• People stand on the roof of a partially damaged building during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Idlib, Syria, 08 December 2025. Syria marks the first anniversary of the overthrow of the Assad regime on 08 December when the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. EPA / BILAL AL-HAMMOUD
    People stand on the roof of a partially damaged building during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Idlib, Syria, 08 December 2025. Syria marks the first anniversary of the overthrow of the Assad regime on 08 December when the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. EPA / BILAL AL-HAMMOUD
  • Iraqi girls wear a hijab for the first time, during a ceremony at the Basra International Stadium. AFP
    Iraqi girls wear a hijab for the first time, during a ceremony at the Basra International Stadium. AFP
  • Sudanese Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd Al Rahman awaits his sentence for war crimes, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. AFP
    Sudanese Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd Al Rahman awaits his sentence for war crimes, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. AFP
  • Iraqi soldiers take part in a Baghdad parade to mark the eighth anniversary of the defeat of ISIS. AP
    Iraqi soldiers take part in a Baghdad parade to mark the eighth anniversary of the defeat of ISIS. AP
  • Members of the Indigenous Aymara people warm up before playing handball in El Alto, Bolivia. AP
    Members of the Indigenous Aymara people warm up before playing handball in El Alto, Bolivia. AP
  • An ultra-Orthodox Jewish member of the Israeli military prays, a day after the country debated a draft exemption bill for the group. Reuters
    An ultra-Orthodox Jewish member of the Israeli military prays, a day after the country debated a draft exemption bill for the group. Reuters
  • A horse is put under anesthesia during an operation at an equestrian centre in Goustranville, north-western France. AFP
    A horse is put under anesthesia during an operation at an equestrian centre in Goustranville, north-western France. AFP
  • Kenyan climate activist Truphena Muthoni, right, is joined by supporters after setting the world record for hugging a tree, lasting 72 hours without eating or sleeping. AFP
    Kenyan climate activist Truphena Muthoni, right, is joined by supporters after setting the world record for hugging a tree, lasting 72 hours without eating or sleeping. AFP
  • Volunteers pack 10 millions meals to support the people of Gaza, as Dubai Expo City. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Volunteers pack 10 millions meals to support the people of Gaza, as Dubai Expo City. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Models stand on a pirogue as they present the creations of African designers, during Dakar Fashion Week in Senegal. EPA
    Models stand on a pirogue as they present the creations of African designers, during Dakar Fashion Week in Senegal. EPA
  • Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at a Paris bookshop to sign copies of his memoir recounting his time in prison. Reuters
    Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at a Paris bookshop to sign copies of his memoir recounting his time in prison. Reuters
  • The beak of a dead stork protrudes from a bin bag at the Manzanares River in Getafe, Spain, amid heightened bird flu fears. AFP
    The beak of a dead stork protrudes from a bin bag at the Manzanares River in Getafe, Spain, amid heightened bird flu fears. AFP
  • Brazilian politicians celebrate after voting to reduce former president Jair Bolsonaro's prison sentence for plotting a coup. AFP
    Brazilian politicians celebrate after voting to reduce former president Jair Bolsonaro's prison sentence for plotting a coup. AFP
  • Pope Leo XIV is presented with an inflatable crucifix, offered to the Vatican by the Italian island of Ventotene. AFP
    Pope Leo XIV is presented with an inflatable crucifix, offered to the Vatican by the Italian island of Ventotene. AFP
  • New Zealand, left, and the West Indies line up on day one of the second international Test cricket match at the Basin Reserve, in Wellington. AFP
    New Zealand, left, and the West Indies line up on day one of the second international Test cricket match at the Basin Reserve, in Wellington. AFP
  • Whirling dervishes perform at a ceremony in Istanbul marking the death of Sufism founder Jelaleddin Mevlana Rumi. AFP
    Whirling dervishes perform at a ceremony in Istanbul marking the death of Sufism founder Jelaleddin Mevlana Rumi. AFP
  • French police search a building in Marseille during a major anti-drug operation. AFP
    French police search a building in Marseille during a major anti-drug operation. AFP
  • Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, centre, receives a UN Security Council delegation at the presidential palace in Damascus. EPA
    Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, centre, receives a UN Security Council delegation at the presidential palace in Damascus. EPA
  • McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates becoming Formula One world champion at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates becoming Formula One world champion at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Palestinians ride motorcycles on sand dunes in Al Zahra, central Gaza. AP
    Palestinians ride motorcycles on sand dunes in Al Zahra, central Gaza. AP
  • Supporters of an Iraqi militia hold flags of Lebanon's Hezbollah and a portrait of assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, during a protest in Baghdad after Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis were placed on a frozen assets list. AFP
    Supporters of an Iraqi militia hold flags of Lebanon's Hezbollah and a portrait of assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, during a protest in Baghdad after Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis were placed on a frozen assets list. AFP
  • Fans during Post Malone's concert at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Victor Besa / The National
    Fans during Post Malone's concert at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Victor Besa / The National
  • Widespread damage as the Enipeas river burst its banks after Storm Byron made landfall, near the town of Farsala, Greece. Reuters
    Widespread damage as the Enipeas river burst its banks after Storm Byron made landfall, near the town of Farsala, Greece. Reuters
  • People mourn at the graves of Ukrainian servicemen in Lychakiv cemetery on the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in Lviv. AFP
    People mourn at the graves of Ukrainian servicemen in Lychakiv cemetery on the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in Lviv. AFP
  • Staff members at Budapest Zoo provide care to a three-month-old tiger that was seized having been kept illegally. AFP
    Staff members at Budapest Zoo provide care to a three-month-old tiger that was seized having been kept illegally. AFP
  • Members of the Miao ethnic group take part in a traditional sun-worshiping ceremony, during the Lusheng Festival in China's Guizhou province. AFP
    Members of the Miao ethnic group take part in a traditional sun-worshiping ceremony, during the Lusheng Festival in China's Guizhou province. AFP
  • Fireworks illuminate Clock Square in Homs, western Syria, as the country marks the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime. AP
    Fireworks illuminate Clock Square in Homs, western Syria, as the country marks the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime. AP
  • Greek farmers protest against the delayed payment of EU subsidies, in Heraklion, Crete. Reuters
    Greek farmers protest against the delayed payment of EU subsidies, in Heraklion, Crete. Reuters
  • Residents walk over debris to cross the river on a newly built bridge connecting Aceh and North Sumatra province, which was damaged by flash floods, in Bireuen district, Indonesia. AFP
    Residents walk over debris to cross the river on a newly built bridge connecting Aceh and North Sumatra province, which was damaged by flash floods, in Bireuen district, Indonesia. AFP
  • Lightning strikes over Kuwait City during a thunderstorm. AFP
    Lightning strikes over Kuwait City during a thunderstorm. AFP

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Pictures of the week: From celebrations in Idlib to lightning over Kuwait

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

The National

December 12, 2025

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Updated: December 12, 2025, 6:00 PM
WeekendPhotography