bear witness to short range and often at big riskis the essence of a dispatch, and in 2023 our correspondents submitted 80 of them from 37 countries, capturing the human experience from almost every angle: the GoodThe bad and that tearing.

In a year marked by conflict, dozens of shipments came directly from war zones: from a rare journey in the Gaza Strip, where we saw a completely disfigured city; out of a devastated Israeli kibbutz, where more than 60 people were murdered on October 7; and from the West Bank, where “You can’t sleep at night.”

And we have received several moving reports from Ukraine, where The stoic faces began to tremble under the emotional toll of war. The effects of this war are felt worldwide, from Bali, where Russians and Ukrainians live abroad try to copeto cities in Poland and that Czech Republic turned upside down by the fighting.

We explored it in six broadcasts from Afghanistan the consequences of another war, recently ended; We also rushed to the secluded place of a devastating earthquake This compounded the misery of an already struggling country.

Not long ago, the Kabul neighborhood known as the Green Zone was the soundtrack of a multibillion-dollar war effort in Afghanistan. Armored vehicles rumbled through the streets while the roar of American helicopters echoed across the sky.

But these days there’s a different kind of excitement in the neighborhood: the Taliban are moving in and making the neighborhood their own.

— By Christina Goldbaum

Italy has fallen in love with “Mare Fuori,” a television melodrama about the inmates of a juvenile detention center who pass the time by making out – when they’re not occasionally stabbing each other.

The show’s costume designer, Rossella Aprea, said that since there is no uniform in a real Italian youth prison, she was able to let her imagination run wild. “Lots of black, super-tight crop tops,” she said. “Skin, skin, skin.”

– By Jason Horowitz; Photographs by Gianni Cipriano

Baseball caps with the New York Yankees logo can be found everywhere in Brazil. But many Brazilians have no idea what this logo represents.

“It’s American football?” asked Carlos Henrique, 20, who was selling the hats on Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. But the answer wasn’t nearly as important as the popularity of the cap, his best-seller. “I just know it gets attention,” he said. “And it looks good on everyone.”

– By Jack Nicas; Photographs by Dado Galdieri

Subway rides in Seoul are free for people over 65, so some retirees spend their days riding the trains to the final stop.

“You read and fall asleep,” said Jeon Jong-duek, 85, a retired mathematics professor. “There is no corner of Seoul that I don’t go to.”

– By Victoria Kim; Photographs by Chang W. Lee

Swimming in Paris is an immersive cultural experience, offering intimate glimpses into the French psyche, on display in near-naked fashion in the swimming lanes, locker rooms and (mostly mixed) showers.

Take, for example, the Piscine des Amiraux, built in 1930. It’s a long, thin pool with walls covered in white subway tiles. Look up and you’ll see a skylight roof over two rings of balconies lined with the green doors of individual changing rooms. You hang your things on anchor-shaped hooks and when you’re done swimming, a cabin boy comes and opens the door for you.

It all feels like you’re swimming back through time.

– By Catherine Porter; Photographs by Dmitry Kostyukov

Toddlers squealed, the sea roared, and a portable speaker played a love song. Sitting on a giant inflatable hot dog, a child paddled through the shallow water. This could have been any beach on a summer weekend if you closed your eyes tight enough to block out the moonlight. But it was midnight in Dubai.

“Dubai is very beautiful at night,” said Mamadoto Momo, a Senegalese lifeguard who works on the beach from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m

– By Vivian Nereim; Photographs by Andrea DiCenzo

What you need to understand about a sniper mission is that from start to finish, everything you do is to kill another human being.

But almost no one says that. So it was a little surprising when a soldier decided to explain his moral considerations in killing Russian troops: He said the quiet part out loud.

– By Thomas Gibbons-Neff; Photographs by David Guttenfelder

In Himalayan Buddhism, nuns’ religious roles have long been restricted by rules and customs. But a cult is changing that, mixing meditation with martial arts and environmental activism.

“Kung Fu helps us overcome gender barriers and develop inner confidence,” said Jigme Rabsal Lhamo, a Buddhist nun. “It also helps to look after others in times of crisis.”

– By Sameer Yasir; Photos and video by Saumya Khandelwal

The sheep streamed over the hillside, emerging from the low mist where the green earth met the gray sky, and ran down into the fields below.

They were ready for their big moment: Shetland Wool Week was finally here.

– By Megan Specia; Photographs by Andrew Testa

While the government’s crackdown on neon signs stems from safety and environmental concerns, the campaign evokes the disappearance of Hong Kong itself: the sad allegory for the decline of an electric city, the literal extinction of its ostentatious flash.

“Neon is a kind of symbol of the city, an embodiment of Hong Kong’s stories,” said Cardin Chan, who leads a group dedicated to preserving outdated signs. “But it’s not just neon that’s experiencing change. It’s the whole city, right?”

– By Hannah Beech; Photographs by Anthony Kwan

In the Austrian state of Carinthia, where the law favors bright native bees, honey producers judged the risk of extinction to be “too dark.”

“This is racial bigotry,” said Sandro Huter, a beekeeper who had been told to replace his dark queens with light gray ones.

– By Denise Hruby; Photographs by Ciril Jazbec

South Africans rejoice in a second consecutive victory at the World Cup, leading to a racial unity that even Hollywood could not achieve and a way out of the country’s problems.

“It’s about more than just rugby,” said Francois Pienaar, captain of the team that won South Africa’s first Rugby World Cup in 1995. “It’s about a nation.” It’s about hope. It’s about building a future for everyone in our country.”

– By John Eligon; Photographs by Joao Silva

A gloomy, snowy plot of land near the Black Sea is the final resting place for an increasing number of soldiers from the Wagner mercenary troops, evidence of the heavy losses Russia is suffering in its invasion.

“Lord, have mercy,” a priest sang as he blessed the bodies of fallen Russian soldiers with incense, his cassock whipped by an icy wind.

– By Valerie Hopkins; Photographs by Nanna Heitmann