The best photos of the week: from a volcanic eruption in Tonga to Etihad Rail

The most striking pictures from around the world

A handout satellite image made available by the Tonga Meteorological Services, Government of Tonga shows an explosive eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, located in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga, 15 January 2022. The eruption on 15 January, the second in only two days, was the latest in a series of eruptions from the undersea volcano. According to a Public Notice from the Tonga Geological Services monitoring the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai (HTHH) issued on 15 January 2022, satellite images captured on the day indicated that the volcanic eruption continued, with ash plume emission. EPA / TONGA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES HANDOUT -- BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE -- AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY / NO SALES

A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam listens to speakers prior to an appearance by former president Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday, January 15, in Florence, Arizona. AP Photo

The 'Global Gate' art display at Burj Park in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak/ The National

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Expo 2020 Dubai. Dubai Media Office

A general view of the Birds Nest stadium in Beijing, China, the venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies in Beijing, China. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are set to open on February 4. Getty Images

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice-President and Ruler of Dubai, front row sixth right, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, front row third right, join presidents and ministers for a group photo with the Zayed Future Energy Prize winners at the World Future Energy Summit 2022 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre. MOPA

The TAQA stand at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week at Adnec. Victor Besa / The National

A Palestinian man stands outside with a child on a rainy day in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on January 16. Reuters

An aerial photo shows The Northwest Angle ice road at Lake of the Woods, between Warroad and Angle Inlet, Minnesota, on January 16. AFP

The Pamucak Arena during the annual 40th Efes Selcuk Camel Wrestling Festival in the Aegean town of Selcuk, near Izmir, Turkey, on January 16. Reuters

A child sculpted in marble as he cradles with a chained wrist lies in the desert sand. Sculptor Jago took the statue and abandoned it in Fujairah. The statue, Look Down, was displayed for six months in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples. Antonie Robertson / The National

Sunmi performs at the K-pop concert in honour of Korea day at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The 'Run Beyond' light installation by artist Angelo Bonello at the Battersea Powerstation Light Show in London on January 16. The show runs until February 27. EPA

Volcanic ash covers roof tops and vegetation in an area of Tonga on January 17, days after a huge undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami struck. AP

Visitors wear traditional hanbok dress as they walk on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace after snowfall in Seoul on January 17. AFP

An aerial view shows the snow-covered mountains surrounding the town of Amadiyah, 1,400 metres above sea level and located about 75 kilometres north of the city of Dohuk in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region on January 17. AFP

The Enigma, a 555.55-carat black diamond, the largest black natural colour diamond to appear at auctions at Sotheby's, Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

'The National' visits Etihad Rail to learn more about the passenger line and developments since last year. Victor Besa / The National

A restorer touches the gold-leafed pyramidal cap of the Obelisk of Luxor, being restored, on the Place de la Concorde in Paris on January 17. AFP

Cop26 President Alok Sharma is interviewed at the UK pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

An American Airlines commercial aircraft flies past a cell phone tower as it approaches to land at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, on January 18. Reuters

Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers get sprinkled with water in the compound of Fasilides Bath during the celebration of Timkat, the Ethiopian Epiphany, in the city of Gondar, Ethiopia, on January 19. AFP

The light art installation City Gazing Dubai by VOUW studio from Netherlands on display at the DIFC Gate Avenue in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Members of the media photograph Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, as he leaves 10 Downing Street, London, to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament. AP Photo

A child stands in the snow-covered Salat Zagrous Camp for internally displaced Syrians in the Afrin District, northern Syria, on January 19. EPA

A customer gets a haircut in a concert hall as museums and concert halls protest against government rules allowing gyms and hairdressers to re-open while they have to stay shut due to Covid-19 restrictions in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on January 19. Reuters

Aerial view of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park Phase 5 in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Frozen chairlifts one day before the opening of the ski season at the Mount Hermon Resort, at the intersection of the Israeli-Lebanese-Syrian border in the north of the Golan Heights, on January 20. EPA

Gagandeep Singh holds up a picture of his cousin Hardeep Singh, who died in the Abu Dhabi blast. Ruel Pableo for The National

Renderings of the UAE’s new passenger rail service. Photo: Etihad Rail

Tim Knowles

More from The National:

Friday's best photos: from frozen chair lifts to Sudan protests

Thursday's best photos: from royals in therapy session to a swimming manatee

Wednesday's best photos: Times Square vigil to traditional ironing in Egypt

Tuesday's best photos: from polluted Mongolia to stingless bees

Monday's best photos: from the Bird's Nest stadium to a light installation in Battersea

Sunday's best photos: from Uncle Sam at a rally to migrants hampered in Guatemala

Updated: January 21, 2022, 6:08 PM