News in pictures

on July 26, 2024 at 10:00 am

A water dragon carnival in China, preparations for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, a moonrise over an erupting Mount Etna, scenes from the Tour de France, a dangerous heat wave in Japan, a presidential campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin, open spillways at China’s Three Gorges Dam, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A person swims during hot weather at the Embassy Gardens Sky Pool, a transparent acrylic swimming pool suspended between two buildings, as an aircraft flies overhead, in London, England, on July 19, 2024. ( Toby Melville / Reuters) […]

on July 24, 2024 at 5:42 pm

The city of Paris is making last-minute preparations for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games; the opening ceremony will take place on Friday, and events will last until August 11, followed by the Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8. Athletes, fans, and supporters from around the world are pouring in as the city prepares dozens of venues, tightens security, and readies itself for the first Olympic opening ceremony to ever take place outside a stadium. Gathered here are images from Paris (and Tahiti) from the past week. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A view of the Eiffel Tower with the Olympic Rings, seen from the Arc de Triomphe, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, on July 21, 2024, in Paris, France. ( David Ramos / Getty) […]

on July 19, 2024 at 10:00 am

An orangutan rehabilitation center in Borneo, an iceberg-filled fjord in Greenland, a holy waterfall in Bali, green slime at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, scenes from the Republican National Convention, a fire festival in Japan, a hot summer day in New York City, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A view of Strombolicchio, a volcanic island topped by a lighthouse, about a mile away from Italy's island of Stromboli, on July 12, 2024. On July 11, the volcano erupted, sending ash, lava, and white smoke up from its crater. ( Valeria Ferraro / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on July 17, 2024 at 5:39 pm

A hundred years ago, more than 3,000 athletes from 44 nations gathered in France for the Paris 1924 Summer Olympic Games (compared with 2024, when more than 10,000 athletes are expected from 206 nations). In 1924, competition took place in 126 events across 23 disciplines, at 17 Olympic venues in and around the city. Gathered below are images of the many events, athletes, and spectators at the 1924 Summer Olympics. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Original caption from July 9, 1924: "Rocquencourt, France—The American Olympic candidates are taking more honors than hoped. Every man is right up to the minute physically, due to the rigorous training. Photo shows the American gymnasts during practice stunts at their Rocquencourt headquarters near here." ( Bettmann / Getty) […]

on July 16, 2024 at 5:23 pm

Last week marked the second anniversary of when the first images were released from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The telescope was launched in December 2021 and remains in orbit around a point in space about 1 million miles from Earth. In the past year, JWST has continued to fuel new discoveries, as well as returning more spectacular views of the universe around us. Gathered here is a collection of images from JWST’s second year in space. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. JWST's observations of NGC 628, a face-on spiral galaxy, combine near- and mid-infrared light, and accentuate the glowing lanes and clouds of dust lying within its spiral arms. ( NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee, Thomas Williams, PHANGS Team) […]

on July 12, 2024 at 10:00 am

A stegosaurus fossil up for auction in New York, a newborn pangolin at the Prague Zoo, a Volleyball on Water tournament in Slovenia, a lightsaber training session in Mexico City, a scene from this year’s Tour de France, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A polar bear rests on ice cubes that were brought to its enclosure during a heat wave at the Prague Zoo, in Prague, Czech Republic, on July 10, 2024. ( David W Cerny / Reuters) […]

on July 11, 2024 at 5:43 pm

The Yadnya Kasada festival is a month-long event that for centuries has been celebrated by the Hindu Tenggerese people, an ethnic group in Eastern Java, Indonesia. A part of the festival involves worshippers carrying offerings up the slope of Mount Bromo, an active volcano, and throwing them into its crater as sacrifices, praying for blessings from the gods. Offerings of money, rice, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and livestock are tossed toward the caldera from the rim of the crater—with many being caught or later retrieved by villagers who wait just below with nets on long poles. Gathered here are images of this ceremony from recent years. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Tenggerese Hindu worshippers carry offerings up the side of Mount Bromo during the Yadnya Kasada festival on July 7, 2020, in Probolinggo, Indonesia. ( Robertus Pudyanto / Getty) […]

on July 9, 2024 at 4:14 pm

The annual nine-day Fiesta de San Fermín began in Pamplona, Spain, last week. The festival, including the famous running of the bulls, attracts thousands of visitors every year. The fiesta kicks off as massive crowds await the chupinazo in Pamplona’s town square, followed by a carnival, fireworks, the running of the bulls, and many bullfights. Gathered here are images from some of the first runs this year. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Revelers brace themselves as a steer jumps over them at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, on July 7, 2024. ( Vincent West / Reuters) […]

on July 5, 2024 at 10:00 am

A greased-pole walk in Massachusetts, a heavy-metal music festival in France, destructive wildfires in California, hurricane damage in Barbados, a hot-dog-eating competition at Coney Island, scenes from the Glastonbury Festival in England, sumo wrestlers at the Lincoln Memorial, and much more This photo essay originally misidentified the artist Daniela Capaccioli. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. The Sphere lights up on June 29, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. ( Ethan Miller / Getty) […]

on July 1, 2024 at 5:58 pm

Over the past five days, the annual Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts took place at Worthy Farm, near Somerset, England. More than 200,000 music fans gathered to hear performances by Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Cyndi Lauper, Idles, Janelle Monáe, and many more artists. The festival wrapped up last night, and today workers and volunteer cleanup crews are tidying the trampled farm grounds. Gathered below are images from this year’s Glastonbury Festival. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Confetti flies above a crowd listening to Coldplay perform during day four of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton, on June 29, 2024, in Glastonbury, England. ( Joe Maher / Getty) […]

on June 28, 2024 at 10:00 am

A field of blooming flowers in Italy, a “space-capsule camp” in China, flooded rivers in the American Midwest, Olympic track-and-field trials in Oregon, a haute couture fashion show in Paris, a camel traffic light in a Chinese desert, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A wooden statue of a bull, the symbol of the city of Turin, burns atop a bonfire during the San Giovanni ("Saint John") festival in Turin, Italy, on June 23, 2024. ( Stefano Guidi / Getty) […]

on June 27, 2024 at 3:54 pm

Last week, we featured some of the winners of this year’s Audubon Photography Awards, and today, the contest organizers were kind enough to share some of their Top 100 photographs from the thousands of entries depicting birdlife from all 50 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces and territories. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Neotropic Cormorant. The spiny fish has to go into the cormorant’s throat in just the right way: head first and lengthwise. This bird was tossing this fish in the air for more than an hour to put it on the right trajectory. Photo taken from a boat in Encontro das Águas State Park in Mato Grosso, Brazil. ( Turgay Uzer / 2024 Audubon Photography Awards) […]

on June 24, 2024 at 5:59 pm

Across parts of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Russia, an ancient pagan summer rite called Kupala combined with the Orthodox feast of Saint John the Baptist, becoming “Ivan Kupala Night,” a festival celebrating the summer solstice. On Ivan Kupala Night, young people wear wreaths symbolizing purity, crowds sing and dance around bonfires, and people bathe naked in rivers and lakes. Many leap over fires as a test of faith, to purge themselves of their sins and bad luck, and to improve their health. Collected below are a handful of images from this year’s Ivan Kupala Night celebrations. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Women wearing wreaths made of flowers and herbs take part in a celebration of the pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 23, 2024. ( Anatolii Stepanov / AFP / Getty) […]

on June 21, 2024 at 10:00 am

A dog that enjoys daily scooter rides in Turkey, Olympic skateboarding qualifiers in Hungary, a deadly train collision in India, a solstice wedding at Stonehenge, forest fires in California, coastal flooding in Texas, Eid al-Adha prayers in Iran, a performance by Post Malone in Tennessee, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Firefighter Chris Fritz works to keep the Aero Fire from spreading through the Copperopolis community of Calaveras County, California, on June 17, 2024. ( Noah Berger / AP) […]

on June 20, 2024 at 4:05 pm

The winners of the 15th annual Audubon Photography Awards were just announced. Photographers competed for nine prizes, submitting more than 2,300 entries depicting birdlife from all 50 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces and territories. The National Audubon Society was once again kind enough to share some of the winning photographs with us. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Red-necked Grebe. Youth Honorable Mention. Two red-necked grebe chicks ride on the back of an adult, as another adult feeds one of the chicks at Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. ( Edwin Liu / 2024 Audubon Photography Awards) […]

on June 18, 2024 at 5:18 pm

As the first day of summer approaches, record-setting high temperatures have already been observed in several places across the Northern Hemisphere, and the American Northeast is bracing for a dangerous heat wave. People in Europe, Asia, and North America have taken to nearby beaches, lakes, and water parks to find relief. Collected below are recent images of people and animals doing what they can to beat the heat. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A man jumps into the sea to cool himself off during hot weather in Istanbul on June 11, 2024. ( Cem Tekkeşinoğlu / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on June 14, 2024 at 10:00 am

Blackout conditions in parts of Ukraine, whale watching on the Australian coast, a track-and-field competition in Italy, worshippers around the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia, flooding in parts of southern Florida, fencers in training in Kenya, anti-government protests in Argentina, and much more To receive an email notification every time a new photo story is published, sign up here. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain holds a trophy as he celebrates with a group of ball kids after winning the Men's Singles Final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany on day 15 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, France, on June 9, 2024. ( Clive Brunskill / Getty) […]

on June 13, 2024 at 6:36 pm

Half a century ago, President Richard Nixon resigned from office, streaking took off as a fad, and the stuntman Evel Knievel attempted to jump across a canyon in a rocket motorcycle. Also in 1974, the boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought in Zaire in a match dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle,” Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s career home-run record, the tightrope walker Philippe Petit walked across the gap between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Turkish military invaded Cyprus, and much more. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. The Swedish pop group ABBA performs during the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 in Brighton, England, with the song "Waterloo," on February 9, 1974. ABBA went on to win the competition that year, launching a hugely successful career. ( Olle Lindeborg / AFP / Getty) […]

on June 11, 2024 at 4:47 pm

In recent days, people in cities and villages across China have been celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. Locals and tourists gather to watch dragon-boat races, enjoy traditional food, and pray for good luck during this annual summer folk festival. Gathered below are recent images from festivals in Foshan, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Beijing, and more. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. People take part in a nighttime dragon-boat river cruise during the Dragon Boat Festival in Foshan, China, on June 8, 2024. ( John Ricky / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on June 7, 2024 at 10:00 am

Two rocket launches from the southern United States, flooding rivers in southwestern Germany, commemorations on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France, a scene from the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, continued Israeli attacks in Gaza, large-scale calligraphy as artwork in Iraq, a solar-thermal power-generation plant in China, and much more This photo essay originally misidentified the San Diego Padres pitcher Wandy Peralta. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A person throws a milkshake in the face of Nigel Farage, the newly appointed leader of Britain's right-wing populist party, Reform UK, and the party's parliamentary candidate for Clacton, during his election campaign launch in Clacton-on-Sea, England, on June 4, 2024. The thrower, Victoria Thomas Bowen, was later charged with assault. ( Ben Stansall / AFP / Getty) […]

on June 6, 2024 at 5:42 pm

For the past week, sites in the United Kingdom and France have been hosting a number of events leading up to today, the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944. Veterans, families, dignitaries, and visitors have gathered at former battlefields and cemeteries to commemorate the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy, which turned the tide in World War II and led to the liberation of occupied France and the defeat of Nazi Germany. Gathered here are images of some of these events, and of some of the few remaining veterans who took part in that costly invasion eight decades ago. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Bernard Morgan, 100, a veteran of the British Royal Air Force, visits war graves in Bayeux, France, on June 5, 2024, ahead of the Royal British Legion Service’s plans to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. ( Aaron Chown / Getty) […]

on May 31, 2024 at 10:00 am

Warrior horse racing in Japan, scenes from the Cannes Film Festival in France, a new volcanic eruption in Iceland, a Memorial Day display in Boston, an anti-drone-technology display in Ukraine, a performance by AC/DC in Italy, competitive surfing in Tahiti, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. People view an installation of projections and lights called "Dark Spectrum," located in old tram tunnels, as part of the annual Vivid Sydney festival in Sydney, Australia, on May 24, 2024. ( David Gray / AFP / Getty) […]

on May 30, 2024 at 5:10 pm

The Panamanian government recently presented keys to new houses to about 300 families from Cartí Sugtupu, a small and crowded Caribbean island that is threatened by rising sea levels and a lack of space. The Indigenous communities on Cartí Sugtupu and neighboring islands have faced increasing floods and damage from storms. Starting in 2015, the Panamanian Ministry of Housing began relocation plans, constructing a new mainland settlement called Nuevo Carti—completed at a cost of more than $12 million. Residents will begin to move into their new homes next week. To receive an email notification every time a new photo story is published, sign up here. An aerial view of the island Cartí Sugtupu, part of the San Blas archipelago off Panama’s northern Caribbean coast, seen on October 11, 2023. The Indigenous communities of the small island face significant challenges amid rising sea levels. About 300 families will relocate to new homes, built by the government, on the mainland. ( Adri Salido / Getty) […]

on May 28, 2024 at 4:13 pm

Crowds gathered at Cooper’s Hill, on a farm near Gloucester, England, once again yesterday, cheering as racers took part in the annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake. Continuing a tradition that dates back at least 200 years, participants chased a nine-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese, running in a chaotic scramble down a very steep and uneven grassy hill, with the winner taking home the cheese. This photo essay originally misspelled Abby Lampe’s name. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Several participants tumble as they run in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucester, in western England, on May 27, 2024. ( Jacob King / PA Images / Getty) […]

on May 24, 2024 at 10:00 am

An airline for dogs in New York, horse racing in Baltimore, the Olympic torch relay in southwestern France, a Catholic pilgrimage in a Spanish village, the World Para Athletics Championships in Japan, a tornado’s path of destruction in Iowa, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. An aircraft sits on the flooded tarmac at Salgado Filho Porto Alegre International Airport, in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on May 20, 2024. More than 600,000 people have been displaced by the heavy rain, flooding, and mudslides that have ravaged the south of the state for about two weeks. ( Anselmo Cunha / AFP / Getty) […]