This week’s photo highlights showcase soaring fireworks, breathtaking natural phenomena, and poignant scenes of community response amid crises.
**Vibrant New Year's Celebrations and Tragedies: A Global Perspective**
**Vibrant New Year's Celebrations and Tragedies: A Global Perspective**
A glimpse at significant moments from the past week around the world, both joyous and somber.
As we usher in the New Year, our curated selection of images captures both the revelry and challenges faced across nations.
News photos reveal the pure joy of individuals participating in the iconic tabletop football game Subbuteo. In a charming home in Essex, England, Stephen Morton opens his doors every December 29, hosting an annual tournament filled with model pitches and an impressive array of football memorabilia.
In a stark contrast, tragedy struck on December 29 at Muan International Airport in South Korea, where a Jeju Air plane tragically crashed during landing, resulting in the loss of 179 lives. Only two crew members survived this catastrophic incident, marking it as South Korea's deadliest aviation disaster.
Over in Heilongjiang, China, the Harbin Ice Lantern Art Fair dazzles tourists with magnificent ice sculptures. Visitors, including a young tourist, glide through illuminated tunnels, highlighting the dedication of craftsmen who spent weeks constructing these stunning ethereal designs.
Meanwhile, residents of Siberia were treated to a mesmerizing spectacle as the Northern Lights illuminated the skies, a vivid display that followed a solar storm on New Year’s Day, attracting admirers in Krasnoyarsk.
In Ghent, Belgium, Hilde Dosogne triumphantly completed her 366th marathon in 2024, sets a new benchmark for endurance while supporting breast cancer research. She previously made headlines for breaking the unofficial world record with her consecutive daily marathons.
Globally, families gathered at Ancol Beach in Jakarta, Indonesia, to welcome 2025 with a breathtaking fireworks show, similar celebrations lighting skies across various landmarks.
The iconic pyramids of Giza in Egypt also became a backdrop for stunning pyrotechnics, captivating onlookers during the New Year festivities.
Celebrations took unique forms, such as in Northern Ireland, where Angela McClements, donned in a 'Where's Wally?' costume, led a brave group of New Year's swimmers in Carnlough Harbour to support charitable causes.
However, not all scenes were festive; in Khan Younis, Gaza, families sought dwindling resources as they lined up for meals amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, highlighting the desperation faced in times of unrest.
In the US, an explosion near the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day is under investigation. Authorities stress that it is unrelated to another troubling incident — a deadly car-ramming in New Orleans that left seven people injured and the driver deceased.
These poignant snapshots reveal the complexity of our world, where festivities coexist with heartache and challenge, shaping our collective human experience.
