10 most striking pictures from around the world

A selection of powerful news photographs was taken around the world this week.

India's COVID-19 cases rise by 333,533 in last 24 hours - govt

India reported over 300,000 new COVID-19 infections for the fourth straight day even though the caseload over the last 24 hours was slightly lower than a day before, data released by the government on Sunday showed.

New Zealand PM Ardern cancels wedding amid Omicron wave

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has cancelled her wedding after announcing new Covid restrictions. The entire country is set to be placed under the highest level of Covid restrictions after an outbreak of the Omicron variant.

Britain says Russia seeking to replace Ukraine government

The British government on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration, and said former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev is being considered as a potential candidate.

Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions

Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region. It also has refused to rule out the possibility of military deployments to the Caribbean, and President Vladimir Putin has reached out to leaders opposed to the West.

Will Omicron end the pandemic?

The world feared the worst when a worrying new coronavirus variant emerged in late November and ripped through South Africa at a pace not seen before in the pandemic. But two months later, with Omicron dominant across much of the globe, the narrative has shifted for some.

Russia reports record daily COVID-19 cases

Russia on Friday reported a new record number of COVID-19 confirmed in the past 24 hours as the Omicron variant of the virus spread across the country, the government coronavirus task force said.

Germany wants to attract 400,000 skilled workers from abroad each year

Germany's new coalition government wants to attract 400,000 qualified workers from abroad each year to tackle both a demographic imbalance and labour shortages in key sectors that risk undermining the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 17 killed in Ghana blast after vehicle carrying explosives hits motorcycle

At least 17 people were killed in a blast in western Ghana on Thursday after a motorcycle collided with a vehicle carrying explosives, according to officials. "The reports that I'm getting from the bureaus, hospitals, is that [there are] roughly about 17 people that have passed away," Isaac Dasmani, the municipal chief executive for the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly, told local media.

Biden plans more public outreach, less legislating

President Joe Biden launched into his second year in office Thursday with a new focus on making fatigued Americans believe they’re better off under his leadership as he embraces a pared-back agenda before the midterm elections.

Drug-resistant infections killing millions - Study

More than 1.2 million people died worldwide in 2019 from infections caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics, according to the largest study of the issue to date. This is more than the annual death toll from malaria or Aids.

Biden says nation weary from COVID but rising with him in WH

President Joe Biden acknowledged Wednesday that the pandemic has left Americans exhausted and demoralized but insisted at a news conference marking his first year in office that he has “outperformed” expectations in dealing with it.

New York AG says Trump’s company misled banks, tax officials

The New York attorney general’s office late Tuesday told a court its investigators had uncovered evidence that former President Donald Trump’s company used “fraudulent or misleading” asset valuations to get loans and tax benefits.

Tracking Biden’s 1st-year progress delivering on promises

During his first year in office, President Joe Biden took action on a number of his key campaign promises, from rebuilding U.S. alliances globally to distributing vaccines across America and the world.

White House soft-launches COVID-19 test request website

The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially go online.

Tibetans board bullet trains, welcoming first day of Spring Festival travel rush

At 8 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. on Monday, two advanced Fuxing bullet trains running in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region departed from the region's capital city of Lhasa for the cities of Xigaze and Nyingchi, respectively carrying 680 and 219 passengers.

Afghanistan twin quakes kill at least 22 in poorest areas

At least 22 people have been killed so far after back-to-back earthquakes struck the west of Afghanistan on Monday, officials said. According to data from the US Geological Society (USGS), the 4.9 and 5.3 magnitude quakes affected the northwest province of Badghis, where it caused house and building collapse.

Australia has record COVID-19 deaths, hospitals under stress

Australia reported a record high of COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, and its second-largest state declared an emergency in hospitals to cope with surging patient admissions and a staffing shortage due to the coronavirus. The 74 deaths occurred in its three most populous states. New South Wales reported 36, Victoria reported 22 and Queensland 16. The previous daily record was 59 coronavirus-related deaths on Sept. 4, 2020.

Volcanic ash delays aid to Tonga as damage reports emerge

Thick ash on an airport runway was delaying aid deliveries to the Pacific island nation of Tonga, where significant damage was being reported days after a huge undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami.

China's GDP expands 8.1 pct in 2021

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 8.1 percent year on year to 114.37 trillion yuan (about 18 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.