48 hours in pictures, 5 April 2026

A picture shows the crowd during the Easter Mass as part of the Holy Week celebrations, at St Peter’s square in the Vatican on April 5, 2026. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is symbolically reenacted according to Christian belief during a Good Friday ceremony in the Soweto district of Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 03, 2026. (Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A Hindu devotee walks across a 15 metre long burning pit of hot coals during the Firewalking or “Thimithi” festival, celebrating Draupadi, considered as the incarnation of Hindu Goddess Mariamman, in Durban on April 3, 2026. Thimithi is practice where devotees walk barefoot over a bed of hot coals or embers as a form of religious devotion or ritual. It’s often performed as a test of faith, a rite of passage, or a way to seek blessings from a deity. (Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL / AFP)

Nuns and members of the public from different Christian denominations carry the Cross during the Good Friday procession to the Durban City Hall in Durban on April 3, 2026. (Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL / AFP)

Deputy President Paul Mashatile Attends Amandla Ngawethu Good Friday Church Service

Bishop Marcelo Pires at the Amandla Ngawethu Good Friday church service of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) at Ellis Park Stadium on April 03, 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The 2026 theme, “The Family at the Foot of the Cross”, focuses on strengthening the family unit and empowering communities to break cycles of violence, abuse, conflict and social fragmentation. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo)

The South African National Defence Force showcase their combat skills at the Rand Easter Show at the Joburg Expo Centre, 3 April 2026. The 2026 Rand Show takes place from 2-6 April offering five days of family entertainment, shopping, and thrills. Highlights include a theme park, ‘Jungle Magic’ immersive experience, the Music Festival, military demonstrations, and a specialised Kids Zone. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen

Palestinians inspect a vehicle targeted by an Israeli strike in Maghazi camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on April 4, 2026. Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations. (Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP)

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, on April 5, 2026. An Israeli strike hit south Beirut on April 5, Lebanese state media reported, with a medical source telling AFP it made impact about 100 metres away from a public hospital. The strike hit Beirut’s Jnah neighbourhood near Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the largest public medical facility in the country. (Photo by ibrahim AMRO / AFP)

This photo taken on April 4, 2026 and handout on April 5, 2026 by German NGO Sea-Watch, shows migrants seatted on a capsized boat off Libya. Dozens of people are missing after a migrant boat capsized in the central Mediterranean, the NGOs Mediterranea Saving Humans and Sea-Watch said on April 5, 2026 on social media. Two people died and 32 were rescued from the boat, which had left Libya on April 4, 2026 with around 105 people on board, according to Mediterranea Saving Humans. (Photo by Fabian MELBER / SEA-WATCH / AFP)

An aerial glittering fireworks display lit up the night skies over the popular Durban Promenade at the 2026 Durban Festival of Chariots (Ratha-Yatra) over the Easter weekend at the Bay of Plenty lawns on the Durban beachfront. Hosted by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the free cultural event featured music, dance, theatre, and complimentary vegetarian meals. Central to the festival were the chariot processions, three 15-metre-high chariots, decorated with colourful canopies and hundreds of flower garlands. The festival celebrated connection beyond racial, cultural, and social borders, showcasing the transformative power of the yoga of love and devotion, prayer, lectures and offering a joyous convergence of diversity. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal

Cathedral of Christ the King congregation celebrates with a procession in Hillbrow in Johannesburg, 3 April 2026. Good Friday marks Easter celebrations by Christians dedicated to honour the death of Jesus Christ. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen

Altar servers look on as they gather in the courtyard of Notre Dame des Victoires Cathedral before the start of Easter Mass in Yaounde on April 5, 2026. (Photo by Daniel BELOUMOU OLOMO / AFP)

Wellies are discarded from the Cambridge boat ahead of the 80th Women’s boat race between Oxford University and Cambridge University on the River Thames in London on April 4, 2026. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP)

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