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Photos: 2023 – a year in pictures

A visual timeline of some of the events that shaped the last 12 months.

Hindu devotees crowd the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavsya or the new moon day, the most auspicious day during the annual month-long Hindu religious fair "Magh Mela" in Prayagraj, India, on Jan. 21 — Hindu devotees crowd the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya or New Moon Day, the most auspicious day during the annual month-long Hindu religious fair 'Magh Mela' in Prayagraj, India, on January 21. [Satya Prakash/AP Photo]

By News Agencies

From the Israel-Hamas war to Russia’s grinding battles against Ukraine, 2023 has shown the dangers of armed conflicts breaking out into region-wide combat. It has revealed the human struggle – to protect loved ones, to navigate a warming planet, to escape strife and oppression, to survive nature’s capriciousness.

Go through our gallery below to see some of the most powerful photographs defining the last 12 months.

People line up at a government office for entry and exit matters which provides services including making or renewing passports or permits to go to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, after China reopened borders, in Beijing, China January 9 — People line up at a government office that issues passports or travel permits to go to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, after China reopened its borders after almost three years, in Beijing, China, on January 9. [Yew Lun Tian/Reuters]

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Emergency workers clear the rubble after a Russian rocket hit a multistory building leaving many people under debris in the southeastern city of Dnipro, Ukraine, on Jan. 14 — Emergency workers clear the rubble after a Russian rocket hit a multi-storey building, leaving many people under debris in the southeastern city of Dnipro, Ukraine, on January 14. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]

A man sleeps in front of a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Monday, Feb. 13 — A man sleeps in front of a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, on February 13. Thousands, left homeless by a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, packed into crowded tents or lined up in the streets for hot meals, while the desperate search for anyone still alive likely entered its last hours. [Khalil Hamra/AP Photo]

People stand on a pedestrian traffic light during clashes at a demonstration as part of the tenth day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform in Paris, France, March 28 — People stand on a traffic light amid clashes on the 10th day of nationwide strikes and protests against the French government's pension reform in Paris, France, on March 28. [Nacho Doce/Reuters]

Smoke rises from a building in Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 26 — Smoke rises from a building in Bakhmut, the site of long and fierce battles between Russian and Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on April 26. [Libkos/AP Photo]

Migrants reach through a border wall for clothing handed out by volunteers, as they wait between two border walls to apply for asylum Friday, May 12 — Migrants and refugees reach for clothing handed out by volunteers as they wait between two border walls to apply for asylum on May 12. The US entered a new immigration enforcement era, ending three-year-old asylum restrictions. [Gregory Bull/AP Photo]

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Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla travel in the Gold State Coach from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace — Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla travel in the Gold State Coach from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace following their coronation ceremony in London, on May 6. [Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo]

A drone shot of rescuers work at the site of passenger trains accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023 — Rescuers work at the site of passenger train accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, on June 3. Rescuers waded through piles of debris and wreckage to pull out bodies and free people after two passenger trains derailed, killing more than 280 people. Hundreds of others were trapped inside more than a dozen mangled rail cars, in one of the country's deadliest train crashes in decades. [Arabinda Mahapatra/AP Photo]

Streets are flooded in Kherson, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 7, 2023 after the walls of the Kakhovka dam collapsed — Streets are flooded in Kherson, Ukraine, on June 7, after the Kakhovka dam collapsed. [Libkos/AP Photo]

A view of the village of Asklipieio, as a wildfire burns in the background on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 26 — A view of the village of Asklipieio, as a wildfire burns in the background, on the island of Rhodes, Greece, on July 26. [Nicolas Economou/Reuters]

Arun Haryani, an enthusiast with his body painted in tri-colours reacts as he holds up a model of LVM3 M4 which was used in launching of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the eve of its moon landing, in Ahmedabad, India, August 22 — Arun Haryani holds up a model of LVM3 M4, the rocket that launched the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, on the eve of its moon landing, in Ahmedabad, India, on August 22. The Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission was the first to land at the moon's southern pole successfully, making India the fourth country to land on the moon. [Amit Dave/Reuters]

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is shown in a police booking mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, after a Grand Jury brought back indictments against him and 18 of his allies in their attempt to overturn the state's 2020 election results in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., August 24 — Former US President Donald Trump is shown in a police mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on August 24 after a grand jury brought back indictments against him and 18 of his allies over attempts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. [Fulton County Sheriff's Office/Handout via Reuters]

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a rocket assembly hangar during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13 — Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un examine a rocket assembly hangar as they meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on September 13. [Artyom Geodakyan, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool via AP Photo]

Afghans bury hundreds of people killed in an earthquake to a burial site, in a village in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western of Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 9 — Afghans in Zenda Jan district, Herat province, Afghanistan, bury hundreds of people killed in an earthquake in early October. A series of earthquakes killed and injured thousands and levelled an untold number of homes. [Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo]

A man sits on the rubble as others wander among debris of buildings that were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 1 — A man sits on rubble as others search among the debris of buildings targeted by Israeli air strikes in Jabaliya refugee camp, the northern Gaza Strip, on November 1. [Abed Khaled/AP Photo]

Demonstrators carry props during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Dublin, Ireland, November 11 — Amid the Israel-Gaza war, demonstrators march in solidarity with Palestinians in Dublin, Ireland, on November 11. [Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters]

Australian players celebrate with the trophy after winning against India during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final match in Ahmedabad, India — Australian players celebrate with the trophy after beating India during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final match in Ahmedabad, India, on November 19. [Aijaz Rahi/AP Photo]

An installation of a scene of the Nativity of Christ with a figure symbolizing baby Jesus lying amid the rubble, in reference to Gaza, inside an Evangelical Lutheran Church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Sunday, Dec. 10 — An installation of a scene of the Nativity of Christ with a figure symbolising baby Jesus lying amid the rubble, in reference to Gaza, inside an Evangelical Lutheran Church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, on December 12. Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem were put on hold due to the continuing Israel-Gaza war. [Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo]