Swiss freeride snowboarder, base jumper and wingsuit pilot Geraldine Fasnacht prepares to jump out of SolarStratos, a solar powered aircraft prototype, flown by Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan to perform the first ever wingsuit jump from and electrical and solar airplpane, above the alpine resort of Verbier, Switzerland, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Valentin Flauraud / Keystone via AP)
Swiss freeride snowboarder, base jumper and wingsuit pilot Geraldine Fasnacht prepares to jump out of SolarStratos, a solar powered aircraft prototype, flown by Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan to perform the first ever wingsuit jump from and electrical and solar airplpane, above the alpine resort of Verbier, Switzerland, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Valentin Flauraud / Keystone via AP)
A displaced Syrian child plays with her doll inside the damaged building where she is living in Syria's northern city of Raqa. AFP
A displaced Syrian child plays with her doll inside the damaged building where she is living in Syria's northern city of Raqa. AFP
Monks and nuns sit in prayer and contemplation at Deir Mar Moussa Al-Habashi (St Moses the Ethiopian monastery), one of Syria's ancient monasteries near Damascus. The monastery has reopened to visitors after more than a decade of war and isolation. AFP
Monks and nuns sit in prayer and contemplation at Deir Mar Moussa Al-Habashi (St Moses the Ethiopian monastery), one of Syria's ancient monasteries near Damascus. The monastery has reopened to visitors after more than a decade of war and isolation. AFP
A boy cools off in the Shatt Al-Arab waterway, formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, in Iraq's southern city of Basra. AFP
A boy cools off in the Shatt Al-Arab waterway, formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, in Iraq's southern city of Basra. AFP
An aerial view shows Syrians gathering on the shores of the Euphrates River in the northern city of Raqa. AFP
An aerial view shows Syrians gathering on the shores of the Euphrates River in the northern city of Raqa. AFP
A boy jumping from a diving tower on the shore of lake Ammersee in southern Germany as the temperature reached around 30°C. AFP
A boy jumping from a diving tower on the shore of lake Ammersee in southern Germany as the temperature reached around 30°C. AFP
Firefighters battle a wildfire in Pumarejo de Tera near Zamora in northern Spain. Firefighters continue to fight multiple fires in Spain on the last day of an extreme heat wave. AFP
Firefighters battle a wildfire in Pumarejo de Tera near Zamora in northern Spain. Firefighters continue to fight multiple fires in Spain on the last day of an extreme heat wave. AFP
A girl carries her brother as she wades through a flooded road after heavy rains, on the outskirts of Agartala, India. Reuters
A girl carries her brother as she wades through a flooded road after heavy rains, on the outskirts of Agartala, India. Reuters
Festival-goers attend Spanish singer Morad's live show at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona. AFP
Festival-goers attend Spanish singer Morad's live show at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona. AFP
Philadelphia firefighter Lt Sean Williamson, who was killed in an early morning building collapse, is received by his fellow firefighters as police and others stand by. AP
Philadelphia firefighter Lt Sean Williamson, who was killed in an early morning building collapse, is received by his fellow firefighters as police and others stand by. AP
Labourers work at a clay pottery workshop on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. EPA
Labourers work at a clay pottery workshop on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. EPA
People attend a massive boxing class and try to set a new Guinness World Record for people taking a class at the same time for 30 minutes, in Mexico City. Reuters
People attend a massive boxing class and try to set a new Guinness World Record for people taking a class at the same time for 30 minutes, in Mexico City. Reuters

World

Today's best photos: from a freeride snowboarder to a boxing class record attempt

'The National' picks the most striking images from around the world

The National

June 19, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

More from The National:

Saturday's best photos: from a street artist in Paris to a crowded beach in Bournemouth

Friday's best photos: from Kevin Spacey in court to a 'dancing devil'

Thursday's best photos: from an Indonesian security drill to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Wednesday's best photos: from K-pop group BTS to Royal Ascot

Tuesday's best photos: from the Mohammed bin Rashid Library to a waxing gibbous moon

Monday's best photos: from the Milky Way to a giant picnic blanket in Switzerland

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5

Price, base: Dh359,200

Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km

THE SPECS

Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury

Engine:  3.6L V-6

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 310hp

Torque: 367Nm

Price: Dh280,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is  ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

The biog

Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico​

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Updated: June 20, 2022, 5:03 AM`
Photography