Our world in photos: January 23
Brooklyn Eagle Staff
January 23, 2025
EVERGLADES — Native Americans living on marshes can teach us about coping with climate change: Chickees, stilt homes connected by walkways raised above waterlogged ground, are seen on Rice Island, one of several tree islands where the family Tribal elder Michael Frank once lived, in the Miccosukee Indian Reservation in Florida’s Everglades. Frank, 67, born on a different tree island, maintains the family’s chikees, traditionally used for sleeping, eating and gathering. The Miccosukee no longer live on tree islands but remain closely connected to their land through cultural, spiritual and environmental practices.
A new tribal administration has guided the Miccosukee toward an increasingly collaborative and leadership role with state and local government leaders, focused on healing the Everglades while protecting their deep connection to tradition and nature.
SYRIA — Lessons of the power of perceived change, drawing huge outdoor rallies: Syrians continue to celebrate the ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s government at Umayyad Square, in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. The hard work of alliances and governing lies ahead, says an Associated Press analysis of post-Assad Syria. “Questions must be asked before major decisions are made that can spark a destabilizing backlash: How do you deal with the old police state — purge or compromise? What do you do first, hold elections or write a constitution? And how do you fix a crippled economy riddled with corruption?” the article reads.
Some pitfalls this story points out are whether or not the ideologists who helped topple Assad are willing to share power, whether fights will break out among various armed insurgents and how to reincorporate the Kurds.
ST. PETERSBURG — Yes, Virginia, there is a vital retail element to Christmas everywhere: A woman sells winter hats at a Christmas fair opened prior to Christmas and New Year festivities in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. The largest Christmas fairs are in the open-air areas on Manezhnaya Square, Malaya Sadovaya Street and Pioneer Square. The markets feature souvenirs, snacks and unusual treats from all parts of Russia and the Middle East. There will also be Christmas fairs on New Holland Island and Sevkabel Port.
Ice skating enthusiasts will also find rinks on New Holland Island, Pionerskaya Square and Krestovskiy Island’s Laplandia, where one can meet, feed and even cuddle with the season’s famous animals: reindeer.
LONDON — Dramatic moment at the goal — no score: Shamrock Rovers’ goalkeeper Leon Poehls, back, blocks a shot by Chelsea’s Joao Felix during the Europa Conference League opening phase soccer match between Chelsea and Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. The Conference League has found its place in European soccer since its 2021 launch.
Most of its member teams haven’t been celebrated yet for winning full championships but rather have been eliminated from rounds in the Europa League games, for example. But they have had a chance to win part of $300 million in prize money this season, and Chelsea did beat out the Rovers on Thursday.
NORTH KOREA — Only in North Korea, young groupies cheering on weightlifters: People welcome North Korea’s weightlifters, including gold medalists at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships as they arrive at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, following their competition on the Saudi peninsula. North Korea brought home nine gold medals — the most of any country — five silver and two bronze.
The championships were held in Bahrain from Dec. 6-15. The competition attracted 471 weightlifters from all six inhabited continents.
NEW ORLEANS — Faith still rules most of the world of folks with goodwill: Sister Seyram Mary Adzokpa, right, kneels in prayer in the chapel at the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Holy Family in New Orleans, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Sister Adzokpa is one of the nuns in this predominantly African-American order that still wears the traditional religious habit and full wimple veil. The order’s founder, the Venerable Henriette DeLille (1812-1862), was a free woman of color who founded the order some 20 years ago in Louisiana before the Civil War. Very devout from childhood, she began, even in her youth, catechizing the slaves and children of slaves.
The Sisters of the Holy Family order was established on Nov. 21, 1842; the congregation used the post-nominal letters S.S.F., which in French stands for Soeurs de la Sainte Famille.
LONDON — Cool hand symbol, which we’ll translate as ‘Hey, did you get a shot of this?’ Tottenham’s Son Heung-min celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024.
Tottenham now advances to the semi-finals and will face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
JERUSALEM — Nice photo, but what’s with all the white umbrellas? Answer: it blocks the rain: People walk with umbrellas on a rainy day in Jerusalem, Israel, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. Located on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains, Jerusalem is a Biblical city and one of the oldest in the world. Jerusalem, dating back to the fourth millennium B.C.E. and important to the three Abrahamic faiths, has within it the historical Old City with its four sections: the Jewish Quarter, Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter and Armenian Quarter.
The Armenian Quarter, predominantly Christian and whose people have their own alphabet, has been shrinking in population and has faced threats from both real estate developers, who want to claim part of the land for a luxury hotel, and from settlers, who have thrown contempt at the community.
