With 2023 drawing to a close, SBS News has compiled some of the best photos from some of the biggest news stories from around the world.
Wildfires
2023 was a year of record heat temperatures, accompanied by wildfires that scorched vast swaths of land in countries around the world.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires turned the New York City skyline orange, while Greece had to evacuate holiday-makers from the path of fires that burned across the northeast and Rhodes. A massive fire in Hawaii killed dozens in Maui, leaving hundreds homeless.
Donald Trump arrested
On 24 August this year, former US president Donald Trump was arrested and booked on 13 charges related to his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
The former president has been criminally indicted four times and is facing other charges in different states over crimes like alleged mishandling of classified documents, allegations of falsifying business records and his alleged involvement in the Washington DC Capitol insurrection.
He remains the frontrunner for the Republican Party in the 2024 elections in November next year.
Türkiye earthquake
In the early hours of 6 February, an earthquake with a 7.8 magnitude struck Türkiye and Syria, with thousands of aftershocks. More than 50,000 people were killed and over 120,000 injured. The quake devastated parts of both countries, razing buildings to the ground and displacing millions.
Coronation of King Charles III
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, her eldest son Charles, then-Prince of Wales, ascended the throne. His coronation in May also included his wife Camilla being crowned Queen.
The new heads of the Royal Family for the UK, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth had a spectacular affair to mark the beginning of their reign.
War in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has ground on for another year, with the outcome still uncertain. Neither Russia nor Ukraine have managed to make substantial territorial gains and there has been widespread debate on whether the conflict has entered a stalemate. The US released its final package of aid in Ukraine this month, while its president Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to try and rally allies to his cause.
After a public dispute with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the notorious mercenary force known as the Wagner Group, died in a plane crash.
Iceland volcano
A volcanic eruption in Iceland in December saw rivers of molten lava flow south of the capital city Reykjavik.
Israel attacked
On 7 October, members of Hamas, a group that is designated a terrorist organisation by some countries, including Australia, launched an unprecedented assault on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and about 240 taken hostage, according to the Israeli government.
Israel declared war and launched a retaliatory attack on the Gaza Strip.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Israel's air, land and sea assault on the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attacks on 7 October has resulted in a humanitarian crisis. It's estimated more than 21,000 people have been killed in Gaza, with more than 55,000 injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Exact numbers are difficult to confirm, as it is thought thousands more are buried under the rubble.
The UN has said starvation and disease are rampant in Gaza. Israel has been accused by the United Nations and human rights organisations of war crimes and deliberate bombing of hospitals, refugee camps, churches and other civilian infrastructure.
Tributes after Pope Benedict XVI's death
The Pope Emeritus died New Year's Eve 2022, his body lying in state in the Vatican Basilica before his funeral, which was officiated by the current Pope Francis in St Peter's Square.
