News in pictures

on May 8, 2024 at 5:45 pm

For more than a week now, torrential rainfall in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has swollen rivers, triggered landslides, and caused widespread flooding. More than 90 deaths have been blamed on the flooding, with another 130 people listed as missing. Rescue efforts continue across the state and in the hard-hit city of Porto Alegre. The intense rains have abated for the moment, but flooding rivers continue to rise downstream, forcing thousands to seek shelter and assistance. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A view of the flooded Mario Quintana Cultural Center in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil on May 5, 2024. ( Anselmo Cunha / AFP / Getty) […]

on May 6, 2024 at 5:13 pm

In the Greek village of Vrontados, each year during Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations, members of two rival churches hold a traditional “rocket war” by firing thousands of homemade fireworks toward each other while services are held. The goal for each side is to hit the bell in the tower of the opposing church. The festival, called Rouketopolemos, has been celebrated by the churches of Agios Markos and Panagia Erithiani for at least 135 years. Gathered here are images of this year’s battle, along with others from recent years. To receive an email notification every time a new photo story is published, sign up here. Rockets fly over the bell tower of Agios Markos church during Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations on the eastern Aegean island of Chios on April 26, 2008. ( Yiorgos Karahalis / Reuters) […]

on May 4, 2024 at 12:00 pm

On May 4, 1970, 54 years ago today, members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a crowd of student protesters gathered on the campus of Ohio’s Kent State University, killing four students and injuring another nine. Several hundred students had been protesting against the Nixon administration’s expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia, and the mayor of the city of Kent asked the governor of Ohio to bring in members of the National Guard. News coverage of the shooting of unarmed protesters dominated headlines around the world and spurred hundreds of protests across the country. Gathered below are images from that pivotal day in American history. View of a line of Ohio National Guardsmen, with rifles and gas masks, on the Kent State University campus as they prepare to disperse student protesters in Kent, Ohio, on May 4, 1970. The protests, initially over the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, resulted in the deaths of four protesters (and the injuries of nine others) after the National Guard opened fire on students. ( Howard Ruffner / Getty) […]

on May 3, 2024 at 10:00 am

Devastating floods across Kenya, a pagan fire festival in Scotland, antler gathering in Wyoming, pro-Palestinian demonstrations at many American colleges, the Olympic flame en route to France, a movie premiere in Sydney, a badminton competition in China, and much more The Horsehead Nebula, imaged by the NIRCam instrument on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, featuring a portion of the "horse's mane" about 0.8 light-years wide. The ethereal clouds that appear blue at the bottom of the image are dominated by cold, molecular hydrogen. Red-colored wisps extending above the main nebula represent mainly atomic hydrogen gas. In this area, known as a photodissociation region, ultraviolet light from nearby young, massive stars creates a mostly neutral, warm area of gas and dust between the fully ionized gas above and the colder nebula below. As with many Webb images, distant galaxies are sprinkled in the background. ( ESA, NASA, CSA, STScI) […]

on April 26, 2024 at 10:00 am

A volcanic eruption in Indonesia, a tilting tower in Taiwan, a growing refugee camp in Chad, the Tokyo Rainbow Pride Parade in Japan, humanitarian aid parachuted into Gaza, protests opposing Israel’s attacks on Gaza in the United States, a performance by Phish at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and much more Spiral bookshelves are seen in a bookshop in Guangzhou, China, on April 23, 2024 ( John Ricky / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on April 24, 2024 at 6:55 pm

Across the length of Chile, stretching 2,650 miles (4,265 kilometers) from north to south, more than 40 national parks have been established in the past century, protecting many endangered species, wild landscapes, and natural wonders. Collected below are images of several of these parks, from Lauca National Park, in the altiplano of Chile’s far north, to the dramatic mountains of Torres del Paine National Park, in the southern Patagonia region. A view of the Cuernos del Paine, a cluster of steep granite peaks in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. ( Lukasz Nowak1 / Getty) […]

on April 22, 2024 at 6:24 pm

On this Earth Day, a day set aside to remember and appreciate the environment and our responsibilities and roles within it, I wanted to gather a selection of images of the incredibly diverse bird life that we share this planet with. Tens of billions of individual animals are divided among some 10,000 species, inhabiting nearly every environment on Earth. These fascinating creatures are at home on land, at sea, or in the sky, from our polar regions to the tropics. On a day meant for us to care for our environment, it seemed appropriate to feature some of those we share it with. A rufous-crested coquette seeks out nectar from porterweed, photographed in Panama. ( Juan Carlos Vindas / Getty) […]

on April 19, 2024 at 10:00 am

Eid al-Fitr prayers in India, trophy winners at the Boston Marathon, the burning of a historic building in Denmark, a wildfire in Kosovo, widespread flooding in Russia, a joyous water festival in Thailand, a music festival in China, and much more A woman stands on a breakwater in China's southwestern city of Chongqing on April 13, 2024. ( AFP / Getty) […]

on April 18, 2024 at 5:12 pm

The winning entries of the annual World Press Photo Contest ​have just been announced. This year, according to organizers, 61,062 images were submitted for judging, made by 3,851 photographers from 130 different countries. World Press Photo was once again kind enough to share some of this year’s global and regional winners, gathered below. Europe, Winner, Singles—A Father’s Pain: Mesut Hançer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter, Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, the day after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck the country's southeast, on February 7, 2023. Rescuers in Turkey and Syria braved frigid weather, aftershocks, and collapsing buildings as they dug for survivors buried by an earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people. ( Adem Altan / Agence France-Presse) […]

on April 17, 2024 at 6:20 pm

Over the course of World War II, countless challenges made basic transportation difficult, costly, and dangerous. The need for fast, efficient, and quiet ways of moving people from A to B—despite fuel shortages, damaged roads, and ongoing battles—led many soldiers and civilians to take advantage of bicycles as transport. Troops in some areas became more nimble, refugees used bikes to carry their family and belongings to safety, air-raid wardens could cover more ground on two wheels, and many civilians had no other options available. Gathered below are a handful of images of some of the many ways people put bicycles to use during the Second World War. Members of the German light-machine-gun bicycle corps wear gas masks while standing beside their bicycles in a lineup in Austria, circa 1939. Note the machine gun attached to one of the bicycles at lower right. ( Hulton Archive / Getty) […]

on April 15, 2024 at 5:46 pm

Crowds of music fans gathered once more in Indio, California, this weekend for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, catching performances by Doja Cat, Jon Batiste, Vampire Weekend, Sabrina Carpenter, Lil Yachty, Gwen Stefani, Peso Pluma, Atarashii Gakko, the Aquabats, and many more artists. Gathered below are images of this year’s performances and concertgoers during the first weekend of Coachella 2024. Brittany Howard performs onstage at Coachella 2024 in Indio, California, on April 12, 2024. ( Emma McIntyre / Getty for Coachella) […]

on April 5, 2024 at 10:00 am

The World Coal Carrying Championships in England, damage from an earthquake in Taiwan, a destroyed hospital in the Gaza Strip, a beekeeper at work in Ukraine, cherry-tree blossoms in Germany, an appearance by the Easter Bunny at the White House, rally racing in Kenya, flooding in west-central France, and much more Dancers perform during Radio City Rockette auditions at Radio City Music Hall, in New York City, on April 3, 2024. ( Brittainy Newman / AP) […]

on April 2, 2024 at 5:26 pm

As much of North America prepares for the upcoming total solar eclipse next week, I thought it would be fun to share some images from the recent (and not-so-recent) past of previous eclipses—annular, partial, and total—from around the world. Also pictured are some of the many observers sharing this fleeting experience, “witnessing the planetary version of a lightning strike,” together in stadiums, parks, and beaches. Young people watch the rare sight of a partial solar eclipse at sunset, as seen from Manila Bay, Philippines, on January 26, 2009. ( Gil Nartea / AFP / Getty) […]

on March 29, 2024 at 10:00 am

A wildfire in Venezuela, cherry blossoms in eastern China, a deadly terrorist attack in Russia, a surf competition in Australia, Holy Week processions in Spain, a full moon above Istanbul, a vast solar-power farm in Texas, and much more An aerial view of the cargo vessel Dali, seen after it had crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse, in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024 ( Maryland National Guard / Reuters) […]

on March 26, 2024 at 4:45 pm

The winning images and photographers of this year’s World Nature Photography Awards have just been announced. Contest organizers have once more shared some of the winning images, shown below, from their 14 categories. Captions were provided by the photographers and have been lightly edited for style and clarity. Third Place, Behavior—Mammals. Elephants reach for branches at Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. (© Copyright Lukas Walter / World Nature Photography Awards) […]

on March 25, 2024 at 5:31 pm

This week, Hindus around the world are celebrating Holi, the “festival of colors”—a springtime celebration where revelers throw brightly colored powders at friends and strangers alike. Participants gather to welcome the arrival of spring, commemorate Krishna’s pranks, and allow one another a chance to drop inhibitions and simply play and dance together. Gathered below are images of this year’s Holi festivals from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Kenya, and the U.S. Students play with colors ahead of Holi festival outside Mata Sundri College in New Delhi, India, on March 21, 2024. ( Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times / Getty) […]

on March 22, 2024 at 10:00 am

A massive ballet class in Mexico City, the Night of Ghosts festival in Greece, severe tornado damage in Indiana, a garbage-strewn beach in Bali, airdrops of humanitarian aid over the Gaza Strip, a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Tokyo, a robot among tulips in the Netherlands, colorful Holi celebrations in India, and much more A man, dressed as the Hindu deity Sasthappan, performs during the traditional dance festival Theyyam, also known as Kaliyattam, at the Muthappa Swami temple in Somwarpet, India, on March 18, 2024. ( Idrees Mohammed / AFP / Getty) […]

on March 21, 2024 at 5:20 pm

Tuesday marked the first day of spring, and the Northern Hemisphere has begun to warm, with flowers and trees in bloom. Gathered below is a small collection of images from recent weeks in North America, Asia, and Europe, of people enjoying flowering fields and trees—signs of warmer days to come. The Washington Monument is seen on March 18, 2024, from the Tidal Basin amid cherry blossoms, which enter their peak bloom this week in Washington, D.C. ( Mark Schiefelbein / AP) […]

on March 20, 2024 at 5:45 pm

For hundreds of years, residents of Valencia, Spain, have celebrated the arrival of spring and paid tribute to San Jose, the patron saint of the carpenters’ guild, by building and then ceremonially burning huge monuments made of wood, cardboard, and paper. The monuments, or fallas, consist of ninots, or figures, many of which are caricatures that portray current events and celebrities. The two-week-long festival features parades, fireworks, and fiestas, and ends with the burning of hundreds of fallas, signifying cleansing and renewal. A view of the burning Falla del Ayuntamiento, a 20-meter-long monument built of wood and cardboard, during the Fallas festival, in Valencia, Spain, on March 19, 2024. The dove figures signify a demand for peace in Gaza and Ukraine. ( Burak Akbulut / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on March 15, 2024 at 10:00 am

X-ray analysis of an 18th-century violin in France, scenes from the Academy Awards in Hollywood, a march for International Women’s Day in Mexico, the launch of a SpaceX rocket in Texas, white-water canoeing in New Zealand, Ramadan prayers in Indonesia, the Crufts dog show in England, and much more Demonstrators take part in a march to mark International Women's Day in San Salvador on March 9, 2024. ( Marvin Recinos / AFP / Getty) […]

on March 14, 2024 at 7:06 pm

Organizers of the 2024 British Wildlife Photography Awards just announced their collection of winners and runners-up. More than 14,000 images were submitted in 11 different categories, celebrating the wildlife and wild spaces found across the United Kingdom. Competition organizers were kind enough to share some of this year’s amazing images below. Captions were provided by the photographers. Running on Water. RSPB Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year and 15–17 Years Winner. “I woke up at 4:45 a.m. with the hope of capturing backlit waterfowl images at Frensham Pond in Surrey. I lay down at the edge of the pond and waited for the birds to become active. As the morning progressed, rays of sunlight began to shine through trees along the edge of the pond, creating spotlights in the morning mist. This created a beautiful atmosphere, which I aimed to capture in my images. This coot was fleeing a fight, running across the water to take flight through the mist and rays of light.” (© Copyright Max Wood / British Wildlife Photography Awards) […]

on March 13, 2024 at 5:01 pm

The United Nations is warning that famine in Gaza is “almost inevitable.” Palestinians living in Gaza are struggling with extreme shortages of food, clean water, and medicine. Several countries, including Jordan, France, Egypt, the U.S., the United Arab Emirates, and now Germany, are coordinating airdrops of humanitarian aid to help alleviate the crisis, and the U.S. military is working to a build a temporary port on Gaza’s coastline to bring in additional aid. Critics have pointed out that airdrops and a temporary pier are insufficient, dangerous, and haphazard operations compared with ensuring a steady and reliable supply of aid delivered by trucks, which might be achieved by a cease-fire agreement. Gathered below are recent images from the growing crisis in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of food supplies, as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 5, 2024. ( Mohammed Salem / Reuters) […]

on March 12, 2024 at 3:43 pm

The top entries in the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition have been announced, and competition organizers were once more kind enough to share some of the winning and shortlisted photos from their 10 categories: Architecture, Creative, Landscape, Lifestyle, Motion, Natural World & Wildlife, Object, Portraiture, Street Photography, and Travel. Captions have been provided by the photographers. Caiman Crunch. Winner, Natural World & Wildlife. "We had bid farewell to our São Lourenço River lodge, marking the end of our Pantanal adventure, but as we were leaving we heard that a jaguar had been spotted roughly 30 minutes away. We raced to the scene and encountered this sleek female jaguar stalking her prey. Our boat—and my camera—was perfectly positioned as she pounced on an unsuspecting caiman." (© Copyright Ian Ford, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards) […]

on March 8, 2024 at 11:00 am

Humanitarian aid air-dropped into Gaza, the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, a skijoring competition in Colorado, a blizzard in California, scenes from Paris Fashion Week in France, a sinking cargo ship off the coast of Yemen, thousands of cross-country ski racers in Sweden, a parade of effigies in Bali, and much more A model walks the runway during the Vetements Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024–2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 1, 2024, in Paris, France. ( Peter White / Getty) […]

on March 5, 2024 at 5:02 pm

A century ago, regular radio broadcasts were on the rise, and people began tuning in to entertainment and news from around the world. Paris hosted the 1924 Summer Olympics, advancements in aviation were being made on several fronts, automobiles were becoming more prevalent (and dangerous), and prohibition in the U.S. was still in full swing. Students were using tablets made of slate, and “computers” were human beings that operated calculating machines. Below are a handful of images of some of the events and sights around the world in the year 1924. Children listen to a battery-powered radio receiver that is set on a table in a swimming pool in Washington, D.C., in July of 1924. ( Buyenlarge / Getty) […]