2024 in Review: International News Highlights

The year 2024 was defined by transformative global events that influenced politics, climate, and international relations.

Multiple elections around the world, including in India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and other countries, have marked important moments, reflecting changing political landscapes worldwide.

Environmental concerns dominated global discussions as 2024 was officially declared the hottest year on record, with severe weather events like devastating hurricanes in the United States, intense storms in Spain and other natural disasters around the world. This alarming milestone brought urgency to the COP29 in Baku, where world leaders pledged increased funding to support developing nations’ climate adaptation efforts.

Alongside these environmental challenges, conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and continuing tensions in the Middle East highlighted the enduring complexities of global peace and security. Also, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria was a significant turning point in the region, ending years of civil war and the Assad family’s rule in Syria.

This visual journey through 2024, illustrated with powerful images from IMAGO, captures the defining moments of the News year 2024.

Discover the year 2024 in Review through the IMAGO Pictures of the Year: Curated Monthly Collections.

2024 in Review International News Highlights — IMAGO / Arnulf Hettrich | Fireworks to welcome the New Year 2024. Stuttgart city center, Germany.

News Highlights 2024 — IMAGO / APAimages / Bashar Taleb | Funeral services held in Rafah for Hamza Wael Dahdouh, who lost his life in an Israeli airstrike during the ongoing conflict. January 7, 2024.

IMAGO/TT — IMAGO / TT / Lars Schröder | Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson hold a press conference in Stockholm regarding Sweden’s NATO membership. March 11, 2024.

New highlights 2024 — IMAGO / Xinhua / Alexander Pea | El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele celebrates his election victory. February 5, 2024.

2024 in Review — IMAGO / UPI Photo / Ismael Mohamad | Mass burial of Palestinians in Rafah on March 7, 2024.

Donald Trump trial — IMAGO / UPI Photo / Yuki Iwamura | Donald Trump waits for the start of proceedings at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. April 23, 2024.

News 2024 — IMAGO / ZUMA Wire / Giannis Papanikos | Greek farmers protest with tractors outside an agricultural fair in Thessaloniki, demanding support amid rising energy costs. February 2, 2024.

Ebrahim Raisi death — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Iranian Presidency | Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev tour the Qiz Qalasi joint dam construction site on the Aras River. Shortly after the visit, President Raisi lost his life in a helicopter crash on his way back to Iran. May 19, 2024.

Georgia protests 2024 — IMAGO / MAXPPP / Ellen Decaestecker | May 26, 2024: Thousands of demonstrators march from Petre Melikishvili Street in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Independence Day to protest the controversial foreign influence law requiring media outlets and NGOs to declare themselves as foreign agents.

Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak — IMAGO / Independent Photo Agency Int. | Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet during the G7 Summit in Borgo Egnazia, Brindisi, Italy. June 13, 2024.

Marine Le Pen election — IMAGO / MAXPPP | Marine Le Pen participates in the first round of France’s 2024 legislative elections on June 30.

a photo of Alice Weidel — IMAGO / Chris Emil Janßen | At the 15th Federal Party Conference of AfD in Essen, Germany, 2024, Alice Weidel attends the election of her new co-chair.

news highlight of the year 2024 — IMAGO / AAP | Julian Assange arrives at Bangkok Airport on June 25, 2024, after being released from prison in the UK.

demonstration Manila — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Jose Monsieur Santos | A protestor lays down in front of PNP riot police during a demonstration in Manila, Philippines. June 12, 2024.

most important news 2024 — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Thomas Krych | London, July 24, 2024: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer exits 10 Downing Street before participating in the first PMQs session post-general election.

news of 2024 — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Diane Krauthamer | May 19, 2024: George Washington University graduates rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., after walking out of their commencement ceremony.

IMAGO/aal.photo — IMAGO / aal.photo / Habibur Rahman | Dhaka District, Bangladesh, July 10, 2024: Students demonstrate by blocking streets, advocating for the suspension of discriminatory quotas in government employment.

important news 2024 — IMAGO / PanoramiC | July 7, 2024: France Insoumise celebrates election night at Rotonde Stalingrad in Paris with Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Mathilde Panot, and Manuel Bompard during the second round of legislative elections.

Comoros voting — IMAGO / Xinhua / Wang Guansen | January 14, 2024: A man casts his vote at a polling station in Mitsudje, Comoros, during the first round of the presidential election.

Ukraine hospital bombing — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Madeleine Kelly | An injured hospital worker gazes at the unfolding rescue efforts in Kyiv, Ukraine, after Russian missile attacks on July 8, 2024, severely damaged a children’s hospital.

Donald Trump gunshot speech — IMAGO / Xinhua | July 13, 2024: Former U.S. President Donald Trump is escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after gunshot-like sounds disrupt his speech.

far right protests UK — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Martin Pope | August 9, 2024: A far-right protester outside the Crawley Holiday Inn in Crawley, England.

anti-immigration riots UK — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Vuk Valcic | Westminster, London, August 10, 2024: Protesters gather to oppose the far right, joining broader movements following recent anti-immigration riots.

Venezuela protest — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Jimmy Villalta | July 29, 2024: Demonstrators gather in Caracas, Miranda, Venezuela, protesting the presidential election results that declared Nicolás Maduro the winner with 51% of the votes.

spain fire 2024 — IMAGO / Europa Press / Rosa Veiga | August 20, 2024: Firefighters battle a 20-hectare forest fire in the parish of Oseira, San Cristovo de Cea, Ourense, Galicia, Spain.

Italy heat — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Marcello Valeri | During the first weekend of August 2024, Rome is under red alert for extreme heat, 45°C temperatures.

IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Brent Gudenschwager | August 18, 2024: Vice President Kamala Harris waves to supporters upon arriving in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, alongside Governor Tim Walz as they launch their campaign bus tour.

Democratic National Convention August 2024 — IMAGO / USA TODAY Network / Jasper Colt | August 19, 2024: President Joe Biden addresses the crowd during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

wildfire Croatia — IMAGO / Pixsell / Zvonimir Barisin | August 28, 2024: Residents watch as a wildfire reactivates in the late hours in the village of Sitno Donje, Croatia.

Mahsa amini protest Diyarbakir — IMAGO / SOPA Images / Mehmet Masum Suer | Diyarbakir, Turkey, September 16, 2024: A group of Kurdish women marches to honor Jina Mahsa Amini, amidst resistance from police forces.

India flood 2024 — IMAGO / NurPhoto / Debarchan Chatterjee | September 21, 2024: A boy stands on a flooded road in Kolkata, India, as flash floods impact many regions due to high tides on the River Ganges and water release from the Damodar Valley Corporation dam.

Philippines fire 2024 — IMAGO / NurPhoto / Ceng Shou Yi | In Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines, September 12, 2024: A huge fire destroys at least 800 houses, displacing nearly 1,000 families who seek shelter in evacuation centers.

IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Dave Decker | September 27, 2024, Treasure Island, Florida, USA: Local Sunset Beach resident Joseph Semrani describes the extensive damage to trees and homes caused by record-breaking storm surge flooding from Hurricane Helene.

IMAGO / TheNews2 / Niyi Fote | New York, USA, September 27, 2024: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at UNGA 79.

Hassan Nasrallah death photo — IMAGO / UPI Photo / Fadel Itani | September 30, 2024: A large crater marks the site of a massive Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb, Lebanon, where the strike resulted in the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Christian Lindner photo — IMAGO / Future Image / F. Kern | October 16, 2024: Christian Lindner participates in the 193rd session of the German Bundestag at the Reichstag building in Berlin.

Joe Biden and Barack Obama and Bill Clinton — IMAGO / ABACAPRESS / Pool ABACA | October 16, 2024: President Joe Biden delivers a eulogy for Ethel Kennedy at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., attended by former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

IMAGO / Pixsell / Armin Durgut | October 10, 2024: Submerged cars remain in the flooded village of Donja Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a devastating landslide.

IMAGO / Xinhua / Sun Nan | October 7, 2024: People use rafts to navigate floodwaters in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, amid days of devastating flash floods that have stranded hundreds of thousands.

IMAGO/Europa Press — IMAGO / Europa Press / Robert Solsona | A woman cleans up wrecked vehicles in La Torre de Valencia after the devastating DANA storm, Valencia, October 30, 2024.

a photo of Gisèle Pelicot — IMAGO / MAXPPP | Avignon, Vaucluse, October 23, 2024: Gisèle Pelicot attends the court proceedings for the trial of Dominique Pelicot.

Donald Trump victory 2024 — IMAGO / UPI Photo / Joe Marino | November 6, 2024: Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Republican Campaign Election Night Watch Party held at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Elon Musk and his son photo — IMAGO / Newscom World / Tom Williams | December 5, 2024: Elon Musk, accompanied by his son, attends a meeting with House and Senate Republicans at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., to discuss President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Vivek Ramaswamy is also present.

IMAGO/VCG — IMAGO / VCG | November 4, 2024: The return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship streaks across the sky in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, after separating from the propulsion and orbiting capsules.

IMAGO / Pixsell / Goran Stanzl | November 1, 2024: People visit graves at Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb, Croatia, during All Saints Day celebrations.

Lindner and Scholz photo — IMAGO / Political-Moments | Berlin, Germany, November 13, 2024: Christian Lindner addresses the Bundestag’s 199th plenary session, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz attentively watching his remarks regarding the Chancellor’s present circumstances.

COP29 protest — IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire / Dominik Zarzycka | November 23, 2024: Activists protest during the closing ceremony of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan, following extended negotiations on climate funding.

Khan Yunis gaza — IMAGO / UPI Photo / Anas Deeb | November 29, 2024: Palestinians, wait in line to receive meals from charity kitchens in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.

Angela Merkel book — IMAGO / Political-Moments | November 26, 2024: Angela Merkel, former German Chancellor, arrives at a photocall for the premiere of her memoir ‘Freiheit’ at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin.

South Korean protests 2024 — IMAGO / Matrix Images / Lee Kitae | December 5, 2024: South Korean protesters demand the dismissal and impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul, highlighting rising tensions and the president’s declining authority.

The credit of the cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo / Fadel Itani | December 8, 2024: Syrians cheer and wave national flags, celebrating the takeover of Damascus by rebel fighters.

2024 in Review: International News Highlights

Discover 2024 in Review, curated collections handpicked by the IMAGO picture desk.

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