World Photos

South Africa's police say 72 people have been killed and 1,234 have been arrested in waves of rioting that have hit the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces.

In Pics | Bikers clear traffic-choked Indonesian streets for ambulances

The two-wheeled volunteers' services are needed more than ever as ambulances struggle to keep up with the surge in coronavirus infections and deaths

In Pics | A dangerous climb for online school in Sri Lanka

In the village of Lunugala, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, adults escort schoolchildren to a mountaintop treehouse in a forest reserve. It's about 30 feet high and has internet access. They take turns to upload their homework and download lesson plans.

In Pics | Oil wrestling festival returns in Turkey after a year of halt due to COVID-19

Traditional oil wrestling festival in Turkey, one of the world’s oldest wrestling events, was listed as an intangible cultural heritage event by UNESCO in 2010.

G20 finance ministers signed off global tax deal; key points about the plan and its current status

Finance ministers from the G20 club of large economies have backed a plan for global tax reform. A quick summary:

Treat to Skygazers | Must-see celestial events in July 2021

The month of July offers a treat for skygazers. The July night sky will be full of different celestial events and a few meteor showers too. Here are some of the best night sky events in July 2021.

Dubai inaugurates world’s deepest swimming pool with a 'sunken city'

Deep Dive Dubai prides itself as "the only diving facility in the world" where you can go down 60 metres. Guided by lights and ambient music, divers can play table football and other games at the bottom as well as explore an "abandoned sunken city".

Miami's historic Black Overtown gets makeover

Situated just west of downtown Miami, Overtown was settled in the late 1890s when Henry Flagler was recruiting workers for his Florida East Coast Railroad. Because of segregation, mostly Black workers from the South and Caribbean settled on the other side of the tracks from downtown Miami, in an area then known as 'Colored Town'.

In Pics | Richard Branson becomes first billionaire to fly own rocket to space

The nearly 71-year-old Richard Branson and five crewmates from his Virgin Galactic space-tourism company reached an altitude of about 53 miles (88 kilometers) over the New Mexico desert.

UEFA EURO 2020 final | British football fans gather outside Wembley Stadium ahead of sporting fiesta

The thrilling UEFA EURO 2020 final between England and Italy will begin at 12:30 AM IST (GMT+5.5) on July 12. It will be telecast in English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam by Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). Fans can also watch the action unfold LIVE on SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3, SONY SIX and SONY TEN 4 channels.

In Pics | California faces its worst drought since 1977, water crisis turns region into desert

Citing the drought, California Governor Gavin Newsom on July 8, 2021, asked people to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15% in the middle of the drought.

This week in pictures: The most stunning images from Asia

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and Pacific.

Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassination | From Indira Gandhi to JFK: Past incidents where other state heads were killed

As Jovenel Moïse, President of Haiti, was assassinated yesterday, a look at some other heads of state who were assassinated.

See pictures of US troops leaving Afghanistan after a bloody 20-year war

The Americans' combat role was declared nearly seven years ago, but troops continued in training Afghan forces and in hunting down terrorist groups. On July 2, the last troops left Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, their main base throughout the conflict, handing it over to the Afghan military, a signal that the full withdrawal from the country was nearly completed.

Megaship Ever Given that blocked Suez Canal sets sail after settlement deal

The nearly 200,000-tonne container vessel became wedged across the canal during a sandstorm on March 23, blocking a vital artery from Asia to Europe that carries 10 percent of global maritime trade and provides Egypt with vital revenues. After a round-the-clock salvage operation to dislodge it, Egypt seized the ship and demanded compensation from owners Shoei Kisen Kaisha for lost canal revenues, salvage costs and damage to the canal.

In Pics | World Chocolate Day: Here are the top 10 best Chocolates around the globe

World Chocolate Day: Here are the top 10 best Chocolates around the globe.

China joins spacewalk club: Here's everything you need to know about the cosmic adventure

On July 4, two Chinese astronauts made the country’s first spacewalk in thirteen years. They are the newest entrants to the club of ‘spacewalkers’ dominated by American and Russian astronauts. Here’s everything you should know about spacewalks.

In Pics I The defiant, populist leader of El Salvador who legalised cryptocurrency bitcoin

Bukele's presidency so far is the story of one of Latin America's newest populist autocracies in the making: spending big to hand out goodies, branding opponents as enemies, raising the profile of the military.

Cyprus faces worst forest fire in decades; 4 dead, villages evacuated

The wildfire, described as the worst since the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960, destroyed 50 homes, damaged power lines and forced the evacuation of 10 villages. Thick gnarled trunks of ancient olive trees, emblematic of the holiday island, were reduced to smoldering stumps.

In Pics | Fourth of July celebrations: Fireworks, parades, carnivals on US' Independence Day

The Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining the decision of the thirteen colonies of Great Britain to declare themselves independent from colonial rule, was approved by the US Congress on July 4, 1776.

This week in pictures: The most stunning images from Asia

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and Pacific.

Philippines on alert after Taal volcano eruption; mass evacuation process underway

The pre-emptive evacuations began late on July 1 from five high-risk villages in the lakeside towns of Laurel and Agoncillo. More than 14,000 people may have to be moved temporarily away from the volcano. Most evacuation camps have set up isolation areas in case anyone began showing COVID-19 symptoms

Women protest as Turkey withdraws from violence-on-women treaty

Erdogan announced the withdrawal in March, saying Turkey would use local laws to protect women's rights and defended his move on July 1 against those who, he said, portrayed it as "a step backwards" in the battle with violence against women.

All you need to know about the Facebook antitrust lawsuit

A federal judge tossed out antitrust lawsuits against social media giant Facebook. The dual antitrust suits threatened its acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.

Princess Diana's 60th birth anniversary: Pictorial tribute to the Princess of Wales

On July 1, Princes William and Harry set aside their differences and came along to unveil a new statue of their mother Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday. With flags, balloons and messages, royal fans marked Princes’ birthday and celebrate her incredible legacy. Commemorating Princess Diana on her 60th birth anniversary, let’s take a look back at some of the beautiful shots from Diana’s life and her family.

COVID-19 Pandemic | Phuket reopens for overseas tourist with its ‘sandbox’ plan to revive tourism industry

Under the "Phuket sandbox" plan, foreign tourists vaccinated against COVID-19 will not have to spend any time in quarantine and can move around the island freely. After 14 days, provided three coronavirus tests they must take are negative, they can travel elsewhere in the country.

The rise and fall of July 1 protests in Hong Kong

For Hong Kong, July 1 is a day of protests. It was on this day in 1997 that Britain returned Hong Kong to China. In 2003, there were huge protests against a proposed security law, which was dropped but demonstrations continued. In 2020, Beijing pulled a surprise by imposed a new law on July 1 eve

At 100, China's Communist Party looks to cement its future

Marking its centenary, the Communist Party is using this past — selectively — to try to ensure its future and that of Xi Jinping, who may be eyeing, as Mao Zedong did, ruling for life.

Starry Night to Irises, virtual Van Gogh exhibition set to lure shoppers in Dubai

The exhibition, which will showcase digital displays of Van Gogh's works from the Saint-Paul Asylum, Saint-Remy collection and others, opens on July 1 and will run until mid next year.

From Mao's country to Xi's empire—100 years of China's Communist Party

Since seizing power amid civil war in 1949, the party has undergone a tumultuous history but President and party leader Xi Jinping is emphasising the country’s rise to economic, military and diplomatic power over the past four decades since reforms were enacted.

Ancient aromas aim to lure new crop of tourists to Cyprus

Lavender, basil and roses: aromatic plants are being cultivated in Cyprus to broaden the island's sun-and-sea appeal and regain a lofty botanical status dating back to Roman times.

In Pics | Venezuela migrants cross US border in droves

Record numbers of Venezuelans are crossing the US-Mexico border as overall migration swells. Unlike the farmers and low-wage workers who come from Mexico or Central America, the Venezuelans are often bankers, doctors and engineers. They're fleeing turmoil in the country with the world's largest oil reserves and pandemic-induced pain across South America.

Hong Kong family leaves a changing city for UK

Despite more than 10 years in media, Hui has no plans to pick up the job again in the U.K., at least not full-time. He doesn't intend to resume the Hong Kong way of life either.

Last week in pictures: Take a look at some of the most stunning images from around the world

Take a look at some of the most compelling images published by AP from around the world.

In pics | Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III buried in austere state rites during pandemic

Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III was buried in austere state rites during the pandemic Saturday with many remembering him for standing up to China over territorial disputes, striking a peace deal with Muslim guerrillas and defending democracy in a Southeast Asian nation where his parents helped topple a dictator. He was 61.

In Pics | 12-story oceanfront condominium building collapses near Miami; 4 killed, 160 people unaccounted for

The 12-story oceanfront condominium building partially collapsed on June 24. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says rescue officials are continuing to search and there's still hope of finding survivors in the rubble more than 24 hours after the building collapsed.

Rembrandt's huge 'Night Watch' gets bigger thanks to AI

The museum always knew the original, uncut, painting was bigger, in part thanks to a far smaller copy painted at the same time that is attributed to Gerrit Lundens. Researchers and restorers who have painstakingly pored over the work for nearly two years using a battery of high tech scanners, X-rays and digital photography combined the vast amount of data they generated with the Lundens copy to recreate and print the missing strips.

Strawberry moon | Stunning pictures of last supermoon of 2021

A larger-than-usual full moon, Strawberry moon, marks the last full moon of the spring season and the first full moon of the summer.

From New Delhi to Seoul, here's Asia in pics from last week

From Apple's Daily last issue to people protesting People against the July opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to Buddha's birthday celebrations, this photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images in Asia and Pacific.

Chauvin sentencing caps tumult since George Floyd's death

More than a year of tumult that followed George Floyd's death under Derek Chauvin's knee culminates on June 25 when the former Minneapolis police officer hears his sentence for murder.

Tibetan traditions threatened by politics and growth

Long defined by its Buddhist culture, the region is facing a push for assimilation and political orthodoxy under China’s ruling Communist Party. Tibetans and other minorities are seeing the use of their languages downgraded in schools and old ways of living eroded for the promise of better quality of life through mobile phones, online shopping, higher education and improved health care.

In Pics | World's 10 most expensive cities for expats revealed; India debuts at 78th spot

Mercer's 2021 Cost of Living city ranking is revealed and Ashgabat in Turkmenistan is named as the most expensive city in the world for international employees, pushing Hong Kong to second place. India debuts in the list with its financial capital Mumbai ranking at 78th spot

Tokyo Olympics 2020 | A look at the Olympic Games' journey towards gender equality

Tokyo 2020 will be the first gender-balanced Olympic Games. On International Olympic Day (23 June), a look the Games’ journey towards gender equality.

Tokyo shows off Olympic village a month before Games begin

Organisers of the Tokyo Olympics open the athletes' village to the media, where 11,000 athletes will stay and mingle during the sporting extravaganza.

In charts: Most powerful passports in 2021

The most powerful passport in the world in terms of travel freedom.

In Pics | Tokyo prepares for Olympics amid COVID-19 pandemic

Tokyo Olympics: Organising committee officials and the International Olympic Committee have said that some local fans will be allowed to attend the event. But there's a limit of 50 percent of capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic venues

In Pics | Tourism boom pressures Tibet's historic sites

The number of visitors is limited to 5,000 per day at the Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lamas. Balancing tourist demand with the need to minimize wear and tear on the massive hillside structure is a constant challenge, said Gonggar Tashi, the head administrator.

Tourism booms in Tibet, posing risks to historic sites

Tourism is booming in Tibet as more Chinese travel in-country because of the coronavirus pandemic, posing risks to the region’s fragile environment and historic sites.

International Yoga Day 2021: Striking images from India and around the world

International Yoga Day 2021: PM Narendra Modi asserted that in these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, yoga has become a source of inner strength. Check out pictures of yoga being performed in India and around the world

Presidential Pets: Dogs that have found home in the White House

On June 19, US President Joe Biden announced that Champ, the older of his dogs, passed away peacefully at home. The White House has been home to many pets of various Presidents of the United States through the years. Here's a look at some of these pets that made the White House their home.