The Week in Pictures: Friday November 28, 2025

A grey seal pup at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where seals come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, a spectacle which attracts visitors from across the UK. As of today (Friday November 21) Lincolnshire Wildlife trust reported that there were 1499 pups, 1522 cows and 495 bulls on the reserve.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves holds the red budget box outside 11 Downing Street. Critics have claimed the Chancellor made the “wrong choices” in her Budget on Wednesday by hiking taxes, while others have praised her scrapping of the two child benefit cap, that is expected to lift 450,000 children out of poverty by 2029-30.

Thick smoke and flames rise as a major fire swept through several apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. Flames ripped through the 31-floor residential high-rises, home to 4,000 people, with almost 800 fire fighters sent to try and contain the inferno. At least 128 people are now known to have died in the tower block fire, authorities say.

The Snowflakes perform during a rehearsal at Birmingham Hippodrome, of Sir Peter Wright’s production of The Nutcracker at Birmingham Hippodrome. Sir Peter Wright’s production of The Nutcracker, created especially for Birmingham Royal Ballet is often referred to as the finest in the world. It returns to Birmingham Hippodrome from Friday.

A Long March-2F Y22 rocket carrying the Shenzhou-22 spaceship blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. China launched the spaceship from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:11 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Tuesday, successfully accomplishing the first emergency launch mission in the country’s manned space program.

A man pushes a container full of drinks as he wades through the water in a flooded 7/11 convenience store in Hat Yai in Thailand’s southern Songkhla province as severe flooding affected thousands of people in the country’s south following days of heavy rain. Tens of thousands of people in Thailand and neighbouring Malaysia were displaced by widespread flooding, with streets submerged, homes inundated and at least 34 dead, officials said.

A Buzz Lightyear balloon floats down the street during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Three giant balloons, thirty-two balloons, 27 floats, four special units, 33 clown groups, and 11 marching bands took part in the festivities.

A member of gallery staff holds ‘The Four Seasons’ by the Workshop of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, dated 1573, which has a estimated value of between £800,000 – £1,200,000, on display at Christie’s in central London, before it goes up for auction in the Classic Week Sale.

Dancers of the Compagnia Nazionale Del Balletto perform on the Spanish steps in Rome during a performance to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Tuesday. According to the UN, who are behind the global campaign,one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by their intimate partner or family.

Pope Leo XIV greets faithful during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Wednesday’s General Audience was one of Pope Leo’s last official appointments in Rome before his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon, his first overseas trip as Pontiff.

High Priestess Mary Mina carries the Olympic Flame during the lighting ceremony of the Olympic Flame in Olympia, Greece ahead the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which commence in February. The Olympic torch will will traverse all 20 Italian regions and 110 provinces over 63 days, covering 12,000 kilometers and passing 60 World Heritage Sites before reaching Milan for the Opening Ceremony.