The year in photos: poignant pictures from around the world in 2023
From rescued rabbits in Greek wildfires to Elton John's farewell set at Glastonbury
JANUARY: Brazil's President Lula arrives at the Planalto Palace in Brasília following his inauguration ceremony. It was a "stunning comeback" for a politician who was banned from standing in the previous 2018 election because he was behind bars, said the BBC. The left-wing leader, who served as president between 2003 and 2010, beat Jair Bolsonaro with 50.9% of the votes.
FEBRUARY: Turkey and Syria were hit by a series of devastating earthquakes, which killed more than 55,000 people. "Few images depict the agony quite as plainly as a photograph from the Turkish region of Kahramanmaraş, in which a father holds the hand of his dead teenage daughter," said The Guardian at the time. The image shows Mesut Hancer holding on to 15-year-old Irmak "as she lies on her bed beneath the slabs of concrete", said the paper.
MARCH: A protester throws a stone towards police in Nairobi. Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga had called on his supporters to take part in nationwide protests every Monday and Thursday to demand that President William Ruto lower the cost of living.
APRIL: The sky over Wonosobo, Central Java, is filled with colourful hot air balloons as Indonesians celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the Ansor Kertek Balloon Culture Festival.
MAY: The newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the coronation ceremony, the first in Britain for 70 years.
JUNE: Crowds at Glastonbury enjoy Elton John's headline show on the Pyramid Stage. The 76-year-old's farewell set was the most-watched performance in the festival's history.
JULY: A firefighter rescues a cat and two rabbits from a fire on the Greek island of Rhodes. Thousands of locals and tourists were forced to flee in the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation.
AUGUST: A fairground ride in Bogotá, Colombia, is pictured against the Nevado del Ruiz volcano as it emits a cloud of ash. The volcano, which took 23,000 lives in 1985, is among dozens rumbling across the world this year.
SEPTEMBER: A Ukrainian serviceman kisses his wife, who arrived on a train from Kyiv to visit him, in Kramatorsk, a city in the Donetsk region. After nearly two years of war, said foreign editor Alec Russell in the FT Magazine, society in Ukraine "is under increasing strain".
OCTOBER: A woman holds a girl as Israeli air strikes hit Gaza City. Palestinians in the Strip have faced intense bombardment since 7 October, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. The photographer, Ali Jadallah, who has lost four relatives in the conflict, described how he is "numb" with grief in an article for The Economist's 1843 magazine. "The most important thing now," he said, "is to report what is happening."
NOVEMBER: Giant pandas sit around a table at Chongqing Zoo. The "black-and-white guests" have been "star attractions" in the US and UK, but are expected to be returned to China by the end of next year in a "possible change in tack in China's approach to 'panda diplomacy'", said The Washington Post.
DECEMBER: The Northern Lights shine over Kirkjufell mountain on the Snæfellsnesnes peninsula in Iceland.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Hollie Clemence is the UK executive editor. She joined the team in 2011 and spent six years as news editor for the site, during which time the country had three general elections, a Brexit referendum, a Covid pandemic and a new generation of British royals. Before that, she was a reporter for IHS Jane’s Police Review, and travelled the country interviewing police chiefs, politicians and rank-and-file officers, occasionally from the back of a helicopter or police van. She has a master’s in magazine journalism from City University, London, and has written for publications and websites including TheTimes.co.uk and Police Oracle.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 16, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - head games, skyfall, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about Musk's faulty spacecrafts
Cartoons Artists take on trading up, blowing up, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Russia's spies: skulduggery in Great Yarmouth
In the Spotlight 'Amateurish' spy ring in Norfolk seaside town exposes the decline of Russian intelligence
By The Week UK Published
-
The week's best photos
Feature A stylish cat, a man pulling a train, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Rio’s dirtiest party, a pancake-flipping race, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures An endangered ape, a risky bike stunt, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
A moment of balance, a daring leap, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A splash of color, a robotic lion, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A bakery in ruins, a llama race, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A silent protest, a record-breaking celebration, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures The road to freedom, robot jockeys, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published