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1/18
Goes to the heart
Chemical compounds from centuries-old volcanic rock color this lake in Britain's Elterwater Quarry turquoise. When the water level sank, nature revealed a surprising shape.
See all the pictures of the week on our topic page.
Photo: Owen Humphreys/dpa
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2/18
Working beyond the limits
Men work in a brick factory in Narayanganj, Bangladesh. To call the work risky would be an understatement. This is because they are exposed to pollutants that cause serious health problems for workers and people in the surrounding area. Most people here suffer from respiratory or skin problems. The work isn't even well paid: it pays less than five dollars a day.
Photo: Suvra Kanti Das / ABACAPRESS / IMAGO
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3/18
On hold
A stilt dancer waits to perform in Beijing during celebrations on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon.
Photo: Greg Baker / AFP
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4/18
Snow
In the early hours of the morning, rain turns to snow in Times Square in New York. A strong, fast-moving winter storm dumped heavy snow across the northeastern United States on Tuesday, leaving many commuters stranded.
Photo:
Brendan Mcdermid / REUTERS
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5/18
Fascination of free fall
Plunging into a pool from a height of 20 meters requires a lot of courage and the ability to face your fears. »Do I know where I am in the air? Am I in control? Of course, a lot of scenarios come to mind," said the German diver Anna Bader recently. Bader, like the Italian Elisa Cosetti here, is currently at the Swimming World Championships in Doha, where the athletes jump into a specially constructed pool in the harbor in front of the city skyline.
Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
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6/18
»Unforgotten«
In Passau, a participant in the CSU's political Ash Wednesday carries a pendant with a picture of the former Bavarian Prime Minister Franz Josef Strauss. Handwritten underneath: “Unforgotten.” Rough speeches, hearty sayings – this is what political Ash Wednesday still thrives on today. For a long time the meeting was primarily associated with the CSU. Over the years, all parties copied the format.
Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa
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7/18
In the rain of fire
Dancers perform during Oruro Carnival. The festival of folk dances, costumes and music is one of Bolivia's biggest tourist attractions - and, according to UNESCO, an intangible cultural heritage.
Photo: Rodwy Cazon/dpa
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8/18
smoke sign
No, this Indian rhinoceros in India's Kaziranga National Park is not blindly heading towards disaster. The smoke is caused by the controlled burning of grassland.
Photo: Biju Boro / AFP
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9/18
45 years of the Islamic Revolution
Amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, tens of thousands of government supporters in Iran celebrated the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Among them: demonstrators who burned Israeli and US flags. At the central rally, President Ebrahim Raisi called for arch-enemy Israel to be excluded from the UN. The crowd chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” as usual at state-organized meetings. However, many Iranians are indifferent to Sunday's celebrations.
Photo: Vahid Salemi / dpa
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10/18
Support that gets under your skin
There is basically no part of the body that NFL fans won't get tattoos of their favorites or their club. Particularly popular in recent years: motifs from the Kansas City Chiefs with their quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kansas has won the Super Bowl three times in the past five years.
Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP
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11/18
Swinging
Couples twirl on the dance floor at the opening of the Vienna Opera Ball.
Photo: Eva Manhart / dpa
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12/18
Yo! Grandma rocks
Park Jeom-sun (front) calls herself Suni when she raps. The 81-year-old is the frontwoman of Suni and Seven Princesses, a group from South Korea's Chilgok county. The seniors came into contact with rap at night school and were swept up in the K-pop boom. Now they perform in kindergartens and enjoy their social media fame: "I feel like I'm getting younger," says Suni, whose lyrics are about country life, picking chilies and watermelons.
Photo: Soo-Hyeon Kim / REUTERS
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13/18
Blown away by the desert wind
Five stages, 603 kilometers, over 14 hours of cycling: The Tour of Oman was held in Oman for the 13th time - in a shorter version than planned due to wind and weather. Similarly firmly planned: the victory of the British top favorite Adam Yates from UAE Team Emirates. In the overall classification, Yates prevailed by 19 seconds over Jan Hirt, who won the Tour of Oman 2022.
Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP
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14/18
Hello Ms President
Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o will be the first African woman to be president of the jury at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024. She became a star in the film “12 Years A Slave”; Many people know her as Nakia from the “Black Panther” films. When asked about inviting and disinviting AfD politicians to the Berlinale, she said: "I'm glad that I'm not in the position of having to decide that."
Photo: Annegret Hilse / REUTERS
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15/18
Practice early
The legendary sumo grandmaster Hakuhō Shō has retired from his sport, but his traces remain. The native Mongolian founded the Hakuhō Cup in 2010 because he wanted to promote young talent. The competition is open to boys aged six to 13. In 2024, 1,100 young sumo wrestlers followed Hakuhō's call, coming to Tokyo from all over the world.
Photo: Richard A. Brooks / AFP
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16/18
Sheep cold
Sheep brave the cold in a snow-covered field in the Peak District, UK.
Photo: Adam Vaughan / EPA
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17/18
Drawn
A child has a vermilion blessing mark painted on his forehead after worshiping the goddess of education at the Saraswati Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Photo: Narendra Shrestha / EPA
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18/18
Real dimensions
This view of the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps reminds us of what it is like: nature is big, man-made is small.
See all the pictures of the week on our topic page.
Photo: Olivier Chassignole / AFP