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

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.

The International Space Station, orbiting the 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.

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

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.

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.

Speed skating in the Netherlands, a teddy bear clinic in Belgium, a newly-found sphinx statue in Egypt, an International Women’s Day march in Chile, carpet weaving in Afghanistan, Holi celebrations in India, skijoring in Colorado, a “cats who look like cows” competition in Thailand, and much 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 passenger-train cars, and opening up mosques and hotels. Gathered below are images from across the quake-hit region over recent weeks.

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 where revelers throw bright colored powders at friends and strangers alike. Celebrants are welcoming the arrival of spring, commemorating Krishna's pranks, and allowing each other a chance to drop inhibitions and simply play and dance together. Gathered below are images of this year's Holi festival from Nepal, India, Pakistan, and El Salvador.

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

The entries in this year’s World Nature Photography Awards have been judged, and the winning images and photographers have just been announced. Jens Cullmann was awarded the grand prize for his image of a crocodile lurking in the mud in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Competition organizers have once again shared some of the winning images, shown below, from their 14 categories. Captions were provided by the photographers and have been lightly edited for clarity.

February 27 has been set aside as International Polar Bear Day, first organized by the group Polar Bears International in 2011. The day was established to help spread awareness of the impact of global warming on the bears and their changing habitat, and international conservation efforts. Organizers hope to encourage people to take steps in their own lives to reduce their carbon footprints. Below, I’ve collected a few images of these magnificent white bears in their natural habitat.