Through the lens: The Citizen’s Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
Wizard Of Oz cast, from left, Karabo Matsapola (Tin Man), Tristan Smith (Scarecrow), Inaa Karuaihe (Dorothy) and Sibusiso Khanyile (Lion) pose for a photograph, 2 July 2025, ahead of a show at the Theatre on the Square, in Sandton. The production, presented by the Pretoria Youth Theatre, runs until 5 July. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Taiwanese honor guard conduct a flag-lowering ceremony at Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan, 02 July 2025. Taiwan’s Han Kuang drills, beginning 09 July, will simulate a Chinese blockade and invasion amid rising military pressure from China. The 10-day exercises will involve over 22,000 reservists. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stated that Taiwan faces a ‘war without gun smoke’ from China, which claims the island despite Taiwan’s continued rejection. Picture: EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGOYoung protesters wear masks and shout slogans during a rally organized by the country’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) against the suspension and imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of the Istanbul Municipality in Istanbul, Turkey, 01 July 2025. Imamoglu, of the Republican People’s Party, was jailed and dismissed by the Turkish Ministry of Interior on 23 March on corruption charges, following his detention on 19 March along with 100 others. Picture: EPA/ERDEM SAHINActing Joburg mayor Kenny Kunene with law enforcement agencies inspect homeless encampments near Braamfontein cemetery in Johannesburg, 2 July 2025, located under Joburg’s bridges. Acting City of Johannesburg Mayor Kenny Kunene led an operation targeting buildings allegedly occupied by undocumented immigrants. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The CitizenLocal residents take a close look at a pirogue used to carry migrants stranded on Malibu beach, Guediawaye, near Dakar, Senegal, 01 July 2025. The pirogue left The Gambia, bound for Europe, on 25 June 2025 carrying more than 200 migrants according to the police, including mothers and children. An unspecified numbers of would be migrants ran away while others were caught by police after the pirogue reached the shore by midday on 01 July. Picture: EPA/JEROME FAVRELarge swells batter the seawall and lighthouse at Wollongong Harbour in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 02 July 2025. Parts of New South Wales recorded more than 120 mm of rain in a single day, and authorities warn that conditions may worsen over the next 24 hours. Picture: EPA/DEAN LEWINSMembers of the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU) take part in a rally against the government’s labor policy in Seoul, South Korea, 02 July 2025. The protesters gathered to rally for healthcare reform and better working conditions. Picture: EPA/JEON HEON-KYUNA private security officer stands guard as suspected undocumented migrants wait to be searched outside of a highjacked building in the Johannesburg CBD on July 1, 2025 during an operation called “Nomakanjani Manje Namhlanje” led by the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), Johannesburg City Power, and private security, aimed at cracking down on undocumented migrants, hijacked buildings, illegal electrical connections, and general crime. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)Farmers plant rice in a paddy field as the harvest season begins in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 02 July 2025. Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, is optimistic that the national rice stock is secure. Based on projection data from the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Indonesia’s rice production for the 2024-2025 planting season is expected to reach 34.6 million tons and 35.6 million tons. Picture: EPA/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAKPeople cool off with water from Varsovie fountain by the Eiffel Tower during a heatwave in Paris, France, 01 July 2025. The hottest day of this heatwave on 01 July 2025, will register temperatures peaking into 40-41 degrees Celsius, in several departments, according to Meteo France. Picture: EPA/YOAN VALATA woman walks through a fountain at the Karlspatz square in the city center of Munich, Germany, 01 July 2025. The German Weather Service is warning of a heat wave with temperatures reaching up to 38 degrees Celsius across much of the country. Picture: EPA/ANNA SZILAGYIA rope wrapped around an iron figure on Crosby Beach on the 20th anniversary of the unveiling of British artist Anthony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’ in Crosby, Britain, 01 July 2025. The series of 100 life-sized iron figures was originally installed as a temporary display for the 2005 Liverpool Biennial, but became a permanent fixture after being secured under the ownership of Sefton Council in 2007. The figures are made from 17 different moulds of the artist’s body and are situated on Crosby Beach facing out west across the Mersey Estuary, becoming submerged at high tide and revealing themselves as the tide recedes. Picture: EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
