From high-level diplomatic summits to natural disasters and religious pilgrimages, the past week offered a series of defining global moments captured through photography. FRANCE 24 reviews the most striking images from September 21 to 27, 2026.
In Washington, DC, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24. The leaders viewed a military demonstration together from a balcony at the White House, highlighting the ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two major powers.
Meanwhile, in southwestern France, Pope Leo XIV embarked on a historic first visit to the country. On September 26, during the second day of his pilgrimage, the Pope led prayers alongside worshippers at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, standing before the famous Grotto of Massabielle and its statue of the Virgin Mary.
While diplomatic and religious events drew attention, severe weather caused significant disruption elsewhere. Heavy rains inundated Bangkok, Thailand, on September 26, forcing residents to wade through flooded streets. In the United States, the northeast coast braced for impact as a nor’easter battered the region; in Rockaway, New Jersey, a surfer was photographed catching waves as the storm intensified on the same date.
Political tensions also flared in Europe. In Madrid, Spain, demonstrators took to the streets on September 26 to protest the housing crisis. The protest followed the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her apartment, with one activist burning a placard depicting the owners of the real estate firm Urbagestion.
On the international stage, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the 81st United Nations General Assembly via a pre-recorded video at UN Headquarters in New York on September 24. Closer to home in France, football legend Zinedine Zidane was seen participating in a training session with the national team at the Clairefontaine academy west of Paris on September 21.
The week also saw sporting action in Berlin, where runners gathered for the start of the Berlin Marathon on September 27, with the iconic Brandenburg Gate visible in the background.
The Bangkok flooding photos are terrifying. It’s becoming painfully clear how vulnerable major cities are to these intensifying weather patterns.
Did the Pope just visit France? I thought it was Benedict XVI. Time flies when you’re not paying attention to papal transitions.