TWEEDDALE MSP Christine Grahame has launched a global exhibition inside the Scottish Parliament.

The World Press Photo exhibition showcases some of the most powerful images from around the globe over the last year, and is a collection of award-winning photojournalism from 2018.

Images on display depict issues including perilous migrant journeys to the United States and the referendum on allowing abortions in Northern Ireland.

The winning images were selected from over 78,000 entries, which were submitted by around 5,000 photographers based in 129 countries. These have been whittled down to the 147 images which are on display in Holyrood for the next month.

The exhibition was unveiled by Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame, who was joined by Yi Wen Hsia, from the World Press Photo Foundation, and Olivia Harris, a photographer whose work following the referendum on abortion in Ireland, is featured in the exhibition.

Grahame said: “The Scottish Parliament is used to debating issues that go on to be front-page news in this country, but we need to remember the wider context in which we work.

“Having the World Press Photo exhibition coming into our building is always a powerful reminder of the simultaneously awe-inspiring but sometimes awful world we live in, and the real stories behind the headlines.

“The Scottish Parliament is the only location in the UK showing this free exhibition, and I encourage people to come and see it.”

Yi-Wen Hsia, Curator at World Press Photo, added:

“The World Press Photo Foundation believes in the power of showing and the importance of seeing high-quality visual stories. Our mission is to connect the world to the stories that matter.

“When the audience comes to the exhibition they not only learn about the complexities of some of the most pressing issues in the world, but they also support the work of visual journalists worldwide, who have to do their job in increasingly difficult and dangerous circumstances.”

The free exhibition will be displayed in the Scottish Parliament’s Main Hall from until August 24.