Through the lens: The Citizen’s Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk applies drops of herbal oil on an elephant as part of a Sinhalese and Tamil New Year ritual at a temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 16 April 2025. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year are celebrated in Sri Lanka annually on the auspicious dates of 13 and 14 April, which correspond to the middle of summer, right after the main paddy harvest. After the New Year, it is customary to anoint the head with a mixture of oil and herbal extracts before bathing. This ritual is performed on people and elephants. Picture: EPA-EFE/CHAMILA KARUNARATHNE
A full-scale showcase model of Brad Binder’s KTM RC16 MotoGP machine has been officially unveiled on April 16, 2025 at Red Bull Headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa. Celebrating the rider’s impact on the world stage of motorcycle racing. The display highlights the precision engineering and bold design of the factory Red Bull KTM Factory Racing bike, complete with race livery, aerodynamic fairings, and Binder’s signature number #33 a tribute to his relentless performance in the premier class of MotoGP. (Photo by Ziyaad Douglas/Gallo Images)Wits Sterkfontein caves tour guide, Keneth Mawete enters the caves located within the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site in Krugersdorp near Johannesburg on April 15, 2025. The iconic caves some 50 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, is one Africa’s largest collection of hominin fossils and was closed to the public in 2022 due to flooding that destroyed its entrance. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)A worker sprays water on the statue of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) Adm. Yi Sun-sin at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, South Korea, 16 April 2025, as part of a springtime cleanup detail. Yi led the Korean Navy against Japanese invaders in the 16th century. Picture: EPA-EFE/YONHAPSANDF members at the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Easter Church Service at Thaba Tshwane City Hall on April 16, 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa. This is part of the SANDF efforts to foster a sense of community and spiritual growth among its members. (Photo by Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu)People make lanterns in a shop during a lantern making workshop in Hoi An, Vietnam, 07 April 2025. Hoi An lanterns are a hallmark of Hoi An in Quang Nam province, in Vietnam’s central region. Since this ancient town was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1999, the colorful lanterns have become a symbol of Hoi An, representing hope, prosperity, and the town’s rich culture. Lanterns are used for worship, decoration, or sold as souvenirs to tourists. The traditional craft of making lanterns in Hoi An dates back more than 400 years. According to the Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation, the first lanterns were seen in the bussy commercial port of Hoi An (known as Faifo) in the 17th century when Chinese and Japanese merchants came to trade, bringing along lanterns and lighting them up in front of their houses at night. For years now, Hoi An offers various lantern making workshops, allowing visitors to learn the traditional craft and create their own unique lanterns. These workshops range from basic to advanced, with options to simply decorate ready-made lantern structures or to make them from scratch. Some workshops also offer painting classes in addition to lantern making. This is an attractive activity for tourists to both learn more about the town’s culture as well as leaving with a classic souvenir. Picture: Matrix Images / Diego AzubelNazarenes of the Brotherhood of Cerro del Aguila take part in the procession of the Lord of Humility during the Holy Week in Seville, Andalucia, southern Spain, 15 April 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/JULIO MUNOZA drone photo shows the site of a crane accident in which several people were injured in Maasbracht, Netherlands, 15 April 2025. A tower crane broke in half and toppled onto the deck of a workboat below. Picture: EPA-EFE/ROB ENGELAARPeople walk at Moscow underground station decorated with huge Easter eggs in Moscow, Russia, 15 April 2025. The Orthodox and Catholic churches will celebrate Easter on April 20. After frosty and snowy weather that raged for the past two weeks, warm weather has arrived in Moscow with temperatures reaching 18 degrees Celsius. Picture: EPA-EFE/SERGEI ILNITSKYIndigenous representatives, climate activists, influencers and community leaders participate in a protest asking for the end of fossil fuels, a just energy transition and Indigenous leadership during the climate summit COP30, in front of the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, 15 April 2025. Demonstrators called on Brazil to lead negotiations to achieve a “just energy transition” at the next COP30 climate summit to be held in November 2025 in Belem. Picture: EPA-EFE/ANDRE BORGESGeldhof Chocolates employees Jordan van Wyk (L) and her manager Jesse Davis pose for a photograph at Geldhof Chocolates at Deco Park in Randburg, 16 April 2025, as the Easter holidays approach. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenA pedestrian walks on a footbridge between the buildings Paul Loebe Haus and Elisabeth Luders Haus in the government quarter in Berlin, Germany, 15 April 2025. Picture: EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER
