A visitor at Somerset House in London marveled at an installation from the new exhibition, SOIL: The World at Our Feet, which opened this week. Meanwhile, across the globe, a series of events have captured the world's attention, spanning from environmental marvels to man-made tragedies. Heavy fog in Rotterdam, Netherlands, caused multiple road accidents and flight cancellations, while in West Sumatra, Indonesia, a Rafflesia arnoldii, the world’s largest flower, was discovered blooming in the Palupuah forest.
In Germany, commuters navigated through a frozen forest as they headed towards a fog-covered Frankfurt. In a rare climatic anomaly, New Orleans in the United States experienced an unprecedented snowfall of 10 inches, shattering the previous record of 2.7 inches set back in 1963. This sudden snowstorm left officers spraying water to remove mud clinging to battered buildings and vehicles.
Tragedy struck Ukraine as Andrii Slautin, a Ukrainian serviceman, was killed in combat near Toretsk. His funeral was held in Chernihiv as mourners gathered to pay their respects. In Gaza City, Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation provided aid by setting up tents for Palestinian families displaced due to the ongoing conflict. Meanwhile, in Syria’s Hajar al-Aswad district, the scars of a 13-year-long conflict are evident on the buildings as efforts to overthrow Bashar al-Assad continue.
In Beijing, China, residents celebrated a cultural tradition by dressing up for a ‘little new year’ procession, or xiao nian, signaling the start of preparations for the lunar new year and spring festival. However, not all celebrations could proceed as planned; in Tapachula, Mexico, children and their parents were stranded after their online permits to enter the US were revoked by the Trump administration.
In Europe, France’s Maxence Muzaton prepared for a training run at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Kitzbühel, Austria. Across the Atlantic, the Caldor wildfire in Meyers, US, threatened nearby structures as emergency services scrambled to contain its advance. A devastating fire broke out at the Grand Kartal ski hotel in Kartalkaya, Turkey, resulting in 76 fatalities and injuring 51 people.
In Indonesia's Java region, emergency workers conducted search operations for victims buried under landslides in Petungkriyono. These series of global events underscore the diverse challenges and wonders that occur worldwide each day.