The best photos of the week: from eagles in Kyrgyzstan to giraffes in Poland

Striking pictures from around the world

A Kyrgyz 'berkutchi', or eagle hunter, holds his golden eagle during the festival 'Salburun', which welcomes competitors from around the world. AFP

Alif — The Mobility Pavilion opens at Expo City Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dried-up ponds along the Mediterranean coast near Anfeh, Lebanon, which were previously used in the traditional production of salt by seawater evaporation. AFP

A dog named Luna high-fives a person in the Angelino Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, the US. Reuters

Moroccan horsemen fire their rifles during a traditional performance at a Moussem culture and heritage festival in the capital Rabat. AFP

The Red Hot Chili Peppers arrive at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Reuters

A classmate of Palestinian student Lian Al Shaer, 10, who was killed in recent Israel-Gaza fighting in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters

The remains of the submerged Gary Qasruka village abandoned 36 years ago, which have partly resurfaced following a large drop in water levels in Dohuk, in the autonomous Kurdish region. AFP

People cool off in a fountain just outside Jerusalem's Old City. Israel and the Palestinian territories are in the grip of a heat wave this week, with temperatures hitting 45°C. AP

The dried up Edersee lake near Waldeck, west Germany, following weeks of drought. AFP

Labourers push a handcart loaded with baskets of fish from a port in Mumbai. AFP

China's largest developer Country Garden Holdings reported a 96 percent drop in earnings, the latest grim illustration of the economic chaos coursing through the country's property sector. AFP

Malaysians wave their national flag during the National Day 2022 celebration at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Reuters

New members of the National Police Services of the Unified Forces graduate in Juba, South Sudan. AFP

Fireworks go off at the Spasskaya Tower during an international military music festival in the Red Square in Moscow. AFP

Palestinian youths throw rocks at Israeli army jeeps in the town of Silwad, near the city of Ramallah, West Bank. AFP

About 100 Ukrainian refugee children started school on Thursday in Bucharest, Romania. AP

People make their way to safer ground after flooding from monsoon rains hit homes in Shikarpur, Pakistan. AFP

Wind whips embers from a hotspot during a wildfire in Castaic, California. AP

Sell-out crowds are watching Serena Williams at the US Open in New York as she prepares to retire from tennis. AP

Caribbean flamingos interact with each other at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, the US. AP

Children near their flood-hit home, in Charsadda, Pakistan, which is fighting the spread of waterborne diseases among thousands of flood victims. AP

Riders during the 12th stage of La Vuelta cycling race between Salobrena, Granada, and Penas Blancas, Estepona, Spain. EPA

Fishermen check their nets during 'no fishing Friday' at a port in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. AFP

Children attend their first day of school in Lviv, Ukraine. Authorities said 2,199 educational institutions had been damaged as a result of bombing and shelling during the war with Russia. AFP

Children play near the salt flat of Pampatar on Margarita Island, Venezuela. AP

A Chinese ginseng displayed at the Guangyuyuan Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, China. EPA

An employee works on the assembly line of the SAIC Maxus car factory in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. EPA

Students arriving for the first day of term at the Indian High School, Dubai, after the summer break. Pawan Singh / The National

A male giraffe, who is 13 days old, relaxes in the Zoological Garden, Opole, south-west Poland. The infant is named Napoleon, due to its relatively small. EPA

Tim Knowles

More from The National:

Friday's best photos: from flamingoes in Baltimore to a new Chilean constitution

Thursday's best photos: from Serena's fans to tomato festival clean-up

Wednesday's best photos: from Princess Diana tributes to a military music festival

Tuesday's best photos: from a rescued baby to Napoleon the diminutive giraffe

Monday's best photos: from Taylor Swift at MTV awards to Nascar smash

Sunday's best photos: from Notting Hill Carnival to a kite-flying festival

Saturday's best photos: from a stylish dog to migrant rescue in Italy

Updated: September 02, 2022, 6:01 PM