The best photos of the week: From two former veeps at the White House to Pop Air in Madrid

Striking pictures from around the world

US President Joe Biden awards actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus with the 2021 National Medal of Arts during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 21, 2023. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

A cannon fires at Expo City Dubai to signal the beginning of iftar. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Fireworks explode as French riot police stand guard at Republique square during a demonstration against the government pension reform in Paris. EPA

Participants canoeing on the Mahaweli river during the Raid Amazones women’s adventure race, in Digana village, Kandy, Sri Lanka. AFP

The setting sun reflected on the skyscrapers of Manhattan in New York, seen from across the Hudson river in New Jersey. AFP

Muslim women offer taraweeh prayers on the first evening of Ramadan at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo, Central Java province, Indonesia. Reuters

Stray dogs on the city stairs of Bajram Curri, Albania. AP

Pop Air at the Balloon Museum in Madrid, an exhibition dedicated to inflatable art. EPA

Police officers check train cars at a border checkpoint during a sandstorm in Erenhot, a city in China's northern Inner Mongolia region. AFP

Teachers clash with police officers during a protest against a new curriculum set by Bolivia's Ministry of Education, in La Paz, Bolivia. Reuters

A woman balances a water can on her head while carrying a child as people collect water from a tanker on World Water Day in New Delhi, India. AP

An SUV piled into the ground in front of the Brandenburg Gate during a 'stop crashing the climate' protest by Greenpeace in Berlin, Germany. Reuters

Balloons above the Teotihuacan, on the outskirts of Mexico City, on the day of the spring equinox. Reuters

Birds scavenging at a landfill site outside Istanbul. EPA

Residents watch as Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga and his supporters protest against President William Ruto's government, in Mathare settlement, Nairobi. Reuters

Rush-hour traffic in Hanoi, Vietnam. Bloomberg

Is he flying? No, this young Kurdish man is being thrown into the air by his friends at a rally, part of Nowruz — Kurdish New Year — celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey. EPA

Rapeseed flowers in blossom at Xinghua Qianduo in Taizhou, in China's eastern Jiangsu province. AFP

Opposition supporters call for lower taxes and a reduced cost of living in Nairobi, Kenya. AFP

South Korean sailors at the wreckage of the Cheonan warship, which was sunk by a North Korean torpedo in 2010, killing 46, at a naval base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. EPA

The 'Nit de la Crema', or Fire Night, at the Fallas Festival in Valencia, Spain. EPA

FC Cincinnati forward Brandon Vazquez hits the turf after a tackle against Chicago Fire midfielder Carlos Teran during the first half of a 3-3 MLS Eastern Conference draw at Soldier Field on Saturday. Reuters

A view from Sleman in Yogyakarta, Indonesia of Mount Merapi volcano. AFP

Members of the Irish Dancing and Music Association of America during the annual Saint Patrick's Day parade on 5th Avenue in New York City. Reuters

A Ukrainian soldier takes cover as a building burns after being hit in a Russian air strike in Avdiivka, Ukraine. AP

A police officer pushes supporters of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at New Delhi airport as he leaves in his car. Reuters

A firefighter at a warehouse blaze in Hong Kong's Kowloon district. Reuters

Migrants detained by a Customs and Border Protection agent after crossing into the US from Mexico. Reuters

Football player Harry Souttar at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia. Getty

Muslims perform the sunset prayer to mark the end of the first day of Ramadan, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP

More from The National:

Friday's best photos: From Abu Dhabi plaza in the fog to a waxwork of King Charles

Thursday's best photos: From an exhibition at Madrid's Balloon Museum to a Manhattan sunset

Wednesday's best photos: From a climate protest in Berlin to a Chinese sandstorm

Tuesday's best photos: From Ted Lasso at the White House to Nowruz

Monday's best photos: From blossoming rapeseed fields to a fire night in Spain

Sunday's best photos: From a sun-drenched beach in Brazil to rain-soaked fans in the UK