Pictures of the week: From world’s largest cheese fondue to Indian folk dance Jhumur

Striking images from around the world

Cellar master Sebastien Halbout carries cheese for France's record-breaking bid to create the world's largest fondue, which weighed 2,177.5kg, at Fort des Rousses. AFP

Mohammed Sahloul, 17, is greeted by his sister Nina after being released from an Israeli prison in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. AP

An image of Pope Francis is projected on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP

Shoppers in the Asakusa area of the Japanese capital, with the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree in the background. AFP

UAE aid for Gaza being loaded at Al Hamriya Port in Dubai. Victor Besa /The National

A soldier, who lost a leg in combat in eastern Ukraine in 2015, with a howitzer in the country's Kharkiv region, as the war with Russia rumbles on. AP

Ruined houses in Jarjanaz, eastern Idlib, Syria, two months after the fall of the Assad regime, whose forces tore the roofs off homes to steal iron. EPA

Left Party candidate Heidi Reichinnek and colleagues celebrate their results at a general election event in Berlin. EPA

A Venezuelan migrant who had hoped to reach the US but decided to return home due to President Donald Trump's new immigration policies, waits for a boat in Gardi Sugdub, Panama. Reuters

Spain's King Felipe VI, accompanied by Queen Letizia, after receiving an honorary degree from the University of Alcala. EPA

A hummingbird feeds in a cactus garden on the outfield lawn before a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Athletics, in Surprise, Arizona. AP

Ukrainian forces fire rockets towards Russian troops, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine. Reuters

It was worth the climb for these people standing on top of Manquehuito hill in Santiago, Chile. AP

People leave toy tractors outside the National Farming Union's annual conference in London, in protest over how inheritance tax reforms could affect farmers’ families. Getty Images

Rescuers work at the construction site of a bridge on the Seoul-Sejong motorway after it collapsed, leaving three workers dead and five injured, in Anseong, South Korea. EPA

Former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and police officers who allegedly surrendered to M23 rebels arrive in Goma, Congo. AP

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jack Dashwood warms up before a game against the San Diego Padres, in Peoria, Arizona. AP

European leaders and officials mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at Independence Square, Kyiv. AFP

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at a briefing next to TV screens displaying the word 'Victory' after a judge ruled against Associated Press. The news agency had requested the immediate restoration of access after its journalists were barred for continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in coverage. Reuters

Israelis gather for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas, 32, and her two children, Kfir, nine months, and Ariel, four, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and whose bodies were released on February 21, in Rishon Le Zion, Israel. Reuters

Hindu devotees bathe at the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati on Shivratri, the final day of Maha Kumbh festival, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. AP

The fishing village of Sakrisoya, in Norway's Lofoten islands. AFP

Models showcase Gucci's autumn/winter women's collection at Milan Fashion Week. AFP

The drivers pose for a group photograph during testing in Bahrain ahead of the new F1 season. Reuters

Luminous, an immersive light and sound show by the Luxmuralis collaboration of sculptor Peter Walker and composer David Harper, at St Paul's Cathedral in London. AFP

The illuminated reflection of Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India. Reuters

A woman photographs one of the ice caves in the 'tongue' of the Morteratsch glacier, which is melting due to climate change, in Pontresina, near Saint Moritz in eastern Switzerland. Reuters

Ramadan lights along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Dancers perform a folk dance during full-dress rehearsal for the upcoming Jhumur festival in Guwahati, India. AFP