Alan Taylor

As of today, more than 565 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered around the world, at a rate of about 14 million doses a day. Shots are being given at mass-vaccination sites, hospitals, small clinics, and in people’s homes, as governments and organizations work to reach everyone currently eligible. The work has only just begun, though; despite encouraging early numbers, only 4 percent of the global population has received at least one dose so far.

Cherry blossoms in London, lava flowing in Iceland, Nowruz celebrations in Iraq, spring training in Florida, a COVID-19 memorial in Prague, a “rally against hate” in New York, record flooding in Australia, a stuck ship in the Suez Canal, and much more.

Days of extreme rainfall have swamped large areas of Australia, especially in the state of New South Wales. Hundreds of people have been rescued, tens of thousands have been evacuated, and at least two deaths have been reported so far. As the weather system begins to move away, recovery efforts are now starting in some of the dozens of communities that were declared disaster zones. Collected below are images of the widespread damage caused by this once-in-a-generation flooding event.

Eloisa Lopez, a staff photographer with Reuters, recently spent time with researchers who call themselves the “virus hunters,” as they caught and studied bats in the Philippines. They set up wide nets near roosts, then carefully untangle any trapped bats and measure and swab them, before returning them to the wild.

After several weeks of earthquakes, an eruption began about 25 miles from Reykjavik, Iceland, as Fagradalsfjall volcano began spewing lava into a small valley on March 19. Collected below, some early images from the event.

Stunt riding in Iraq, downhill skiing in Switzerland, a giant stuffed penguin in New York, drones over Dublin, a huge sand portrait in England, an unfinished border wall in Texas, green slime in California, a green river in Chicago, and much more.

Last month, Myanmar’s military leaders seized power from elected officials, shortly after an election they viewed unfavorably. In recent weeks, protests against the coup have expanded nationwide, and the police crackdown on demonstrations has escalated. The United Nations estimates that more than 75 people have been killed so far, as security forces fire tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition at demonstrators.

Earlier this morning, Dallas Seavey and his team crossed the finish line near Willow, Alaska, to win the 2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, claiming his fifth title. Seavey is now tied with Rick Swenson, the only other musher to have won five titles. This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, the race took place on a modified 832-mile course called the Gold Trail Loop, staying in the wilderness, avoiding villages, and forgoing the normal ceremonial start in Anchorage.

Rust on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, spring blossoms in China, International Women’s Day demonstrations in Mexico, a memorial for the 2011 earthquake in Japan, a moonrise over New York City, ski jumping in Germany, a sinkhole in Croatia, pet laser therapy in China, and much more.

Ten years ago, on March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern shore—the most powerful earthquake ever recorded to have hit Japan—generating enormous tsunami waves that spread across miles of shoreline, climbing as high as 130 feet. The powerful inundation of seawater tore apart coastal towns and villages, carrying ships inland as thousands of homes were flattened, then washed tons of debris and vehicles back out to sea.

The submissions to this year’s World Nature Photography Awards have been judged, and the winning images and photographers have just been announced. Thomas Vijayan was the Grand Prize winner, with his image of an orangutan climbing a tree. The contest organizers have shared with us some of the winning images, shown below, from their 13 categories. Captions were provided by the photographers and have been lightly edited for clarity.

Earlier this week, the photographer Maria Passer visited some of the ice-covered abandoned buildings of Vorkuta, a dwindling coal-mining city north of the Arctic Circle, in Russia’s Komi Republic. Temperatures in Vorkuta can drop as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit in the coldest winter months.

Moving a home through the streets of San Francisco, ski jumping in Germany, hiking the Great Wall in China, visiting a ski resort in Tehran, opening a “hug room” in Rome, taking a vaccination selfie in Spain, surfing in front of Mount Fuji, walking a snow maze in Manitoba, and much more.

A century ago, Russia was enduring a terrible famine, the Irish Free State was created, U.S. President Warren Harding was inaugurated, the Tulsa race massacre took place in Oklahoma, a new machine called a “dishwasher” was introduced, New York’s Madison Square Garden was home to “the world’s largest indoor swimming pool,” and much more. Please take a moment to look back at some of the events and sights from around the world 100 years ago.

Mount Etna has erupted four times in the past six days, sending lava down its slopes and showering nearby villages with ash. Etna, on the Italian island of Sicily, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. No significant damage or injuries have been reported during this recent outburst, and officials have said they do not think there is immediate danger of escalation, but the views have been spectacular.

Lava flows on Mount Etna, ski championships in Italy, scenes from the Australian Open, ice skating in the Netherlands, an image from New York Fashion Week, freezing conditions in Texas, a monument to cosmonaut Yury Gagarin, snowy scenes in Greece, and much more.

The state of Texas was hit hard, as was much of the central United States, when frigid Arctic air pushed southward and a winter storm blew through. Millions of Texas residents have been without electricity for days amid record-setting cold temperatures and widespread blackouts. The power situation is improving now, but officials warn there may be further rotating power outages as systems come back online.

The judging for the ninth annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest, organized by the Underwater Photography Guide, has wrapped up, and the winning images and photographers have been announced. Gaetano Dario Gargiulo took Best in Show with his image of an octopus in a tide pool. The organizers of the contest have once again shared with us some of the winners and honorable mentions, shown below, from the 12 categories of underwater photography.

The 109th edition of the Australian Open tennis tournament is currently underway in Melbourne—despite a five-day COVID-19 lockdown put in place by the state government. Players from all over the world have been competing in empty arenas in the heat of the Australian summer. This week, matches are progressing into the semifinals, with the final day of the tournament coming on February 21. Collected here are some colorful glimpses of the 2021 Australian Open.

Protests against police violence in Chile, COVID-19 patient care in Portugal, wintry weather in northern Europe, Fashion Week in Kyrgyzstan, scenes from Super Bowl LV, an ice cave in Alaska, Skywhale and Skywhalepapa in Australia, Zoom goats in England, and much more.

Most of the traditional Mardi Gras activities in New Orleans have been canceled this year because of the ongoing pandemic. But locals have spent their time and effort working on safe alternative celebrations to keep the spirit of Carnival alive—including the decoration of hundreds of houses in the style of Mardi Gras floats. The Krewe of House Floats has worked with people across the city and is listing participants on a map.

A special Sunday event: our fifth annual photographic essay celebrating these magnificent birds of prey. These nocturnal hunters hail from Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, and are captured here in photos from recent years. If you have some time today before the big game (or are skipping the event entirely), I invite you to take a look; as always, it was a hoot to put this together.

A visit with Punxsutawney Phil, preparations for the Year of the Ox in China, a funambulist in Italy, a rocket explosion in Texas, a farmers’ protest in India, flooding in France, dogs at play on a frozen lake in Turkey, a crowded beach in Brazil, and much more.

As more vaccines against COVID-19 become available and distribution keeps ramping up, governments and health-care institutions worldwide have set up centers to deliver as many vaccinations as possible. Gymnasiums, sports venues, and existing clinics have been readied, and early candidates are now passing through. Efforts are already under way in some areas to reach vulnerable populations living in remote regions as well.

For a second weekend, tens of thousands of people in cities across Russia protested the jailing of the opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. An outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, Navalny was detained on January 17, after returning from Germany, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. According to the Associated Press, more than 5,100 protesters were arrested yesterday—1,000 more than had been detained the previous week.

Giraffes in the Netherlands, bison in the United Kingdom, a beach day in Australia, flowers for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the arrival of President Biden’s dogs at the White House, tug of war practice in Ireland, scenes from Paris Fashion Week, and much more.

Promising early results from several studies have encouraged researchers around the world to develop and expand canine programs that may screen people for COVID-19 infection at places like airports, hospitals, or sports venues. While these early experiments appear to demonstrate high levels of accuracy by the sniffer dogs, researchers also caution that peer-review processes and larger-scale studies are still needed.

On January 3, a group of more than 300 competitors departed from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to begin the 43rd annual Dakar Rally: a 14-day, 4,751-mile off-roading adventure held entirely in Saudi Arabia once again. The race used to be held in Africa, until 2008, when unrest in Mauritania forced organizers to move to South America, where it was hosted until last year.

Fashion Week in Berlin, the departure of former President Donald Trump, the swearing-in of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, COVID-19 burials in Turkey and Mexico, an earthquake in Indonesia, bull-taming in India, a snow-covered Great Wall in China, National Guard soldiers in the U.S. Capitol, diploma artwork in New York City, and much more.

As the final day of the Trump presidency passes, rehearsals and preparations are underway for the upcoming inaugural ceremony of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President–elect Kamala Harris, set to take place on January 20. Amid unprecedented security concerns and an ongoing pandemic, the visual landscape of Washington is different from any previous inaugural ceremony.