Today's best photos: From Potomac fog to Lunar New Year preparations

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

Geese fly past as the Washington Monument rises above fog blanketing the Potomac River on an unseasonably warm day in Washington, U. S. , January 25, 2024. REUTERS / Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A construction worker takes a break during a road building project in Mumbai, India. AP

Children prepare to join a community police force, after an armed group abducted four people in Ayahualtempa, south-west Mexico. Reuters

A fire rages amid hot, dry weather in Cape Town, South Africa. Reuters

A firefighter tackles a blaze in Bogota, Colombia, amid a series of forest fires in the region. AFP

An animal rights activist protests against bullfighting during a papal event at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, in Rome. AFP

A young visitor looks through an anti-tank rocket launcher during a military exhibition in Prayagraj, northern India. AFP

Romain Allemand of France competes in the men’s slopestyle event at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, in Gangwon, South Korea. AFP

Indian workers gather at the Industrial Training Institute in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, seeking employment in Israel. AFP

The new Leverkusen Bridge in Germany. AFP

Palestinians flee Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as the war rages on in the enclave. AFP

Villagers in Huaian, eastern China, dry noodles in a field in preparation for Lunar New Year. AFP

More from The National:

Thursday's best photos: From a Lunar New Year performance to a CUTE exhibition

Wednesday's best photos: From the Doomsday Clock to Trump's New Hampshire win

Tuesday's best photos: From Elon Musk at Auschwitz to Chanel's Haute-Couture show

Monday's best photos: From a penguin hatchling to snow-covered terraces

Sunday's best photos: From soldiers clearing snow to an ice-cream theme park

Saturday's best photos: From a Hindu devotee in India to an icy dip in Russia