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-- AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023 -- Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, close to the quake's epicentre, the day after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country's southeast, on February 7, 2023.. Rescuers in Turkey and Syria braved frigid weather, aftershocks and collapsing buildings, as they dug for survivors buried by an earthquake that killed more than 5,000 people. Some of the heaviest devastation occurred near the quake's epicentre between Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, a city of two million where entire blocks now lie in ruins under gathering snow. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) / AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023

2023 in Review: This year’s best photos from around the world

Olivia Harris
1 min read·December 31, 2023 - 3:54PM
News Corp Australia Network

It’s been one hell of a year. War rages in Gaza and Ukraine, natural disasters caused havoc from Hawaii to Turkey, and Donald Trump became the first U.S. President to be indicted - so not all bad I suppose. As 2023 draws to a close, we look back on this year’s biggest international stories and most striking photography.

 

A fireman holds a cat and two rabbits after rescuing them from a fire on the Greek island of Rhodes, as parts of Greece were devastated by fires in July. Picture: Spyros Bakalis/AFP
A fireman holds a cat and two rabbits after rescuing them from a fire on the Greek island of Rhodes, as parts of Greece were devastated by fires in July. Picture: Spyros Bakalis/AFP

 

An aerial shot of a red roofed house incredibly surrounded by destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina, Maui in the aftermath of wildfires in Hawaii in August. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP
An aerial shot of a red roofed house incredibly surrounded by destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina, Maui in the aftermath of wildfires in Hawaii in August. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP

 

 

A woman holding a girl reacts after Israeli air strikes hit Ridwan neighbourhood of Gaza City in October. Picture: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu
A woman holding a girl reacts after Israeli air strikes hit Ridwan neighbourhood of Gaza City in October. Picture: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu

 

Taylor Swift interacts with the crowd in Seattle during her $1 billion Eras Tour. Picture: Mat Hayward/TAS23/Getty Images
Taylor Swift interacts with the crowd in Seattle during her $1 billion Eras Tour. Picture: Mat Hayward/TAS23/Getty Images

 

File image of the Titan submersible beginning a descent. All five people on board were killed in June near the wreck of the Titanic on a deep-diving tourist trip in the Atlantic Ocean. Picture OceanGate Expeditions/AFP
File image of the Titan submersible beginning a descent. All five people on board were killed in June near the wreck of the Titanic on a deep-diving tourist trip in the Atlantic Ocean. Picture OceanGate Expeditions/AFP

 

 

Rohingya refugees walks to the beach after the local community decided to temporarily allow them to land for water and food in Ulee Madon, Aceh province, Indonesia. Picture: Amanda Jufrian/AFP
Rohingya refugees walks to the beach after the local community decided to temporarily allow them to land for water and food in Ulee Madon, Aceh province, Indonesia. Picture: Amanda Jufrian/AFP

 

The year of AI: Humanoid AI robot "Ameca" looks on at the booth of Engineered Arts company during the world's largest gathering of humanoid AI Robots in Geneva, on July 5. Picture: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP
The year of AI: Humanoid AI robot "Ameca" looks on at the booth of Engineered Arts company during the world's largest gathering of humanoid AI Robots in Geneva, on July 5. Picture: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

 

Soldiers in training for the King’s Coronation from the Royal Horse Artillery remount their horses as they take part in the riding assessment at Woolwich Barracks on April 24 in London. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Soldiers in training for the King’s Coronation from the Royal Horse Artillery remount their horses as they take part in the riding assessment at Woolwich Barracks on April 24 in London. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

 

It was a Barbie World and we just lived in it: Margot Robbie dominated this year with Greta Gerwig’s film on the Mattel doll. Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images
It was a Barbie World and we just lived in it: Margot Robbie dominated this year with Greta Gerwig’s film on the Mattel doll. Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images

 

Detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention at the Moscow City Court in Russia on October 10. Picture: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP
Detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention at the Moscow City Court in Russia on October 10. Picture: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP

 

A woman walks past South Korean soldiers as they participate in an anti-chemical and anti-terror exercise at a subway in Seoul, South Korea. Picture: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
A woman walks past South Korean soldiers as they participate in an anti-chemical and anti-terror exercise at a subway in Seoul, South Korea. Picture: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

 

6 month-old Palestinian baby Sama Alwadia is rescued from under rubble after an Israeli air strike in Gaza Strip on October 09, 2023. Picture: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
6 month-old Palestinian baby Sama Alwadia is rescued from under rubble after an Israeli air strike in Gaza Strip on October 09, 2023. Picture: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

 

Police stand by and watch explosions in northwest Paris in early June, as protests continue across France in the aftermath of the killing by a policeman of a teenage driver in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. Picture: Zakaria Abedlkafi/AFP
Police stand by and watch explosions in northwest Paris in early June, as protests continue across France in the aftermath of the killing by a policeman of a teenage driver in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. Picture: Zakaria Abedlkafi/AFP

 

The iconic art deco Chrysler Building is covered in a thick smoky haze from wildfires in Canada as it blankets Manhattan in June. Picture: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
The iconic art deco Chrysler Building is covered in a thick smoky haze from wildfires in Canada as it blankets Manhattan in June. Picture: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

 

The controversial memoir of Prince Harry’s book, Spare, go on sale in London. Picture: Andrew Aitchison/In pictures via Getty Images
The controversial memoir of Prince Harry’s book, Spare, go on sale in London. Picture: Andrew Aitchison/In pictures via Getty Images

 

Ukrainian servicemen walk on the road toward their base near the frontline in the Donetsk region amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Picture: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP
Ukrainian servicemen walk on the road toward their base near the frontline in the Donetsk region amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Picture: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

 

A kiss from the President of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales for Jennifer Hermoso of Spain during the medal ceremony of the Women's World Cup in Sydney. 17 days later Rubiales resigned. Picture: Noemi Llamas/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
A kiss from the President of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales for Jennifer Hermoso of Spain during the medal ceremony of the Women's World Cup in Sydney. 17 days later Rubiales resigned. Picture: Noemi Llamas/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

 

New York Pride Day celebrations in the Washington Square Park fountain. Picture: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
New York Pride Day celebrations in the Washington Square Park fountain. Picture: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

 

The scene as inmates belonging to the MS-13 and 18 gangs arrive at a new prison in El Salvador. The first 2,000 gang members were transferred from the Izalco prison to "America's largest" mega-prison, equipped with hi-tech surveillance and designed to house 40,000 criminals. Picture: AFP
The scene as inmates belonging to the MS-13 and 18 gangs arrive at a new prison in El Salvador. The first 2,000 gang members were transferred from the Izalco prison to "America's largest" mega-prison, equipped with hi-tech surveillance and designed to house 40,000 criminals. Picture: AFP

 

Bodies of civilians killed in the Hamas attack are collected, identified, placed in temporary storage and wait to be claimed by family members at a military base in Israel. Picture: Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times
Bodies of civilians killed in the Hamas attack are collected, identified, placed in temporary storage and wait to be claimed by family members at a military base in Israel. Picture: Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times

 

Dogue de Bordeauxs wait to enter the judging ring on the second day of Crufts Dog Show at NEC Arena, Birmingham in March. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Dogue de Bordeauxs wait to enter the judging ring on the second day of Crufts Dog Show at NEC Arena, Birmingham in March. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

 

ATX Drag Queen Brigitte Bandit gives testimony in the Senate Chamber at the Texas State Capitol. People across the state of Texas gave testimony as proposed Senate bills which would regulate drag performances, were discussed before the Chamber. Picture: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
ATX Drag Queen Brigitte Bandit gives testimony in the Senate Chamber at the Texas State Capitol. People across the state of Texas gave testimony as proposed Senate bills which would regulate drag performances, were discussed before the Chamber. Picture: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

 

Ring of fire: the moon completely crosses in front of the sun during the Annular Solar Eclipse in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Picture: Sam Wasson/Getty Images
Ring of fire: the moon completely crosses in front of the sun during the Annular Solar Eclipse in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Picture: Sam Wasson/Getty Images

 

After being caged all her life, Vanilla the chimpanzee, reacts after seeing the sky for the first time at a Chimps sanctuary in Florida. The 28-year-old chimp moved to the sanctuary last year and had been quarantined and acclimating to her new home. Picture: Save the Chimps
After being caged all her life, Vanilla the chimpanzee, reacts after seeing the sky for the first time at a Chimps sanctuary in Florida. The 28-year-old chimp moved to the sanctuary last year and had been quarantined and acclimating to her new home. Picture: Save the Chimps

 

The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state at St. Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state at St. Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

 

2023 marked the start of King Charles III’s reign alongside Queen Camilla, much to the dismay of some. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP
2023 marked the start of King Charles III’s reign alongside Queen Camilla, much to the dismay of some. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP

 

Eight people were left dangling over a ravine in Pakistan when a line on their cable car snapped in August. Two were rescued by helicopter, the rest via a makeshift chairlift after a nailbiting 16 hours. Picture: Supplied
Eight people were left dangling over a ravine in Pakistan when a line on their cable car snapped in August. Two were rescued by helicopter, the rest via a makeshift chairlift after a nailbiting 16 hours. Picture: Supplied

 

Kibbutz Nir Oz resident Hadas Kalderon, whose children have been taken hostage, and her mother and niece killed, breaks down in tears while looking through the burnt out home of her late mother Rina Sutzkever in October in Israel. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Kibbutz Nir Oz resident Hadas Kalderon, whose children have been taken hostage, and her mother and niece killed, breaks down in tears while looking through the burnt out home of her late mother Rina Sutzkever in October in Israel. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

 

An 80m narcos tunnel near the US-Mexico border in Tijuana, which was discovered by Mexico’s Fiscalia General. It is used for drugs, human trafficking, and arms smuggling, and reveals a hidden underworld of crime. Picture: Jason Edwards
An 80m narcos tunnel near the US-Mexico border in Tijuana, which was discovered by Mexico’s Fiscalia General. It is used for drugs, human trafficking, and arms smuggling, and reveals a hidden underworld of crime. Picture: Jason Edwards

 

A critically endangered Sumatran rhino was born in Indonesia’s western island of Sumatra, making a vital addition to a species that currently numbers fewer than 50 animals. Picture: AFP
A critically endangered Sumatran rhino was born in Indonesia’s western island of Sumatra, making a vital addition to a species that currently numbers fewer than 50 animals. Picture: AFP

 

 

Former U.S. President Donald Trump poses for his booking photo at the Fulton County Jail on August 24, in Atlanta, Georgia. Trump was booked on 13 charges related to an alleged plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Picture: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Former U.S. President Donald Trump poses for his booking photo at the Fulton County Jail on August 24, in Atlanta, Georgia. Trump was booked on 13 charges related to an alleged plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Picture: Fulton County Sheriff's Office

 

Former US president and Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump gestures as he leaves the stage after speaking during the South Dakota Republican Party. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP
Former US president and Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump gestures as he leaves the stage after speaking during the South Dakota Republican Party. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

 

Michelle Yeoh, winner of Best Actress and Jamie Lee Curtis, winner of Best Supporting Actress for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," watch in the press room at the Oscars. Picture: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Michelle Yeoh, winner of Best Actress and Jamie Lee Curtis, winner of Best Supporting Actress for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," watch in the press room at the Oscars. Picture: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

 

A protester holds an umbrella to protect from teargas during strikes and protests across France country against the government's proposed pensions overhaul. Picture: Loic Venance/AFP
A protester holds an umbrella to protect from teargas during strikes and protests across France country against the government's proposed pensions overhaul. Picture: Loic Venance/AFP

 

Aerial view of people cooling off at a water park on August 17, 2023 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province of China. Picture: Getty Images
Aerial view of people cooling off at a water park on August 17, 2023 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province of China. Picture: Getty Images

 

Alpine ski resorts faced an unseasonably warm January that brought record temperatures to many parts of Europe as skiers descended the slopes covered in artificial snow as grass covers the surrounding areas. Picture: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images
Alpine ski resorts faced an unseasonably warm January that brought record temperatures to many parts of Europe as skiers descended the slopes covered in artificial snow as grass covers the surrounding areas. Picture: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images

 

Hollywood star Kevin Spacey smiles as he leaves Southwark Crown Court in June in London. The Oscar-winning US Actor was cleared of all charges of sexually assaulting four men in the UK between 2005 and 2013. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Hollywood star Kevin Spacey smiles as he leaves Southwark Crown Court in June in London. The Oscar-winning US Actor was cleared of all charges of sexually assaulting four men in the UK between 2005 and 2013. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

 

A protester throws glitter over Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer before his keynote speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Images
A protester throws glitter over Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer before his keynote speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Images

 

The wreckage of rail coaches lies next to train tracks on in Bahanaga village, India. Local media reports said that the death toll from the deadly crash was approaching 300 as emergency services continued to comb through the wreckage for victims. (Picture: Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images
The wreckage of rail coaches lies next to train tracks on in Bahanaga village, India. Local media reports said that the death toll from the deadly crash was approaching 300 as emergency services continued to comb through the wreckage for victims. (Picture: Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images

 

The Sphere keeps an eye over Vegas. With 18,600 seats and standing 111m tall, it is the largest spherical building in the world. Picture: David Becker for the Washington Post
The Sphere keeps an eye over Vegas. With 18,600 seats and standing 111m tall, it is the largest spherical building in the world. Picture: David Becker for the Washington Post

 

A woman is overcome with grief as the body of her husband is removed from a collapsed house in Morocco. Nearly 3000 people were reported to have died following the large earthquake that struck in the High Atlas Mountains, south of Marrakesh. Picture: Carl Court/Getty Images
A woman is overcome with grief as the body of her husband is removed from a collapsed house in Morocco. Nearly 3000 people were reported to have died following the large earthquake that struck in the High Atlas Mountains, south of Marrakesh. Picture: Carl Court/Getty Images

 

The world-famous 'Sycamore Gap' tree on Hadrian's Wall in Engladn lies on the ground leaving behind only a stump in the spot it once proudly stood, on September 28. Police believe it was an act of vandalism. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
The world-famous 'Sycamore Gap' tree on Hadrian's Wall in Engladn lies on the ground leaving behind only a stump in the spot it once proudly stood, on September 28. Police believe it was an act of vandalism. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

 

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket turns upside down and explodes during launch from Starbase in April. Picture: Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post
SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket turns upside down and explodes during launch from Starbase in April. Picture: Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post

 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gets help as he froze and stopped talking at the microphones during a news conference in Washington, DC. Picture: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gets help as he froze and stopped talking at the microphones during a news conference in Washington, DC. Picture: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

 

Immigrants struggle through the current of the Rio Grande while crossing from Mexico into Texas, USA. Picture: John Moore/Getty Images
Immigrants struggle through the current of the Rio Grande while crossing from Mexico into Texas, USA. Picture: John Moore/Getty Images

 

Father Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Turkey, close to the quake's epicentre, the day after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country in February. Picture: Adem Altan/AFP
Father Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Turkey, close to the quake's epicentre, the day after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country in February. Picture: Adem Altan/AFP

 

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Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/photos/2023-in-review-this-years-best-photos-from-around-the-world/news-story/b9e6826f00fc7fbc1cb7874704aef44e