 2026. The artwork, over 13 meters tall and made with more than 100,000 recycled plastic bottle caps, is regarded as the world’s tallest bottle-cap mural. The piece reinterprets the Mona Lisa with a Latin American identity and pays tribute to Salvadoran women. (Photo by Marvin RECINOS / AFP)Palestinian children read the Quran at the heavily damaged Al-Habib Mohammed Mosque, destroyed in Israeli attacks, as they wait for iftar during the holy month of Ramadan in Khan Yunis, Gaza on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images)A local resident runs away after setting fireworks during the celebrations of the Chinese New Year in Macau on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Eduardo Leal / AFP)A large group of Red-winged blackbirds are seen near North Livermore Ave in Livermore, California, United States on February 20, 2026. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)Tibetan monks in-exile gather to take part in the official ceremony marking the 86th anniversary of enthronement of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on February 22, 2026 in Tsuglakhang complex at HH Dalai Lama Temple, Dharamsala, India. on February 22, 2026 in Dharamsala, India. Over four days, Tibetan monks, nuns, and devotees usher in the New Year with temple rituals, nunnery life, and a rare glimpse inside the Dalai Lama’s private residence. (Photo by Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images)The crescent moon of Ramadan appears in the sky over the city of Erbil in Iraq on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed/Anadolu via Getty Images)Fans wearing Curling stone hats follow the curling women’s round robin bronze medal game between Canada and USA during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)This aerial photograph shows people preparing to burn a straw-wood-and-cloth effigy representing Mother Winter during Maslenitsa, a traditional Slavic farewell ceremony to winter, in the village of Leninskoye on February 22, 2026. Shrovetide precedes the beginning of Lent, with each day of the week holding its own meaning. Shrove Sunday, also known as the Sunday of Forgiveness, is a day for asking forgiveness for the harm caused to other people intentionally or unintentionally. (Photo by VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO / AFP)Spectators wearing costumes watch the burning of the ‘Burning Heart”, a wooden structure created by Russian artist Nikolay Polissky, during celebrations of “Maslenitsa”, the eastern Slavic Shrovetide in the village of Nikola-Lenivets, Kaluga region, some 220 km (140 miles) outside Moscow, on February 21, 2026. Shrovetide or Maslenitsa is an ancient farewell ceremony to winter, traditionally celebrated in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and involves the burning of a large effigy. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)RIZE, TURKIYE – FEBRUARY 22: An aerial view of the snow-covered Kackar Mountains and high-altitude plateaus in Rize following intermittent snowfall in Rize, Turkiye on February 22, 2026. Scenic winter landscapes formed around the white-blanketed Sal Plateau, Pokut Plateau and Hazindak Plateau, as well as the foothills of the Kaskar Mountains. (Photo by Bulent Ismailoglu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
