Photos of the Week: Christmas Market, Mountain Frost, Penguin Outing
In mid-November 2025, a series of captivating events unfolded across the globe, highlighting both the beauty of nature and the challenges faced by communities. In Kenya, wildlife rangers from the Kenya Wildlife Services undertook a significant operation to translocate a female Masai giraffe from Kedong Ranch, a region increasingly disrupted by land subdivisions that threaten the migratory routes of local wildlife. This effort is part of a broader initiative to protect large herbivores in the Naivasha area, where habitat loss has become a critical concern. The giraffe’s resistance to being guided into a transportation crate symbolizes the struggle for survival amidst encroaching human development, emphasizing the delicate balance between wildlife conservation and urban expansion.
Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the festive spirit was palpable as Jack Hackney of Hamiltons Ice Sculptors put the finishing touches on a stunning unicorn ice sculpture for the Polar Ice Bar at the city’s Christmas market. This artistic endeavor showcases the blend of creativity and tradition that characterizes seasonal celebrations across Europe. In Latvia, the Staro Riga light festival illuminated Dome Square, drawing crowds to witness the enchanting display of lights that celebrates culture and community. As cities around the world embrace the holiday season, these events serve as reminders of the joy and unity that can be found in shared experiences, even as various regions grapple with their unique challenges.
In addition to these cultural highlights, significant environmental events were noted. In Thailand, floodwaters inundated the Wat Taku Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, illustrating the ongoing impact of climate change and extreme weather on communities. Similarly, in Cuba, Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc, snapping power poles and leaving residents to cope with the aftermath. These events underscore the urgent need for global awareness and action regarding climate resilience, as seen during the UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil, where demonstrators marched for forest preservation and territorial rights. As the world continues to navigate these complex issues, the juxtaposition of celebration and struggle serves as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world.
Tony Karumba / AFP / Getty
An adult female Masai giraffe rears on its hind legs as it resists efforts by Kenya Wildlife Services rangers to guide it into a transportation crate during an exercise to translocate large herbivores from Kedong Ranch due to land subdivisions and corralling that have disrupted wildlife migratory routes in Naivasha, Kenya, on November 16, 2025.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty
Jack Hackney from Hamiltons Ice Sculptors puts the finishing touches on a sculpture of a unicorn for the Polar Ice Bar at Edinburgh’s Christmas on November 17, 2025, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Edijs Palens / Xinhua / Getty
A light object is seen at Dome square during the light festival Staro Riga 2025 in Riga, Latvia, on November 17, 2025.
John Locher / AP
Lights from the Sphere illuminate rain clouds above the Las Vegas Strip on November 15, 2025.
Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP / Getty
Floodwater covers a Buddha statue at Wat Taku Buddhist temple in the Bang Ban district in the Thai province of Ayutthaya on November 14, 2025.
Rebeca Herrera / AFP / Getty
Mexican riot police hold up shields during a protest against the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at Zocalo Square in Mexico City on November 15, 2025.
Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty
Rabbis gather for a group photo in front of the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on November 16, 2025.
Adriano Machado / Reuters
Demonstrators, with lamps called
Poronga
on their heads, attend a march in defense of the living forest, territorial rights, and global climate responsibility during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, on November 13, 2025.
Gerald Anderson / Anadolu / Getty
Firefighters manage to bring a blaze under control, while residents attempt to salvage their belongings after a fire that broke out in the early-morning hours in the Mukuru Fuata Nyayo area of Nairobi, Kenya, destroying numerous homes on November 20, 2025.
John Fatkin / Cover Images / Reuters
The sun rises over Tynemouth, England, on November 18, 2025.
Norlys Perez / Reuters
State worker Arnaldo Alvarez uses a fogging machine to fumigate inside a garage, as part of a public-health campaign against the spread of the mosquito-transmitted virus that causes chikungunya, in Havana, Cuba, on November 13, 2025.
Agu.S. Harianto / AFP / Getty
A pyroclastic flow, seen during an eruption of Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, on November 19, 2025.
VCG / Getty
Frost-covered trees on Mount Huangshan, seen on a misty morning in China’s Anhui Province, on November 18, 2025.
Wang Huabin / VCG / Getty
Tourists walk across the glass-bottomed Ruyi Bridge at Shenxianju scenic area in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, China, on November 15, 2025.
Thomas Kienzle / AFP / Getty
Pillars holding steel-glass skylights are seen among tracks at the construction site of the new underground main station of the “Stuttgart 21” railway project in Stuttgart, Germany, on November 20, 2025.
Tang Ke / Feature China / Future Publishing / Getty
Norse Energi, a new jack-up wind-turbine installation vessel, conducts a jacking test at a shipyard in Yantai, Shandong province, China, on November 20, 2025. The vessel has a maximum jacking capacity of 48,500 tons.
Rodrigo Abd / AP
Dogs stand under a beached buoy on the shore of the Rio de la Plata in Villa Del Mar, Argentina, on November 15, 2025.
STRINGER / AFP / Getty
A power pole, snapped by Hurricane Melissa, hangs suspended from wires in El Cobre, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on November 17, 2025.
Brook Mitchell / Getty
Grey seals lie on the beach at Donna Nook National Nature Reserve on November 16, 2025, in Louth, England.
Yang Bo / China News Service / VCG / Getty
One of a pair of Humboldt penguins wearing Tang costumes, traditional Chinese outfits, stands in front of visitors during an outing at Chaotian Palace in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, on November 15, 2025.
Hector Quintanar / Getty
Traditional dancers perform as part of the Coscomatepec Dancing Masks Festival in Coscomatepec, Mexico, on November 14, 2025.
Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP / Getty
Audrey Eckert, Miss USA, walks onstage during the 2025 Miss Universe national costume presentation in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, Thailand, on November 19, 2025.
Caroline Gardin / AFP / Getty
Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, is seen past autumn leaves from the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture, on November 17, 2025.
Ronny Hartmann / Getty
Visitors attend the opening of the annual Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on November 20, 2025.
Javier Torres / AFP / Getty
This aerial view shows presidential candidate Jeannette Jara, of the Unidad por Chile coalition, delivering a speech after the first exit-poll results of the general election in Santiago, Chile, on November 16, 2025.
Kiran Ridley / Getty
A dachshund named Satanas walks with his owner as he takes part in the 6th Annual Paris Sausage Walk along the banks of the river Seine in Paris, France, on November 16, 2025.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty
A traffic cone that usually appears atop the Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art has been replaced with a new artwork featuring a pigeon, in Glasgow, Scotland, on November 17, 2025. The pigeon is depicted reading a newspaper and wearing a miniature traffic cone, referring to the long-running Glasgow tradition of placing an actual traffic cone on the Duke of Wellington’s head.
VCG / Getty
Mascots Lerongrong and Xiyangyang compete with a humanoid robot in a 100-meter fun race prior to the Women’s 100-meter event on Day 9 of the 15th National Games of China in Guangzhou, on November 17, 2025.
