On Friday, March 24, devastating storms spawned high, straight-line winds and tornadoes across western Mississippi and Alabama, killing at least 25 people and damaging hundreds of buildings. On Sunday, President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for the state of Mississippi, providing federal assistance to some of the hardest-hit counties. Gathered here are images from the small town of Rolling Fork, which was struck by a huge EF4 tornado, where residents are working to recover what they can. Harvey Cockrell and his wife, Mary Cockrell, look over the house of their neighbors, Lonnie a ..read more

Drought conditions in Spain, heavy snow in California, the Fallas Festival in Spain, a spring equinox welcome at Stonehenge, war-damaged buildings in Ukraine, the start of Ramadan in Indonesia, cherry blossoms in Japan, a sandstorm in Inner Mongolia, protests against pension reform in France, and much more A person washes clothes on the banks of the river Brahmaputra in Guwahati, India, on March 22, 2023. ( Anupam Nath / AP ..read more

Each year, Hindus on the island of Bali observe Nyepi, the Balinese Hindu Day of Silence, which also marks the start of the Balinese New Year. It is a day reserved for self-reflection, where people stay home and are not allowed to use lights, start fires, work, travel or enjoy entertainment. In the days leading up to Nyepi, several rituals take place, meant to banish evil and bestow good fortune in the year ahead. One such tradition is the Ogoh-Ogoh parade, where giant demonic effigies are carried through the streets, then burned in purification ceremonies. Young Balinese men carry an Ogoh-Og ..read more

The International Space Station, orbiting Earth at about 17,150 miles per hour, is currently home to seven crew members. In recent months, the astronauts and cosmonauts of Expedition 67 and 68 have taken some amazing photographs of our lovely planet as they pass overhead, and I wanted to share more of these unique views here. A view of the aurora australis from beyond a section of the International Space Station as it passed just south of Australia on August 18, 2022. ( NASA ..read more

Early cherry blossoms in Tokyo, heavy snowfall in California, drought conditions in southern France, a festival of lights in Croatia, emotional displays at the Academy Awards ceremony, street protests in France, a heavy frost in England, and much more A pilot demonstrates an aircraft powered by 18 electric motors, manufactured by LIFT Aircraft, in front of Osaka Castle in Osaka, Japan on March 14, 2023. ( JIJI Press / AFP / Getty ..read more

The top entries in the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition have been announced, and the contest organizers were once again kind enough to share some of their winning and shortlisted photos below, from their 10 categories: Architecture, Creative, Landscape, Lifestyle, Motion, Natural World & Wildlife, Object, Portraiture, Street Photography, and Travel. Captions have been provided by the photographers. Slam on the Brakes. Winner, Motion. "Barrel racing is a competition where cowgirls ride quickly around barrels; the one that does this in the shortest time wins. Every time a ..read more

Today, the day after “springing forward” an hour for daylight saving time, has been set aside as National Napping Day. The day was first established in 1999 by Boston University Professor William Anthony and his wife Camille, who hope to bring awareness to the health benefits of napping and the importance of sleep. This also coincides with March being designated as National Sleep Awareness Month, and pairs with Friday, March 17, which is World Sleep Day. Gathered below, a handful of images of snoozy people and animals enjoying the benefits of napping in a variety of locations. A reveler rests ..read more

This week marked the passing of one month since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep on February 6, followed by dozens of powerful aftershocks. More than 50,000 deaths have been reported across southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. Rescue and recovery efforts have wound down, and the work of removing rubble and demolishing damaged buildings has begun. The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people were made homeless by the quake, and local groups, charities, and government agencies are working to care for them, setting up tent cities, repurposing passeng ..read more

After two years of limited celebrations due to COVID-19 restrictions, many Holi festivals are back in full swing. This week, Hindus around the world are celebrating Holi, the Festival of Colors—a springtime celebration in which revelers throw brightly colored powders at friends and strangers alike. Celebrants welcome the arrival of spring, commemorate Krishna’s pranks, and allow one another a chance to drop inhibitions and simply play and dance together. Gathered below are images of this year’s Holi festivals from Nepal, India, Pakistan, and El Salvador. Women smeared with colors sing and dan ..read more

A deadly train crash in Greece, the northern lights above Stockholm, donations for quake-affected children in Turkey, an uphill race in Austria, fighting and survival in Ukraine, an airshow in Australia, a traditional sled race in Slovakia, and much more Dancers, wearing white Louboutin boots, perform to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the red sole (semelle rouge) on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week at the Opera Comique in Paris, France, on March 2, 2023. ( Julien De Rosa / AFP / Getty ..read more