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A woman takes a photo of an exhibit at Art Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National -

A child plays on the beach in Bandar Abbas, Iran, as vessels start to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters -

Nasa's SpaceX CRS-34 mission lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 15. EPA -
A Muslim man visits Mount Al Noor before the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah. Reuters -

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, centre, is challenged by Freiburg's Philipp Lienhart, right, and Matthias Ginter in the Europa League final in Istanbul. AFP -

Palestinian-Armenian artist Kegham Dhegalian Junior at the Photo Kegham of Gaza: Unboxing exhibition, dedicated to the work of his grandfather, Kegham Dhegalian Senior, at the Marseille Photo Centre in France. AFP -

A protest in Caracas, Venezuela, to demand urgent protection for prisoners. AFP -

French-Lebanese musician Ibrahim Maalouf performs during a concert in support of Lebanon at the Arab World Institute in Paris. AFP -

A giant smoke cloud forms as the Sandy Fire burns in Simi Valley, California. EPA -
Britain's King Charles meets performers in Belfast, which will host the Irish music and dance festival Fleadh Cheoil in August. Reuters -
Bolivian tankers wait at a fuel logistics centre in San Antonio, Paraguay, for conditions to stabilise in Bolivia, where protesters are demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz. Reuters -

Mourners embrace at a vigil for victims of a shooting at a mosque in San Diego, California. Three people were killed and two teenage suspected gunmen died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said. AFP -

Palestinian children look at a mural depicting Israel's interception of ships participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla in Nuseirat, central Gaza. AFP -

A stranded worker sits on a bridge overlooking the almost-empty Thika Superhighway in Nairobi, Kenya, on the second day of a nationwide transport strike over rising fuel prices. AFP -

Rider Alex Marquez crashes in the Catalan MotoGP in Montmelo, near Barcelona. AFP -
American actor Colman Domingo attends the 2026 Kering Women In Motion Awards and Cannes Film Festival Presidential Dinner. Reuters -

Villagers catch fish during a festival at Panzath Nag, a spring near Qazigund in Indian-administered Kashmir. EPA -

The Lost Screen Memorial, which focuses on digital risks to children, is shown at the European headquarters of the UN, in Geneva, Switzerland. EPA -

A mobility scooter is among the damaged items that litter the southern Lebanese village of Deir Qanoun Al Nahr after an Israeli attack. AFP -

A yellow-headed caracara, left, approaches a blue-and-yellow macaw in Caracas, Venezuela. EPA -

Humanoid robots dressed as Buddhist monks participate in a parade at the Buddha Era 2570 Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul, South Korea. EPA -
A girl carrying a lantern takes part in a lotus lantern parade ahead of Vesak Day, the birthday of Buddha, in Seoul, South Korea. Reuters -

Australian singer Delta Goodrem, representing Australia with the song 'Eclipse', performs during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria. AFP -

Members of the Saudi security forces take part in a military parade ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. AFP -

Protesters who hung a huge Palestinian flag from a building facing the Israeli embassy light flares during a protest over the interception of the Gaza aid flotilla in Athens. Reuters -

A Etihad Rail passenger train arrives in the mountain village of Al Bitnah, Fujairah. Antonie Robertson / The National -

Visitors at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi in Saadiyat Cultural District on International Museum Day. Victor Besa / The National -

Fog above the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. AFP -

A Dubai abattoir during Eid Al Adha. Chris Whiteoak / The National -

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo and team members celebrate winning the Saudi Pro League. Reuters
Pictures of the week: From Art Dubai to humanoids dressed as Buddhist monks
Striking images from around the world
The National
May 22, 2026
Updated: May 22, 2026, 6:02 PM
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