The best photos of the week: from a donkey festival to tiger dancers

Striking pictures from around the world

The start of the annual donkey festival in Salcedo, Ecuador. AP

Firefighters and emergency personnel during the firefighter stair climb in Melbourne, Australia. Firefighters and emergency personnel climb 28 flights of stairs wearing 25 kilograms of gear to raise money for mental health. EPA

Students protest for better education conditions in Santiago, Chile. EPA

Tributes to Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace in London. AFP

People sit before the east river and the 'Tribute in Light' installation in New York commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attacks. AFP

Local favourite Matthias Appenzeller prepares to dive from the 27-metre platform at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Sisikon, Switzerland. Getty Images

Los Diablos Rojos, the red devils, perform at Chile's national stadium in Santiago, marking the 49th anniversary of the coup that ushered in Augusto Pinochet's regime. Reuters

Firefighters at a thermal power plant damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Kolkata police officers charge as Bharatiya Janata Party activists protest against an education recruitment corruption issue in Kolkata, India. EPA

Buddhist monks on their way to lunch during the Pchum Ben Festival (Festival of Death) at a pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. AFP

Selfie time in a sunflower field near the Syrian town of Maarat Misrin. AFP

Denver Broncos' running back Melvin Gordon III, upper left, fumbles the ball as Broncos' offensive tackle Cameron Fleming (73) loses his helmet during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks. AP

Kenyan security forces intervene during a stampede at the entrance of the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, Nairobi, before William Ruto's inauguration ceremony. AFP

Lizzo and other cast members celebrate as she accepts the award for Outstanding Competition Programme for 'Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls', at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Reuters

Craters left by shelling near Izium, Ukraine, where Ukrainian troops are pressuring retreating Russian forces. AP

Vessels moored at a fishing port as Typhoon Muifa approaches Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China. Reuters

This picture taken at Glacier 3000 resort above Les Diablerets shows the Tsanfleuron pass free of the ice that had covered it for at least 2,000 years next to blankets covering snow from the last winter season to prevent it from melting. After a dry winter, the summer heatwaves in Europe have been catastrophic for the Alpine glaciers, which are melting at an accelerated rate. AFP

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, centre, delivers a speech during a debate on The State of the European Union at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. EPA

Guests record the Boohoo by Kourtney Kardashian show during New York Fashion Week in New York city. AFP

New Zealand's Brodie Retallick wins a lineout against Australia during the Bledisloe Cup rugby test in Melbourne, Australia. AP

A Ukrainian soldier in Izium, Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Ukrainian troops piled pressure on retreating Russian forces on Tuesday, pressing deeper into occupied territory and sending more Kremlin troops fleeing from the counteroffensive that has inflicted a serious blow to Moscow's military prestige. AP

A looter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, flees during protests over rising fuel prices and crime as inflation surged to its highest level in a decade. Reuters

Flood victims gather to collect after rains and floods during the monsoon season in Sehwan, Pakistan. Reuters

Pope Francis waves after a meeting with priests, religious leaders, seminarians and catechists at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. AP

Women in charro costumes adorned with silver studs show off their lasso skills as their horses dance to a mariachi band, in Jalisco, Mexico. EPA

Members of the public pay their respects as they pass the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it lies in state in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London. AFP

Mouride Brotherhood members wait to enter the Grand Mosque during the Grand Magal of Touba annual pilgrimage in Senegal. AFP

Members of the Korean Financial Industry Union at a rally during a general strike in Seoul, South Korea. The protesters were demanding a salary increase and better working conditions. EPA

A parade for the 201st anniversary of independence in the main streets of Montes de Oca, Costa Rica. The parade was the first for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. EPA

Tiger dancers wait to perform on the last day of Onam celebrations in Kochi, India. AFP

More from The National:

Friday's best photos: from sunset over Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to tiger dancers

Thursday's best photos: from an immersive Monet experience to the Bledisloe Cup

Wednesday's best photos: from a Kardashian fashion show to calm before the storm

Tuesday's best photos: from Lizzo's Emmy win to a Berlin ballet tour

Monday's best photos: from Burj Khalifa Queen tribute to Red Bull cliff diving

Sunday's best photos: from donkey racing to New York Fashion Week

Saturday's best photos: from Indra Jatra to an ancient martial art in Sri Lanka