Weekend

  • Secondary school students wave the Kuwaiti flag as they gather in the grounds of the Fajr al-Sabah School to attend in-person classes in Kuwait City on May 3, 2026. High school students resumed in-person classes after a suspension of more than two months following military strikes launched by the US and Israel against Iran that killed its supreme leader, triggering a war that spread across the Middle East and prompting the Kuwaiti Education Ministry to implement remote learning for students. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP) /
    Secondary school students wave the Kuwaiti flag as they gather in the grounds of the Fajr al-Sabah School to attend in-person classes in Kuwait City on May 3, 2026. High school students resumed in-person classes after a suspension of more than two months following military strikes launched by the US and Israel against Iran that killed its supreme leader, triggering a war that spread across the Middle East and prompting the Kuwaiti Education Ministry to implement remote learning for students. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP) /
  • The 123-year-old Flatiron Building in New York is illuminated at night for the first time, following a restoration costing more than $100 million. AFP
    The 123-year-old Flatiron Building in New York is illuminated at night for the first time, following a restoration costing more than $100 million. AFP
  • Two men watch smoke rising after an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon. Reuters
    Two men watch smoke rising after an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon. Reuters
  • An ambulance boat returns to port after approaching the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is stricken by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, off the port of Praia, Cape Verde. AFP
    An ambulance boat returns to port after approaching the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is stricken by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, off the port of Praia, Cape Verde. AFP
  • The reopening of Khor Al Mamzar Beach in Dubai. Ahmed Ramzan / The National
    The reopening of Khor Al Mamzar Beach in Dubai. Ahmed Ramzan / The National
  • An Israeli soldier holds a cigarette to the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary, in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, in a photo shared online. In April, another soldier was photographed damaging a statue of Jesus in the same village. Reuters
    An Israeli soldier holds a cigarette to the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary, in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, in a photo shared online. In April, another soldier was photographed damaging a statue of Jesus in the same village. Reuters
  • Workers restore a dome of Al Shaab Mosque in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA
    Workers restore a dome of Al Shaab Mosque in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA
  • A dead sperm whale on Melaya beach in Bali, Indonesia. Reuters
    A dead sperm whale on Melaya beach in Bali, Indonesia. Reuters
  • Russian jets over St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow during a rehearsal for a military parade to mark the 81st anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Reuters
    Russian jets over St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow during a rehearsal for a military parade to mark the 81st anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Reuters
  • Restoration work at the Great Ziggurat in the ancient city of Ur, believed to be the birthplace of Abraham, in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province. AFP
    Restoration work at the Great Ziggurat in the ancient city of Ur, believed to be the birthplace of Abraham, in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province. AFP
  • French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Matenadaran museum in Yerevan, Armenia. AFP
    French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Matenadaran museum in Yerevan, Armenia. AFP
  • Firefighters work to extinguish a fire following a deadly blast at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan province, China. Reuters
    Firefighters work to extinguish a fire following a deadly blast at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan province, China. Reuters
  • People attend a concert by Colombian singer Shakira on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. EPA
    People attend a concert by Colombian singer Shakira on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. EPA
  • Activist Thiago Avila, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla detained by Israel, sits at a magistrate's court to attend a detention extension hearing in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Reuters
    Activist Thiago Avila, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla detained by Israel, sits at a magistrate's court to attend a detention extension hearing in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Reuters
  • Actor Glenn Close places her dog's paw in cement during a ceremony at the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles, California. Reuters
    Actor Glenn Close places her dog's paw in cement during a ceremony at the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles, California. Reuters
  • A protester holds a flare in front of a burning police station during the May Day rally in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Reuters
    A protester holds a flare in front of a burning police station during the May Day rally in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Reuters
  • Brides arrive to get married during a mass wedding ceremony in Varanasi. AFP
    Brides arrive to get married during a mass wedding ceremony in Varanasi. AFP
  • A person stands atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on May Day in Washington, DC. Reuters
    A person stands atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on May Day in Washington, DC. Reuters
  • A displaced Palestinian child plays inside a car destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
    A displaced Palestinian child plays inside a car destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
  • A folkloric dance at Gerardo Barrios Central Square in the historic centre of San Salvador, El Salvador. AFP
    A folkloric dance at Gerardo Barrios Central Square in the historic centre of San Salvador, El Salvador. AFP
  • Dancers perform during the opening of the Rose Festival in Kelaat M'Gouna, Morocco. EPA
    Dancers perform during the opening of the Rose Festival in Kelaat M'Gouna, Morocco. EPA
  • Preparations get under way for the Buddha's birthday at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul. EPA
    Preparations get under way for the Buddha's birthday at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul. EPA
  • Participants run past the Israeli barrier during the annual Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem. Reuters
    Participants run past the Israeli barrier during the annual Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem. Reuters
  • Cricket coach Sandeep Dhuri with youngsters at the academy that produced Abu Dhabi-born IPL player Yash Punja. Victor Besa / The National
    Cricket coach Sandeep Dhuri with youngsters at the academy that produced Abu Dhabi-born IPL player Yash Punja. Victor Besa / The National
  • Sand art on Morecambe Beach, England, to celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday. Getty Images
    Sand art on Morecambe Beach, England, to celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday. Getty Images
  • From left, Rihanna, Heidi Klum and A$AP Rocky attend the Met Gala in New York City. Getty Images
    From left, Rihanna, Heidi Klum and A$AP Rocky attend the Met Gala in New York City. Getty Images
  • Fishermen chart a course through the Chibayish marshes, in Iraq's Dhi Qar province. Reuters
    Fishermen chart a course through the Chibayish marshes, in Iraq's Dhi Qar province. Reuters
  • Students celebrate their graduation from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Students celebrate their graduation from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • A robot begins to stand up for a flat position, as part of a demonstration at the Make it in the Emirates event in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A robot begins to stand up for a flat position, as part of a demonstration at the Make it in the Emirates event in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at a polling station in Westminster Chapel, central London, during local elections in England. AFP
    UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at a polling station in Westminster Chapel, central London, during local elections in England. AFP

Pictures of the week: From pupils returning to school in Kuwait to UK PM Keir Starmer voting in London

Striking images from around the world

The National

May 08, 2026

Updated: May 09, 2026, 3:26 AM
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