News in pictures

on December 20, 2024 at 1:00 pm

A Christmas fair in Romania, an enormous indoor ice rink in Paris, a surfing Santa Claus in Australia, a sunset camel safari in India, a cyclo-cross race in Belgium, holiday lights in Japan and France, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A drone flies a guard figure past a 12-meter-tall statue of Young-hee, the infamous doll from Netflix's South Korean TV series "Squid Game," standing on a barge in front of Wat Arun temple in Bangkok, Thailand, ahead of the launch of Season 2, on December 19, 2024. ( Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP / Getty) […]

on December 18, 2024 at 5:59 pm

Tales of Saint Nicholas might feature him bringing gifts to good boys and girls, but ancient folklore in Europe’s Alpine region also speaks of Krampus, a frightening demonlike creature who emerges during the Yule season, looking for naughty children to punish in horrible ways—or possibly to drag back to his lair in a sack. In the dark winter months, Krampus associations in villages hold parades, playfully frightening onlookers on Krampusnacht by chasing them and hitting them with sticks during a run through the streets. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A person dressed as a frightening demonlike Perchten figure performs before a crowd in the town of Trebesing, Austria. ( Kurt Kracher / ImageBroker / Getty) […]

on December 13, 2024 at 2:12 pm

This has been another year filled with news stories and photos that can be difficult or disturbing to view. For a decade now, I’ve made it an annual tradition, after rounding up the news photos of the year, to compose a companion essay of uplifting images from the past 12 months—an effort to seek out and recognize some of the abundant joy and kindness present in the world around us. Below are images from 2024 of families and friends at play, expressions of love and compassion, personal victories, volunteers at work, assistance being given to those in need, and small and pleasant moments. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A young resident holds a rescued puffling before releasing it from a sea cliff in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, on August 20, 2024. In August and September, an annual tradition brings entire families out to the streets and harbor of Vestmannaeyjar late at night, where they work to find and rescue misdirected young puffins, called pufflings. During their first flight, the pufflings can become confused in the darkness, flying from sea cliffs toward city lights rather than toward the moonlight, and ending up stranded on dangerous city streets. Once they are rescued, the pufflings are brought to either a beach or a cliff to be released into the sea. ( Micah Garen / Getty) […]

on December 12, 2024 at 1:00 pm

As the end of the year approaches, here is a look back at some of the major news moments of 2024. Events covered in this essay (the last of a three-part photo summary of the year) include Hurricanes Helene and Milton striking southeastern United States, a famous pygmy hippo named Moo Deng, the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and much more. Be sure to check out the first part, the second part, and our “Top 25 News Photos of 2024.” To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Gold medalist Mauricio Valencia of Team Colombia poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the men’s shot-put F34 final on day 10 of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, on September 7, 2024. Valencia had his canine teeth modified to look like fangs in order to break down any stereotypes people may have about Paralympic athletes. He says, “I didn’t want to have the same smile as the rest of the world. I’ve always said that Paralympic sport has to be a spectacle.” ( David Ramos / Getty) […]

on December 11, 2024 at 1:00 pm

As the end of the year approaches, here is a look back at some of the major news moments of 2024. Events covered in this essay (the second of a three-part photo summary of the year) include the opening of the Paris Olympics, widespread flooding in Brazil, an assassination attempt on the presidential candidate Donald Trump, and much more. Check back tomorrow for the last installment, and be sure to see the first part and our “Top 25 News Photos of 2024.” To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Kim Yeji of Team Republic of Korea prepares to shoot during the Women's 10m Air Pistol Final on day two of the Olympic Games at the Chateauroux Shooting Center on July 28, 2024. ( Charles McQuillan / Getty) […]

on December 10, 2024 at 1:00 pm

As the end of the year approaches, here is a look back at some of the major news moments of 2024. Events covered in this essay (the first of a three-part photo summary of the year) include a deadly earthquake in central Japan, the relocation of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, a rat hole in Chicago, and much more. Check back later this week for Parts 2 and 3, and be sure to see our earlier “Top 25 News Photos of 2024.” To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A view of widespread destruction in Khan Yunis, Gaza, after Israeli forces withdrew from the area on February 2, 2024. Extensive devastation unfolded after weeks of continuous Israeli bombardment. ( Abdulqader Sabbah / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on December 9, 2024 at 12:30 pm

Near the end of every year, I look back through the many thousands of news photos taken in the previous months, reevaluating them to see which images stand out as iconic—which images take your breath away, bring you close, or make an emotional impact. In a year dominated by stories of warfare, divisive politics, and natural disasters, it feels even more important to showcase the incredible work of the photojournalists who bring the reality of these situations to millions of others. Here, I present my choices for the top 25 news photos of 2024. Be sure to check back throughout the week for more comprehensive stories, presented as “2024: The Year in Photos, Parts 1, 2, & 3.” To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. The Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents after an attempted assassination at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. ( Evan Vucci / AP) […]

on December 8, 2024 at 5:06 pm

After a rapid advance by anti-government factions, led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, rebels in Syria declared today that they had taken control of Damascus, and that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country, ending decades of Baathist rule. After enduring years of civil war, Syrians took to the streets to celebrate the sudden fall of Assad, both in their own country and in huge refugee communities that have grown across the Middle East and Europe. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Syrians wave revolutionary flags and flash the V sign for victory in the central city of Homs early on December 8, 2024, after rebel forces entered Syria's third-largest city overnight. ( Aref Tammawi / AFP / Getty) […]

on December 6, 2024 at 4:00 pm

Christmas decorations across Germany, lake-effect snowfall in Ohio, a festival of lights in France, a brief clash between soldiers and civilians in South Korea, devastating floods in Malaysia, sumo wrestlers in London, anti-government protests in Georgia, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Navy sailors take part in a simulated rescue operation during Navy Day celebrations at the Gateway of India in Mumbai on December 4, 2024. ( Punit Paranjpe / AFP / Getty) […]

on December 1, 2024 at 5:02 pm

It’s time once more for one of my favorite holiday traditions: the 17th annual Space Telescope Advent Calendar, featuring remarkable images from both NASA’s Hubble telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. Every day until Wednesday, December 25, this page will present a new, incredible image of our universe from one of these two telescopes. Be sure to come back every day until Christmas, and follow us on social media for daily updates. I hope you enjoy these amazing and awe-inspiring images, as well as the continued efforts of the science teams that bring them to Earth—it is a joy to put this calendar together each December. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and peace on Earth. A Grand Spiral. The spiral galaxy NGC 5248, located 42 million light-years from Earth, is one of the so-called grand-design spirals, with prominent spiral arms that reach from near the core out through the disc. It also has a faint bar structure in the center, which is difficult to see in this visible-light portrait from the Hubble space telescope. Features like these, which break the rotational symmetry of a galaxy, can feed gas from a galaxy’s outer reaches to inner star-forming regions, and even to a galaxy’s central black hole, where it can kick-start an active galactic nucleus. These flows of gas have shaped NGC 5248 in a big way; the spiral has many bright starburst regions of intense star formation spread across its disc, and it is dominated by a population of young stars. ( ESA / Hubble & NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee, and the PHANGS-HST Team) […]

on November 29, 2024 at 4:30 pm

An autonomous delivery robot in Barcelona, a heat wave in Australia, a triceratops auction in France, a reef shark in the Red Sea, a lava flow in southwestern Iceland, migratory birds in flight over China, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. President Joe Biden pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkeys Peach and Blossom during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, D.C., on November 25, 2024. ( Drew Angerer / AFP / Getty) […]

on November 25, 2024 at 4:57 pm

After reviewing more than 3,600 entries from professional and amateur photographers around the world, judges of the 11th International Landscape Photographer of the Year contest narrowed the field down to a “Top 101” and then further, to award several category prizes and their top award, which this year went to Andrew Mielzynski. The organizers were once more kind enough to share some of this year’s top and winning images below. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Fireflies Flying in the Misty. Special Award, Forest. Mountains in Wufeng Township, Hsinchu, Taiwan. ( Shirley Wung / The 11th International Landscape Photographer of the Year) […]

on November 22, 2024 at 4:00 pm

Christmas decorations in England, long-term typhoon damage in the Philippines, a virtual taekwondo championship in Singapore, a mummified saber-toothed tiger cub in Russia, the Miss Universe competition in Mexico, thick fog in northern China, a new volcanic eruption in Iceland, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A herd of red deer look out from the bracken on an autumn morning in Richmond Park, southwest London, on November 17, 2024. ( Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty) […]

on November 20, 2024 at 3:05 pm

The Close-up Photographer of the Year competition is now in its sixth year, and recently released its shortlisted picks, with the winners set to be announced in January. The contest “celebrates close-up, macro, and micro photography,” among 11 separate categories. Competition organizers were once again kind enough to share some of these amazing images with us here. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Wallaby Baby. Animals. "A baby wallaby tries to settle into the warm security of its mother's pouch, but because it has grown quite large, it is not easy to fit inside. After several tries and with a great deal of persistence, it finally managed to fold its long legs in and get comfortable. This image was captured at a conservation center in France." (© Copyright Pedro Jarque Krebs / cupoty.com) […]

on November 18, 2024 at 6:22 pm

Millions of people across northern India and Pakistan have spent the past few weeks under a blanket of toxic smog, enduring some of the region’s worst air quality ever recorded. The sky is filled with particulates from the seasonal burning of rice-paddy stubble on nearby farms, mixed with other vehicular and industrial emissions. Several health emergencies have been declared, many schools have been closed, and residents are being encouraged to stay indoors. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A crow perches on a fence in front of the Taj Mahal amid thick smog in Agra, India, on November 15, 2024. ( Pawan Sharma / AFP / Getty) […]

on November 15, 2024 at 3:52 pm

Speed climbing in Saudi Arabia, wildfires in California and New Jersey, a blanket of smog in New Delhi, a celebration of rural life in Turkey, Veterans Day in Seattle, a surfing record attempt in Brazil, a rodeo exhibition in Argentina, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Members of the public take photographs following the unveiling of the 2024 Christmas jumper design on the animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex at the Natural History Museum in London, England, on November 12, 2024. ( Alice Horsley / Getty) […]

on November 13, 2024 at 4:37 pm

More than 125 years ago, Erwin Barbour, a geology professor at the University of Nebraska, took an interest in what he described as an “agricultural movement”—the proliferation of creative and inexpensive homemade windmills on farms across Nebraska. In 1897, Barbour documented this phenomenon, traveling the state, photographing the mills, interviewing their inventors and owners, and estimating the costs and benefits. He found that both wealthy and poor farmers built a wide variety of mills, many of them of novel or experimental design, made largely out of spare parts and scrap wood. These mills were used to pump water for irrigation and livestock, and to power farm machinery—often giving the owners a huge advantage in a time of drought. During a recent visit to the U.S. National Archives, I found and converted these images from an 1898 photo album that had not previously been digitized. Many of the woodcuts used in Barbour’s 1899 report were based on these photographs. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A four-blade mock turbine windmill, belonging to Friederich Ernstmeyer, seen near Grand Island, Nebraska, used to pump water for livestock. The eight-foot-diameter rotor is attached to the frame of an old mower that was mounted atop a tower of four cottonwood logs with the bark still on. Because the project used mostly found and unused parts, its total cost was 32 cents, which was the price of a long plank used for the rotor blades. ( U.S. National Archives) […]

on November 11, 2024 at 4:59 pm

The German Society for Nature Photography recently announced its winning images from the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024, selected from nearly 18,000 entries from 38 countries in 11 categories. This year’s overall winner was Jaime Rojo, with a remarkable photograph of monarch butterflies clustered in trees in Mexico’s El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Competition organizers were kind enough to share some of the winning and honored photographs with us here. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Shaking off the Snow. Runner-up, Mammals. "This picture was taken in Wapusk National Park on the coast of Hudson Bay, Canada, during a heavy snowstorm in November 2022. With a single vigorous movement, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) shakes off the powdery snow that has accumulated during the storm. A gust of wind picks up the snow and forms a decorative veil around the animal." (© Copyright Daniel Valverde Fernandez / European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024) […]

on November 8, 2024 at 3:35 pm

Election Day in the United States of America, a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, roller-skating in Georgia, continued flood cleanup in Spain, a figure-skating competition in France, a penny-farthing race in Prague, autumn colors in China, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Vancie Tuner and her horse Clementine rally people on Main St. to vote on Election Day, November 5, 2024, in Driggs, Idaho. ( Natalie Behring / Getty) […]

on November 1, 2024 at 3:00 pm

Autumn colors across Europe, Day of the Dead displays in Mexico, Diwali lights in India, deadly flooding in Spain, a kite festival in South Africa, the School of Santa Claus in Brazil, World Series celebrations in Los Angeles, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A 16-foot-tall hand sculpture named Quasi stands perched on its fingertips atop the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, on October 30, 2024. ( Charlotte Graham-McLay / AP) […]

on October 30, 2024 at 5:16 pm

Over the past several weeks, people around the world have been celebrating the season of Halloween—dressing up, taking part in parades and festivals, hosting parties, and braving trips through haunted houses (and at least one haunted car wash). Collected below are photos that capture some of these scary (and fun) pre-Halloween festivities in Wales, Japan, India, Romania, Spain, Ireland, Thailand, the United States, and elsewhere. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A woman wearing a costume is silhouetted against the sunset sky at the West Side Hallo Fest, a Halloween festival in Bucharest, Romania, on October 26, 2024. ( Andreea Alexandru / AP) […]

on October 28, 2024 at 5:29 pm

Over the past three days, the streets of Toulouse, France, hosted an urban opera titled The Guardian of the Temple—The Gates of Darkness, in which three massive robotic puppets of mythological creatures—Lilith the scorpion woman, Asterion the Minotaur, and Ariane the spider—performed in several locations around the city. The show, put on by the French street-theater company La Machine, was directed by François Delarozière. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. The human-scorpion creature Lilith, the guardian of darkness, parades during a major street show by the French company La Machine, in Toulouse, France, on October 26, 2024. ( Matthieu Rondel / AFP / Getty) […]

on October 26, 2024 at 3:00 pm

Flooding in the Moroccan desert, a volcanic eruption in Mexico, an illuminated abbey in England, a space-shuttle mock-up in California, a snacking bear in Scotland, a giant pigeon in New York City, and much more. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A camel yawns at sunset in the desert of Pushkar, located in the Indian state of Rajasthan, on October 19, 2024. ( Himanshu Sharma / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on October 25, 2024 at 3:23 pm

One hundred thirty-one years ago, Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, which recorded more than 25 million admissions from May 1 through October 31, 1893. The overall theme was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus landing in the New World. Architect Daniel Burnham and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted worked together with many others to reshape a swampy park along Lake Michigan into a 686-acre Venetian-inspired fairground. More than 65,000 exhibits from 46 nations were displayed in more than 200 structures built for the fair. Visitors were introduced to many new (and relatively new) concepts, inventions, and products, from Cracker Jack and Juicy Fruit gum to large-scale electric lighting and the Ferris wheel. This photo essay originally misidentified the year a “farthest north” record was set. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Visitors to the World's Columbian Exposition look out over the Basin and the Court of Honor. This view from the roof of the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building looks from southeast to northwest over the Grand Basin. ( Chicago History Museum / Getty) […]

on October 18, 2024 at 3:00 pm

A heart-shaped lake in Germany, sculptures by the sea in Australia, sightseeing in the Gobi desert, a colorful forest in Romania, a wife-carrying race in Maine, Halloween lights in England, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A woman photographs artwork from the "Sculpture by the Sea" exhibition at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, on October 17, 2024. ( Mark Baker / AP) […]