These photos look like another world. The top news photos of the week prove the power of perspective, texture, and storytelling

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 04: Dried grass surrounds All Saints Church on Blackheath on August 04, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. According to the the National Drought Group, eight areas across southern, central, and eastern England are verging on drought, following a period of "prolonged dry weather," including three heatwaves to hit the region this season. Water companies report seeing a 30% increase in demand for water on the hottest days of the year so far, with more than 20 million households facing hosepipe bans in parts of England and Wales. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images).

Amid record-breaking drought and unusually high wildfire risks the photographs coming from the lenses of the world’s photojournalists this week look almost like otherworldly si-fi. A pink landscape that isn’t from an infared camera. A desert-like shot that’s actually London in drought. A heavily damaged roadway in Japan.

I’m a photographer and a journalist and these are some of the best news photos that I’ve spotted this week.