The best press photos of 2025 continue to reveal a world of extraordinary contrast — from the brutality of armed conflict to the quiet joy of cultural celebration. This twelfth set in our ongoing series focuses on the final days of January 2025, when photojournalists across the globe captured moments that demand attention and reflection.
Conflict and Crisis: Best Press Photos of 2025 from the World’s Flashpoints
On January 22, 2025, Israeli forces continued a large-scale military raid into the Jenin area of the occupied West Bank for a second consecutive day. An AFP journalist on the ground reported gunfire and explosions throughout the area as the operation intensified.
Israeli soldiers are seen transferring Palestinian men who were arrested during the raid near the Muqeibila crossing on the border with the West Bank. The image, captured by Gil Cohen-Magen for AFP, is a sobering document of ongoing military operations in the region.
In Ukraine, the human cost of war was rendered starkly visible on January 23, when a Russian missile struck a residential building in Zaporizhzhia, killing at least one civilian.
The photograph by Kateryna Klochko for AP shows the interior of the destroyed apartment — a grim testament to the toll of the continuing conflict.
In Colombia, armed clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former FARC guerrillas forced the mass displacement of civilians. On January 23, at the General Santander Stadium in Cúcuta, aid was being distributed to those who had fled.
Among those receiving assistance was a pregnant woman, photographed by Nathalia Angarita for Reuters — a powerful image of vulnerability amid violence.
Resilience and Culture: Art and Performance Under Pressure
Despite ongoing Russian attacks, the Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater premiered a new production on January 24, 2025. Dragon Songs was created entirely by Ukrainian artists, with music composed by Maksym Kolomiets and a libretto by Zhanna Chepela.
Since the full-scale invasion began, the theater has been forced to stage all its performances in the building’s air-raid shelter for security reasons. The corps de ballet waiting backstage before this landmark premiere was captured by Maria Senovilla for EPA — a moment of defiant artistic expression.
In Naples, Italy, English artist Darren Almond brought his works to one of Europe’s most extraordinary historic settings. His exhibition Rags opened inside the Sansevero chapel on January 23 and runs through March 17, 2025.
The visual dialogue between contemporary painting and the chapel’s storied interior was documented by Cesare Abbate for EPA.
At the 32nd edition of the International Festival Teatro a Mil in Santiago, Chile, the street performance Mo y la Cinta Roja by the company l’Homme Debout brought vivid theatrical energy to public spaces on January 25.
Fashion Week Paris: Menswear Collections for Fall-Winter 2025/2026
Paris Fashion Week continued to set the global style agenda in late January. On January 24, Dior Homme unveiled its Fall-Winter 2025-2026 menswear collection in the French capital.
The collection, photographed by Thibault Camus for AP, showcased the house’s continued mastery of tailored elegance. Meanwhile, backstage at the Walter Van Beirendonck Menswear show on January 22, Francois Durand captured for Getty Images the theatrical preparation that precedes each runway moment.
Also in Paris, the Louvre museum inaugurated its exhibition Louvre Couture, Art and Fashion on January 24 — a sweeping show running through July 21, 2025. Among the pieces on display was a creation from French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s Autumn/Winter 2010/2011 ready-to-wear collection.
Sport: Madison Keys Wins the 2025 Australian Open
One of the most emotionally charged moments of late January came from Melbourne Park, where the 2025 Australian Open women’s final was played on January 25. American Madison Keys defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka to claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
The raw emotion of the contest was captured in a striking image by Robert Prange for Getty Images, showing Sabalenka smashing her racket in frustration following the defeat.
Keys’s triumph was then immortalised by Adrian Dennis for AFP, as the champion posed with the trophy — a joyful counterpoint to the intensity of the match itself. For more unforgettable sporting and world moments captured in January, see our Best Press Photos of 2025: Set 10 — January in Focus.
Celebrations, Milestones, and Global Moments
In Manila, Philippines, the approach of the Lunar New Year of the Snake on January 24 brought festive scenes to shopping centres across the city. A young girl was photographed kissing a Buddha statue surrounded by children at a local mall — a charming image of cultural observance by Ted Aljibe for AFP.
In Bangkok, Thailand, January 23 marked a historic occasion: the country’s marriage equality law officially came into effect following royal endorsement, making Thailand the third territory in Asia to legalise same-sex unions. Natnicha Somparn, 31, and Sorsomrudee Thippayatum, 32, were among the first couples to receive their official marriage certificates.
Their photograph, taken by Chalinee Thirasupa for Reuters, became an iconic image of the milestone.
In Amritsar, India, police personnel on January 24 were deep in rehearsals for the upcoming Republic Day parade — a disciplined and colourful spectacle captured by Narinder Nanu for AFP.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, security was, as ever, conspicuous. A police sniper officer was photographed on January 24 atop the Congress hotel, surveying the Alpine resort during the annual WEF gathering.
Nature, Technology, and Pop Culture
In West Sumatra, Indonesia, visitors on January 22 gathered in the Palupuah Forest to witness a rare blooming of the Rafflesia arnoldii — the world’s largest individual flower by diameter. The species is considered endangered due to ongoing habitat destruction and deforestation.
The image by Adi Prima for Anadolu via Getty Images serves as a vivid reminder of what is at stake in the global fight to preserve biodiversity.
On London’s Southbank on January 23, an AI-generated rendering of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam — specifically the iconic “hand of God” — was projected onto the lastminute.com London Eye as part of the promotional launch for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series.
In Taipei, Taiwan, a Squid Game themed exhibition drew large crowds on January 23. Visitors lined up to photograph Young-hee, the eerily lifelike robotic doll whose role in the South Korean Netflix series has made her one of pop culture’s most recognisable figures.
Finally, in the town of Yanaque in Acora, Puno, southern Peru, Aymara farmers were at work in their quinoa fields on January 25 — a timeless scene of agricultural life captured by Juan Carlos Cisneros for AFP.
A Week the World Will Not Forget
From the front lines of war to the runways of Paris, from record-breaking blooms in an Indonesian forest to a historic legal milestone in Bangkok, the images collected here represent the breadth and depth of human experience in a single week. Each photograph is a document — and a reminder of why photojournalism matters.
To explore more defining images from the same period, browse our Best World Press Photos: Early January 2025 collection.
