From starving children in Gaza to the Albanian hero in Greece, the BBC publishes the most iconic photos of 2025

The BBC has released its list of the most memorable photographs of 2025, including an image taken during the devastating wildfires that swept through Greece this summer. These photographs, according to the BBC, are not just images, but testimonies of the human spirit, pain, courage and beauty that remain in the world’s memory.

The photo, taken by Reuters photographer Thanasis Stavrakis, shows 33-year-old Albanian Oslien Muçobega rescuing a sheep from flames in the Patras area. He is seen transporting the animal on his motorbike, amid thick smoke and wildfires that engulfed the Achaia region in August.

Monks, Thailand – a sea of ??orange and gold where tens of thousands of monks and devotees pray under the majestic dome of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, commemorating the Buddha’s first teaching.

Water Parade , Venice – a giant paper-mache fly floats over the Grand Canal, exploding with confetti and color at the opening of the famous Venetian Carnival.

Pope Francis’ tomb , Rome – A single white rose on the simple slab of his tomb evoked strong emotions, as it was the first time in more than a century that a pope had been buried outside the Vatican.

Migrant worker  , India – A tired man stops to drink water amidst wheat fields in Chandigarh, an image that symbolizes daily life and sacrifice.

Robotic Hand  , Beijing – The image of a young woman reaching out to touch the slowly releasing index finger of a giant robotic hand was captured during a press tour of Robot World in Beijing in April. The photo’s dramatic lighting and the figure’s black clothing conspire to reduce the sense of human presence to flecks of flesh: floating forearms and a profile shot suspended in the darkness. At first glance, the close-up might evoke Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam. In the age of artificial intelligence, the dividing line between creator and created is increasingly difficult to grasp.

Transit Center, Buganda – The image of a Congolese refugee sitting on a swing at a transit center near Buganda in May vibrates with a joy that transcends the material hardships she bears witness to: the relentless rain, the rusting steel frame of abandoned playground equipment, and the broken seat hanging next to her. With the woman among more than 70,000 people who have crossed into Burundi since January, her spirit defies her difficult circumstances.

Meteor Shower, California – A photo capturing the Eta Aquariid meteor shower as it streaked across the night sky over Inverness, California, in the early hours of May 6, was both inspiring and humbling. Dimmed by the shimmering blur of the Milky Way above, the glow of a small village seems little more than a faint note in a grand cosmic drama.

Activist in London – With her eyes covered by a substance symbolizing oil, the protester denounced the policies of the energy company Shell, in a gesture that was both artistic and political.

Starving Children in Gaza – Harrowing images of emaciated children in their mothers’ arms, which the BBC describes as a sight without parallel in art or history.