In partnership with ZUMA photo agency, here is our selection of the top images for this week. From violent clashes rocking the Democratic Republic of the Congo to poignant commemorations as the world marked 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, this week yielded a lot of heavy images — while Chinese and Scottish festivals provided some levity.
Returning to Gaza
Jan 28 – Displaced Palestinians carry their belongings as they walk back to their homes in northern Gaza after Israel’s decision to allow thousands to return. This marks their first time returning since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas.
Auschwitz liberation commemoration
Jan 27 – A Holocaust survivor places a candle at the “Death Wall” as part of the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. Commemorations took place at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, the site of the former Nazi-German concentration and extermination camp in Poland.
Kinshasa riots
Jan 28 – Protesters set tires on fire as they storm embassies in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rioters clashed with authorities over a Rwandan-backed military offensive in the east, which saw M23 rebels take over the city of Goma.
Kumbh Mela stampede aftermath
Jan 29 – People gather on a footbridge after a stampede in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival. At least 30 were killed and many others injured after a barrier collapsed as tens of thousands of devotees rushed to the Triveni Sangam confluence for a holy dip, as part of the 45-day long festival.
Washington, D.C. mid-air collision
Jan 29 – A news crew gathers by the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., at the scene of a midair collision between a passenger airliner and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport. American Airlines Flight 5342, carrying 64 passengers and four crew, collided with a helicopter carrying three soldiers.
Lunar New Year celebrations kick off
Jan 29 – Revellers perform a lion dance in a Beijing park to mark the first day of the Year of the Snake. Celebrations for the Lunar New Year, widely seen as the biggest holiday of the year in Asian countries and their diasporas around the world, will last 15 days.
Jannik Sinner wins Australian Open
Jan 26 – Italian tennis champion Jannik Sinner, 23, claims his second Australian Open title at Melbourne Park. Sinner, currently ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles, beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.
Celebrating Shetland’s Norse heritage
Jan 28 – The Jarl Squad parades through Lerwick, Shetlands, during the Up Helly Aa festival. The annual event, held on the Scottish islands since the 1880s, aims to highlight the islanders’ Norse heritage while marking the end of the Yule season.
