The month in pictures – NRC

“That must almost be AI,” was the first reaction of a colleague when these images first appeared on social media. But it soon became clear that the photos were authentic.

Images of children and bystanders surrounding unexploded (parts of) Iranian missiles are circulating in various countries. The images show a poignant contrast: play and routine in the immediate vicinity of potentially deadly war material.

Since the attacks by Israel and the US on Iran and the renewed war in Lebanon, hundreds of people have been killed, including many children according to UNICEF, and more than 1 million people have fled.

The fact that aesthetics and war can go hand in hand is evident from the satellite image below from the Orbital Horizon company that the photo agency Getty Images distributed. An apparently tranquil moment in a region that is currently so scarred by chaos. The photo shows a burning oil tanker after it was hit by a projectile.

Satellite images are a solution in a war where photos and videos stand in the way of truth-finding through the use of AI. News media can use the images to investigate abuses and to verify photography distributed by (local) photographers and news agencies, for example images from Iran.

Local parties were the big winners of the municipal elections in many municipalities. Forum for Democracy was one of the largest growers compared to 2022 and in The Hague Richard de Mos obtained 17 of the 45 seats in the municipal council.

With a national turnout of 54.1 percent, this was slightly higher than in the 2022 municipal elections.

NRC asked several NRC photographers to look out for eye-catching polling stations prior to and on the day of the municipal elections. Photographers Kees van de Veen (Groningen), Bart Maat (The Hague), Eric Brinkhorst (Overijssel), Olivier Middendorp and Zara Nor (Amsterdam) visited polling stations in a mosque, museum or church.

Photographer Eric Brinkhorstwho often works for NRC in his own region, was asked to report from his province of Overijssel. He attended a BBB debate in the municipality of Goor.

“List leader Bart Jan Oplaat told me that Caroline van der Plas came to speak at a meeting of the BBB in Delden,” says Eric. “I was given permission to take photos there. The audience asked how it was possible that Mona Keijzer had passed. The people in the audience were concerned about this. Caroline spoke very openly about her feelings, without lashing out at people. The photo was quite exclusive but unfortunately was not published in the newspaper.”

NRC had asked its photographers to look for special locations where voting could take place. This resulted in a diverse mix of polling stations. This is also the case with Eric Brinkhorst.

In Hengelo, Oyfo Technology Museum turned out to be a nice backdrop for a photo. In Enschede, the Rijksmuseum Twente had set up the large hall as a polling station. Eric: “People have to visit part of the collection before they can vote. That also creates a special image.”

“I also went to my own town of Delden. This way I could immediately vote myself,” says Eric. “The radiant Hiska Bakker, who I know from the University of Twente, was one of the first voters. She was able to vote just before she took the train to Venice with her partner.”

According to official measurements from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Death Valley in California is the hottest place in the world. And yet, in March, after a winter of record amounts of rain, a real ‘super bloom’ broke out, covering the desert with a blanket of wild, brightly colored flowers.

Travelers from all over the world are attracted by the fragrant air and the special colors.

Despite serious competition from right-wing and sometimes radical-right challengers, French cities remained in the hands of left-wing mayors during the municipal elections.

In Paris, socialist Emmanuel Grégoire (48) becomes mayor. He is known as a somewhat invisible technocrat. He promises to deal with the opposition more respectfully than his predecessor Anne Hidalgo, but he showed himself fiercely during the campaign.

To underline that Paris remains green and left-wing, Grégoire cycled on Sunday evening in front of the cameras on cycle paths laid out by Hidalgo to the Hôtel de Ville.

A violent sandstorm is currently raging across Israel and the Gaza Strip. Especially in the closed coastal strip, the weather conditions make the situation even more difficult for residents. Since the war in Gaza, many people in the Gaza Strip have been living in tents or damaged buildings and are therefore barely protected from the sandstorm. The orange color of the dust is due to the interaction between sunlight and the dust particles.

Muslims around the world, from Gaza to the Democratic Republic of Congo, celebrated Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Freelance documentary photographer Jospin Mwisha made a series of portraits for AFP, including this group photo on March 20 in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Cuba, electricity is not a given. Due to the lack of investment in the energy sector and following American sanctions, which have limited the purchase of new equipment and specialized parts, large-scale and recurring blackouts sometimes halt daily life for days.

For photographers, this means working in conditions where light is scarce and unpredictable. Street lights disappear, houses disappear into darkness, and only residual light from candles, telephones, car lights or the last sun determines what remains visible.