In partnership with ZUMA photo agency, here is our selection of the top images for this week: from Ukrainian soldiers returning home as part of a prisoner swap to the “greening” of the Chicago River on St. Patrick’s Day and grizzly bears ready for Spring to begin.
Gaza destruction
Mar. 18 – A look at the Imam Al-Shafii Mosque in Gaza City, heavily damaged by fresh Israeli strikes. The Israeli government broke a fragile ceasefire by launching large-scale air attacks across Gaza, killing more than 400, according to Palestinian authorities.
Anti-U.S. demonstration in Yemen
Mar. 17 – Tens of thousands of people gathered in a massive rally in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, protesting against renewed U.S. airstrikes in northern Yemen which led to dozens of deaths, according to Yemeni authorities.
Ukrainian soldiers return home
Mar. 19 – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensly has confirmed the return of 175 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including 22 seriously wounded, as part of a one-for-one exchange with Russia. Moscow and Kyiv have started exchanging prisoners of war in the wake of a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rome’s peace march
Mar. 15 – In Rome, thousands take part in a march against the “ReArm Europe” program currently being discussed among European Union members. Participants chanted “No to rearmament in Europe! No to common defense! No to the war economy!”
Green river for St Patrick’s day
Mar. 15 – Chicagoans and tourists gather along the Chicago River — dyed green by the Plumbers Union as an annual tradition to kickoff St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Belgrade’s largest-ever protests
Mar. 14 – Students walked from all over Serbia to Belgrade to demonstrate in support of democracy and the rule of law in the Serbian capital. An independent monitor counted more than 325,000 participants, making this the biggest such protest in the country’s history. The protests erupted in response to the collapse of concrete canopy at a railway station in November last year, which killed 15 and led to months of anti-government protests.
Bears wake from winter slumber
Mar. 18 – A three-year-old grizzly bear at Woodland Park Zoo enjoys the sun after waking from hibernation. Bears worldwide are emerging from their seasonal rest, though climate change is increasingly affecting their sleep cycles. Warmer temperatures and more food availability are causing some bears to wake earlier or skip hibernating entirely.
Kite flying in southwest China
Mar. 19 – Schoolchildren fly kites near Dazhou City, in China’s southwestern Sichuan Province.
