News in pictures

on March 29, 2023 at 7:35 am

Aurora-chasing photographers say they are seeing more brilliant, intense displays this season. […]

on March 29, 2023 at 6:45 am

His career spanned more than three decades - from drag acts in London, to an MBE and beyond. […]

on March 27, 2023 at 5:39 pm

On Friday, March 24, devastating storms spawned high, straight-line winds and tornadoes across western Mississippi and Alabama, killing at least 25 people and damaging hundreds of buildings. On Sunday, President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for the state of Mississippi, providing federal assistance to some of the hardest-hit counties. Gathered here are images from the small town of Rolling Fork, which was struck by a huge EF4 tornado, where residents are working to recover what they can. Harvey Cockrell and his wife, Mary Cockrell, look over the house of their neighbors, Lonnie and Melissa Pierce, who were killed when a semitruck landed on their house during a tornado that hit three days earlier, photographed on March 27, 2023, in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. The Cockrell's home was also damaged during the storm. ( Julio Cortez / AP) […]

on March 26, 2023 at 12:17 am

A selection of striking images from our readers around the world. […]

on March 25, 2023 at 12:35 am

A selection of striking images from around the world, taken in the past seven days. […]

on March 24, 2023 at 10:30 am

Normally rare in southern parts of the UK, the aurora made an appearance for the second time in a month. […]

on March 24, 2023 at 4:30 am

Drought conditions in Spain, heavy snow in California, the Fallas Festival in Spain, a spring-equinox welcome at Stonehenge, war-damaged buildings in Ukraine, the start of Ramadan in Indonesia, cherry blossoms in Japan, a sandstorm in Inner Mongolia, protests against pension reform in France, and much more A person washes clothes on the banks of the river Brahmaputra in Guwahati, India, on March 22, 2023. ( Anupam Nath / AP) […]

on March 24, 2023 at 12:13 am

A selection of the best photos from across Africa and beyond this week. […]

on March 23, 2023 at 6:23 am

A sea of cherry blossom is drawing photographers to a square in Birmingham's city centre. […]

on March 23, 2023 at 6:11 am

The valuable glass negatives were rescued after being dumped on a street more than 30 years ago. […]

on March 23, 2023 at 5:20 am

A look at one waterway clogged with rubbish as the UN global water summit takes place. […]

on March 22, 2023 at 5:46 pm

At least two people are dead after a severe storm hit the state's central and southern coast. […]

on March 22, 2023 at 4:51 pm

Each year, Hindus on the island of Bali observe Nyepi, the Balinese Hindu Day of Silence, which also marks the start of the Balinese New Year. It is a day reserved for self-reflection, when people stay home and are not allowed to use lights, start fires, work, travel, or enjoy entertainment. In the days leading up to Nyepi, several rituals take place, meant to banish evil and bestow good fortune in the year ahead. One such tradition is the ogoh-ogoh parade, where giant demonic effigies are carried through the streets, then burned in purification ceremonies. Young Balinese men carry an ogoh-ogoh, a giant menacing-looking sculpture, during the ogoh-ogoh parade in Tegallalang Village, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, on the eve of Nyepi, the Balinese Hindu Day of Silence, March 20, 2023. ( Agung Parameswara / Getty) […]

on March 22, 2023 at 12:55 am

An exhibition by Historic England looks to celebrate the "spirit of England's high streets". […]

on March 20, 2023 at 5:32 pm

The International Space Station, orbiting Earth at about 17,150 miles per hour, is currently home to seven crew members. In recent months, the astronauts and cosmonauts of Expedition 67 and 68 have taken some amazing photographs of our lovely planet as they pass overhead, and I wanted to share more of these unique views here. The caption of this essay’s third photo previously misidentified Chengdu as Beijing. A view of the aurora australis from beyond a section of the International Space Station as it passed just south of Australia on August 18, 2022. ( NASA) […]

on March 18, 2023 at 7:51 am

The faded advertisements for cigarettes, medicines and a cinema are collated in a fanzine. […]

on March 18, 2023 at 12:45 am

A selection of striking images from all over the globe, taken in the past seven days. […]

on March 17, 2023 at 4:30 am

Early cherry blossoms in Tokyo, heavy snowfall in California, drought conditions in southern France, a festival of lights in Croatia, emotional displays at the Academy Awards, street protests in France, a heavy frost in England, and much more A pilot demonstrates an aircraft powered by 18 electric motors, manufactured by LIFT Aircraft, in front of Osaka Castle in Osaka, Japan on March 14, 2023. ( JIJI Press / AFP / Getty) […]

on March 14, 2023 at 5:31 pm

The top entries in the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition have been announced, and the contest organizers were once again kind enough to share some of their winning and shortlisted photos below, 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. Slam on the Brakes. Winner, Motion. "Barrel racing is a competition where cowgirls ride quickly around barrels; the one that does this in the shortest time wins. Every time a horse reaches a barrel it needs to brake sharply, turn around the barrel and then race to the next one." Ontario, Canada, August 2022. (© Copyright Steven Zhou, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards) […]

on March 13, 2023 at 4:34 pm

Today, the day after “springing forward” an hour for daylight saving time, has been set aside as National Napping Day. The day was first established in 1999 by the Boston University professor William Anthony and his wife, Camille, who hoped to bring awareness to the health benefits of napping and the importance of sleep. This also coincides with March being designated as National Sleep Awareness Month, and pairs with Friday, March 17, which is World Sleep Day. Gathered below are a handful of images of snoozy people and animals enjoying the benefits of napping in various locations. A reveler rests in a hammock at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts, on Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, on June 21, 2017. ( Oli Scarff / AFP / Getty) […]

on March 12, 2023 at 12:19 am

A selection of striking images from our readers around the world. […]

on March 11, 2023 at 12:14 am

A selection of striking images from all over the globe, taken in the past seven days. […]

on March 10, 2023 at 5:30 am

Speed skating in the Netherlands, a teddy-bear clinic in Belgium, a newfound sphinx statue in Egypt, an International Women’s Day march in Chile, carpet weaving in Afghanistan, Holi celebrations in India, skijoring in Colorado, a cow-look-alike competition for cats in Thailand, and much more Protesters brandishing a European Union flag brace as they are sprayed by a water cannon during clashes with riot police near the Georgian Parliament, in Tbilisi, on March 7, 2023. Georgian police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters Tuesday as thousands demonstrated in the capital to oppose a controversial "foreign agents" bill. Georgia's ruling party later said it was withdrawing the bill. ( Zurab Tsertsvadze / AFP / Getty) […]

on March 8, 2023 at 6:45 pm

This week marked the passing of one month since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep on February 6, followed by dozens of powerful aftershocks. More than 50,000 deaths have been reported across southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. Rescue and recovery efforts have wound down, and the work of removing rubble and demolishing damaged buildings has begun. The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people were made homeless by the quake, and local groups, charities, and government agencies are working to care for them, setting up tent cities, repurposing passenger-train cars, and opening up mosques and hotels. Gathered below are images from across the quake-hit region over recent weeks. A sequence of images shows workers demolishing a quake-damaged building in Malatya, Turkey, on March 7, 2023. More than a thousand damaged buildings in the region have been demolished since the February 6 earthquake. ( Hakan Burak Altunoz / Anadolu Agency / Getty) […]

on March 7, 2023 at 5:32 pm

After two years of limited celebrations due to COVID-19 restrictions, many Holi festivals are back in full swing. This week, Hindus around the world are celebrating Holi, the Festival of Colors—a springtime celebration in which revelers throw brightly colored powders at friends and strangers alike. Celebrants 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, and El Salvador. Women smeared with colors sing and dance in a street as they celebrate Holi in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 6, 2023. ( Bikram Rai / AP) […]

on March 4, 2023 at 12:05 am

A selection of powerful images from around the world, taken in the past seven days. […]

on March 3, 2023 at 5:30 am

A deadly train crash in Greece, the northern lights above Stockholm, donations for quake-affected children in Turkey, an uphill race in Austria, fighting and survival in Ukraine, an air show in Australia, a traditional sled race in Slovakia, and much more Dancers wearing white Louboutin boots perform to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the red sole (semelle rouge) on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week at the Opera Comique in Paris, France, on March 2, 2023. ( Julien De Rosa / AFP / Getty) […]

on March 2, 2023 at 5:14 pm

A string of powerful winter storms rolled across California over the past week, bringing snowfall to lower elevations than the area has seen in decades, and boosting the state’s snowpack—which now stands at 189 percent of its average for this time of year. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for 13 counties, including Los Angeles County, due to the storms. Below, a collection of unusually snowy scenes from California, Nevada, and Arizona. The Hollywood sign in Los Angeles stands in front of snow-covered mountains after another winter storm hit Southern California on March 1, 2023. ( Mario Tama / Getty) […]

on March 1, 2023 at 5:33 pm

The entries in this year’s World Nature Photography Awards have been judged, and the winning images and photographers have just been announced. Jens Cullmann was awarded the grand prize for his image of a crocodile lurking in the mud in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Competition organizers have once again shared some of the winning images, shown below, from their 14 categories. Captions were provided by the photographers and have been lightly edited for clarity. First place, Animal portraits, and Grand Prize Winner. A crocodile's head is just visible in a mud pool in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. (© Copyright Jens Cullmann / World Nature Photography Awards) […]

on February 27, 2023 at 5:32 pm

February 27 has been set aside as International Polar Bear Day, first organized by the group Polar Bears International in 2011. The day was established to help spread awareness of the impact of global warming on the bears and their changing habitat, and international conservation efforts. Organizers hope to encourage people to take steps in their own life to reduce their carbon footprint. Below, I’ve collected a few images of these magnificent white bears in their natural habitat. A polar bear raises its head during a blizzard near Hudson Bay, in northern Canada. ( Galen Rowell / Getty) […]

on February 26, 2023 at 12:44 am

A selection of striking images from our readers around the world. […]

on February 25, 2023 at 8:43 am

An exhibition features images of patients, staff and visitors in Middlesex Hospital's Aids wards. […]

on February 25, 2023 at 12:44 am

A selection of powerful images from around the world, taken in the past seven days. […]

on February 24, 2023 at 5:30 am

A grim anniversary of war in Ukraine, icicles in Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez, livestreamers on a bridge in China, cherry blossoms in Japan, deadly mudslides in Brazil, a Carnival parade in Bolivia, another earthquake in Turkey, flooding in South Africa, and much more Hikers are silhouetted against the setting sun at Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 18, 2023. ( Charlie Riedel / AP) […]

on February 23, 2023 at 6:28 pm

Last week was the 12th anniversary of the arrival of Larry the Cat to 10 Downing Street, the London residence and home office of the United Kingdom’s prime minister, where he was bestowed with the official title of “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.” He was brought to Downing Street in 2011, at the age of four, and tasked with controlling rats that had been seen at the residence. Though cats had been employed as chief mousers for centuries, Larry was the first to be given the official title. As a permanent resident, his term in office has overlapped with five prime ministers to date. Larry, the 10 Downing Street cat, walks on the cabinet table wearing a British Union Jack bow tie ahead of the Downing Street street party, in central London, on April 28, 2011. ( Ben Stansall / AFP / Getty) […]

on February 21, 2023 at 6:30 pm

This week marks the passing of one year since Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces on February 24, 2022. Following Russia’s initial broad advance into the country, Ukrainian forces, backed by Western support, resisted fiercely, forcing Russian troops to pull back into eastern and southern Ukraine. By the end of 2022, the front lines had become a punishing arena of trench warfare, drone attacks, and artillery battles across frozen fields and villages. Estimates vary widely, but most place the total number of civilian casualties between 10,000 and 30,000, and count at least 250,000 soldiers killed and wounded from both sides. Russia continues to launch missiles into all parts of Ukraine, attacking infrastructure and other targets, vowing to press on, while Western countries continue to supply Ukraine with ammunition, equipment, and training. Gathered below are images from recent weeks, showing a region reshaped by a year of war. Ukrainian servicemen fire a mortar toward Russian positions at the front line near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on January 11, 2023. ( Evgeniy Maloletka / AP) […]

on February 17, 2023 at 5:30 am

The world’s oldest dog in Portugal, pre-Carnival celebrations in Brazil, a “firefall” in Yosemite National Park, widespread flooding in Mozambique, continued rescue and recovery in earthquake-hit Turkey, Valentine’s Day in China and Italy, the Opera Ball in Austria, and much more Rihanna performs on a suspended stage during the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023. ( Sarah Stier / Getty) […]

on February 15, 2023 at 7:26 pm

The winning entries in the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) were recently announced, with the Slovenian photographer Matjaz Krivic named the overall winner, selected from nearly 20,000 entries. Contest organizers have been kind enough to share some of the winners and honorable mentions, shown below. Captions were provided by the organizers and individual photographers, and have been lightly edited for clarity. Winner, Travel Photographer of the Year 2022. Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nanyuki, Kenya: Najin 33, one of the last two Northern White rhinos left in the world, rests under the hot afternoon sun with her friend and caretaker Zachary Mutai in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The northern white rhino is all but extinct. The two last males died several years ago. The two females are still with us but are too feeble to bear babies. In an Italian lab, their eggs are now artificially fertilized by sperm from the late males and are kept frozen, in hopes that surrogate rhinos from another subspecies can carry the northern white back from the brink. ( Matjaz Krivic / www.tpoty.com) […]

on February 12, 2023 at 3:54 pm

A special Sunday event: our seventh annual photo collection celebrating such magnificent birds of prey. Not Eagles (nor Chiefs), these nocturnal hunters hail from Europe, Asia, North America, and South America and are depicted here in photos from recent years. If you have some time today before the big game (or are skipping the event entirely), I invite you to have a look. A snowy owl lands at sunset in a field in central Minnesota. ( Stan Tekiela / Getty) […]

on February 12, 2023 at 12:30 am

A selection of striking images from our readers around the world. […]

on February 10, 2023 at 5:30 am

Deadly wildfires in southern Chile, a lantern festival in Taiwan, an extremely low tide in Venice, a freight-train derailment in Ohio, a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, a unique dining experience in China, scenes of earthquake devastation in Turkey, freezing temperatures in the American Northeast, and much more A base jumper leaps off the Kuala Lumpur Tower during the annual KL Tower International Jump Malaysia 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on February 3, 2023. ( Hasnoor Hussain / Reuters) […]

on February 8, 2023 at 6:04 pm

Three days have passed since a devastating a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, followed by dozens of powerful aftershocks. Nearly 12,000 deaths have been reported across southern Turkey and northwestern Syria after thousands of buildings collapsed during the quake. A massive rescue effort is underway, with tens of thousands of soldiers, workers, and volunteers still discovering and rescuing victims who have been trapped for as long as 61 hours beneath tons of shattered concrete. A 7-year-old Syrian child is rescued from rubble 61 hours after devastating earthquakes struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 8, 2023. ( Emin Sansar / Anadolu Agency / Getty) […]

on February 6, 2023 at 3:50 pm

In the early morning today, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, collapsing thousands of buildings across southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. The quake was followed by numerous powerful aftershocks, and—nine hours later—a separate 7.5-magnitude earthquake nearby. Initial reports say that more than 2,100 people were killed in the region, and authorities say they expect that number to rise over the next few days. A person is rescued from the wreckage of a building during search-and-rescue efforts in Adana, Turkey, on February 6, 2023. ( Eren Bozkurt / Anadolu Agency / Getty) […]

on February 3, 2023 at 5:30 am

A figure-skating championship in Finland, a rugby tournament in Afghanistan, the Magh Mela festival in India, a soldier’s funeral in Ukraine, an ice storm in Texas, a winding river in Brazil, a luge championship in Germany, and much more A green comet named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), which last passed by our planet about 50,000 years ago and is expected to be most visible to stargazers this week, is seen tens of millions of miles away from Earth in this telescope image made in January 2023. ( Dan Bartlett / Reuters) […]

on February 1, 2023 at 7:14 pm

In Scotland's Shetland Islands, a fire festival named Up Helly Aa takes place every January to mark the end of the yule season. The festival has been on hold for the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions but was held again this year. Local participants, called guizers, celebrate their Norse heritage by dressing in Viking gear and marching through the town of Lerwick with battle axes and torches, dragging a ceremonial Viking longboat with them. At the end of the procession, the guizers hurl their flaming torches onto the longboat and set it ablaze. Gathered below are images from several Up Helly Aa processions over the past 20 years. A Viking longboat burns during the annual Up Helly Aa festival in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, on January 28, 2014. ( Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty) […]

on January 31, 2023 at 6:36 am

Alan Percy, from Norwich, is one of the BBC's network of Weather Watchers. […]

on December 8, 2022 at 10:24 am

Photographers across the West Midlands share their photos of the last full moon of 2022. […]

on November 27, 2022 at 9:19 am

Chris Nowell lost most of his sight in a rocket attack while serving in Afghanistan. […]

on April 18, 2022 at 4:18 pm

Australia has hundreds of Indigenous groups - and Wayne Quilliam is hoping to photograph them all. […]

on February 13, 2022 at 10:59 am

Photographer Simon Williams uses kit from the 1890s to create vintage photography on glass. […]