Pictures of the week: From novice monks to slam dunks

Striking pictures from around the world

Novice monks react after getting their heads shaved during an event to celebrate the upcoming Vesak Day, birthday of Buddha, at Jogye temple in Seoul, South Korea, May 9, 2023. Nine children began on Tuesday experiencing Buddhist priests' lives as novice monks for three weeks at the temple. REUTERS / Kim Hong-Ji TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Smoke from wildfire EWF031 near Lodgepole, Alberta, Canada, on Thursday. Reuters

Members of Myanmar's vovinam martial arts team warm up before competing in the 32nd South-East Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Saturday. AFP

Tourists on the Golden Bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam. Bloomberg

Explosive charges demolish the Rahmede valley bridge along the A45 motorway near Luedenscheid, Germany. Getty Images

US-Venezuelan Jockey Javier Castellano on Mage during the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville. AFP

A dog during a dock-diving competition at the Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in New York. AFP

Athletes during the swim leg of Ironman 70.3 Venice-Jesolo in north-east Italy. Getty Images

A firefighter at a storage depot in Odesa damaged by a Russian missile strike. Reuters

A 35-wagon cargo train carrying iron pellets that derailed near Hajduhadhaz, eastern Hungary. AP

A football match on Blackpool beach, in northern England, UK. Reuters

A lizard wears clothing and a headset at Pet Expo Thailand in Bangkok. Getty

People gather as a boat is recovered in Tanur, Kerala, that capsized in an accident that killed at least 22 people. AFP

A red flag is carried at the Soviet Second World War memorial in Treptow Park, Berlin. The unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany on all fronts took place on May 9, 1945. EPA

Thailand's Patsapong Amsam-ang waits during a break caused by heavy rain in the men's pole vault final at the 32nd South-East Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. AFP

Russian servicemen during the Victory Day military parade in Red Square, Moscow. AFP

Ultra-Orthodox women watch from behind a curtain as men gather round a bonfire in the Mea Shearim neighbourhood during the holy day of Lag Ba'Omer in Jerusalem. EPA

The Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge arrives at Falmouth, Cornwall. The 222-bedroom, three-storey vessel, will house about 500 migrants when it is in position in Portland Port. PA

A protest against high-street banks in Beirut. AP

Dog owners watch the 147th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at the National Tennis Centre in New York. Reuters

Migrants, mostly from Venezuela, on top of train carriages in Huehuetoca, Mexico on their way to the US border. Reuters

Congressman George Santos leaves Central Islip Federal Courthouse in New York. Reuters

A young migrant swims across the Rio Grande river to the US from Matamoros, Mexico. AP

An exhibit at Dubai Crocodile Park in Mushrif Park showing, after 45 days in the egg, how a baby crocodile's scales and pigmentation begin to appear. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Participants perform a dragon dance and fire breathing to celebrate the Tin Hau festival in Hong Kong. Reuters

Migrants wait to be picked up by customs officers near El Paso, Texas. The US is preparing to lift restrictions that have stopped migrants at the US-Mexico border from seeking asylum. Reuters

The Luxor obelisk at sunset in Paris. AFP

Member of France's BMX team Mateo Colsenet at the BMX Stadium in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, near Paris. AFP

Racehorses, including White Martin, during a beach session at Alton Beach in Melbourne. White Martin is favourite for the Lexus Andrew Ramsden race on Saturday. Getty Images

Metropolitan 92 forward Victor Wembanyama shoots during the French Elite basketball match between Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 and Bourg-en-Bresse in Paris. AFP

More from The National

Friday's best photos: from horses at sunset to a Louisiana Pine snake

Thursday's best photos: from Eurovision to Disney

Wednesday's best photos: from a sunset in Kansas to a dog show in New York

Tuesday's best photos: from Lebanon protests to air strikes in Gaza

Monday's best photos: from Victor Wembanyama to Ironman athletes in Italy

Sunday's best photos: from a flying dog in New York to a bridge demolition in Germany