The Year in Pictures

The images we can’t forget

A president returned to power in the U.S. and rattled the global order. A fragile cease-fire took hold in Gaza. A conflict in Sudan wore on. Over the course of a tumultuous year, our photographers captured those events and many others, at times putting themselves at risk to do so.

Looking back on the year through these images gives us a chance to reflect on the world, and maybe to understand it better. Here are some of the best New York Times photographs of 2025.

A meeting between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in the Oval Office turned into an angry showdown, with Trump telling Zelensky that he was “gambling with World War III.”

“It was a much-anticipated meeting. It was not expected to be contentious at all. Then it turned into a full-on yelling match.” — Doug Mills, our photographer covering the White House

The commander of a sniper unit in the Sudanese army observed Rapid Support Forces positions from the bedroom of a deserted apartment. Two years into the civil war, Sudan’s military recaptured the presidential palace in Khartoum, the capital. But the city was reduced to a charred battleground.

“Declan Walsh [chief Africa correspondent] and I were some of the first journalists to set foot inside Khartoum proper. That was a huge moment and a privileged position.” — Ivor Prickett, photographer

Cries of grief pierced the scene at Al-Shifa Hospital after more than 30 people were killed and dozens wounded when an Israeli airstrike leveled the Baqaa Cafe and Restaurant, a popular beachfront spot for Palestinians seeking respite from the war. Saher Alghorra, our photographer in Gaza, went to the scene and found the cafe destroyed and awash in blood.

“The hospital courtyard was filled with the dead, and the screams still echo in my mind.” — Saher Alghorra, photographer

Russia pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones, less than two weeks after Trump met in Alaska with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. The attack showed the limits of American diplomacy in containing Russian aggression in Ukraine.

“This was a day or so after the strike. A few people were looking into the pit of the basement. As so often happens in these locations, life goes on around it.” — Finbarr O’Reilly, photographer

A blaze that spread among several high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong killed more than 150 people and left thousands without a home. Investigators said that netting that did not meet safety standards was the first thing to catch fire.

“I was on the 17th floor of a building opposite the scene. Smoke was still rising, and some units were still burning. I used a telephoto lens to check every window for survivors or victims. Only when firefighters’ lights cut through the smoke could I see anything. I switched to a wide-angle lens to capture the scale of the disaster.” — Lam Yik Fei, photographer

Masafumi Matsuo, a 101-year-old farmer, with his year-old great-grandson. Many centenarians in Japan credit their remarkable longevity to their work. “I dreamed of being an actor, but farming is what has kept me alive,” Matsuo said.

For more, take a look at our best graphics of 2025.

MORE TOP NEWS

Trump and Netanyahu met in Florida

Trump said he had five major subjects to discuss with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, including Gaza, as the leaders met at Mar-a-Lago. Trump said that he thought the reconstruction of Gaza would begin “soon.”

Recent strikes by Israel in Gaza appear to have angered the Trump administration, and Israel’s military actions in Lebanon and Syria seem at odds with U.S. efforts to stabilize governments in both countries.

2026 is shaping up as a momentous year for Netanyahu, with pressure mounting on him from every direction, David Halbfinger, our Jerusalem bureau chief, writes.

Our journalists in Antarctica

My colleagues Raymond Zhong, who covers climate change, and Chang Lee, a photographer, are on an expedition by sea to Antarctica to check out the continent’s thinning glaciers.

For the next eight weeks, they will be traveling with nearly 40 scientists who are trying to gauge the dangers from the melting ice. The team is worried that a particularly large glacier, the Thwaites, could collapse catastrophically.

Watch Raymond explain in the video above how much sea levels could rise as a result of melting ice.

OTHER NEWS

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Trump had offered security guarantees for Ukraine for 15 years, far short of the several decades that Zelensky is seeking.
Protesters took to the streets in Iran, angry over surging inflation and the collapse of the national currency.
Turkish police officers raided a suspected safe house for Islamic State militants. Three police officers and six Turkish militants were killed in clashes.
Trump said the U.S. struck “a big facility” last week as part of his administration’s campaign against Venezuela. Military officials said they had no information to share.
China launched military exercises around Taiwan after the Trump administration announced plans for arms sales to the island.
Meet the new billionaires of the A.I. boom.

SPORTS

Boxing: Anthony Joshua was injured in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two people.

Football: How much is every Premier League club worth?

MORNING READ

Few clothing items are as Brazilian as Havaianas flip-flops. Even as political divisions have splintered the nation, the brightly colored footwear has been something most could agree on. Until now.

A recent holiday advertisement with an apparent play on words — in which an actress urges Brazilians not to start the new year “on the right foot” — has angered conservatives. Many saw the commercial as a political message aimed at their movement, ahead of what’s likely to be a momentous presidential election next year.

A son of former President Jair Bolsonaro has called for a boycott of the sandals. Some of Bolsonaro’s allies vowed to switch to flip-flops made by competitors. Read more.

AROUND THE WORLD

Falling birthrates? Don’t blame the dog.

People who choose to have dogs or cats but not children have become popular scapegoats for the global fertility crisis. The theory goes that these often-pampered pets — dressed by their owners in fancy outfits and pushed around in strollers — have become replacements for human children.

It’s easy to see why some politicians and religious leaders think this way: For example, a festival in Japan that honors children’s birthdays has undergone a “pet-friendly revamp,” allowing dogs to receive blessings as well.

Now, new research suggests that the conventional wisdom is wrong, at least in Taiwan, which has one of the lowest birthrates in the world. Researchers have found that pets, rather than replacing children, precede them. In fact, data showed that people with pets — particularly dogs — were actually more likely than non-pet owners to go on to have children. Read more.

REPORTER RECOMMENDATIONS

Toronto

Vjosa Isai, our reporter in Toronto, sent us tips for enjoying winter in the city.

Escape from the cold at Bazaar, a cooperative market in the artsy Kensington neighborhood that sells a mix of locally made giftware, prints and crafts alongside vintage clothing and curated home décor collections.

Indulge in a frozen treat (ice cream melts slower in the winter, after all) from Alberobello Gelato, run by Lorenzo Loseto, the executive chef of the fine-dining restaurant George. Loseto is so proud of his gelato that he will often come out of the kitchen to greet customers, explain the flavors and personally deliver the pints, reasonably priced at 12 Canadian dollars.

Toboggan down a hill at Riverdale Park, which offers one of the best views of Toronto’s skyline. The streetcar ride to the park from downtown cuts through charming East End neighborhoods.

RECIPE

San choy bao translates from Cantonese to lettuce wrap. Unlike other comfort food, which lulls you, san choy bao wakes you up. For this recipe, wrap iceberg lettuce around a stir-fry of diced vegetables, protein and a sweet Chinese bean sauce. Add deep-fried noodles for a fantastic crackle.