Week in pictures: 8-14 August 2020
- Published
A selection of powerful news photographs taken around the world this week.
Police arrest a demonstrator on the 75th day of protests against racial injustice and police brutality, in Portland, Oregon, US. The protests follow the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May.
Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai leaves Mong Kok police station after being released on bail. Mr Lai and nine other activists were detained over allegations including collusion with foreign forces, under a national security law imposed by China in June.
A volunteer stands in leaked oil from the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio, at Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius. The ship, believed to have been carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil, ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July.
Villagers watch the eruption of Mount Sinabung from Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on 13 August. A string of blasts have sent plumes of ash into the sky, triggering a flight warning, and fears of possible lava flows.
Karina Sukkar, a Lebanese architect and designer, stands on the balcony of her damaged apartment overlooking the ravaged port of Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate - stored for years in a warehouse - has been blamed for the deadly explosion that ripped through the city's port area on 4 August, killing more than 200 people.
Military personnel disinfect the area surrounding the statue of Christ the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The popular tourist attraction is due to reopen to visitors on 15 August, following its closure during the coronavirus pandemic.
Students practise social distancing as they receive their A-Level results at a school in Norwich, Norfolk, UK. After exams were cancelled due to the pandemic, grades were awarded using a modelling system.
A combination of multiple long-exposure photographs shows satellites and meteors crossing a starry sky over a chapel near the town of Herrnleis, Austria. The Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August each year, when the Earth passes through the debris and dust of the Swift-Tuttle comet.
People on the steps near Granary Square, central London, during unusually hot weather in the UK. Thunderstorms have moved across parts of the country, after some areas saw the longest stretch of high temperatures since the 1960s.
Sammy the Seal hitches a ride on a paddle board in Weymouth, Dorset, UK. The seal, which volunteers check on regularly, is known to approach people on the beach and catch the occasional ride at sea.
All photographs belong to the copyright holders as marked.