Italian restorer Eleonora Pucci cleans Michelangelo's statue of David using a backpack vacuum and synthetic fibre brush at the Galleria dell'Accademia, in Florence on February 19, 2024. Michelangelo's masterpiece received a delicate beauty treatment on Monday, part of routine maintenance on one of the world's most recognisable nudes. Every two months, the marble sculpture of a muscular and steely-eyed David -- completed by a 29-year-old Michelangelo in 1504 -- undergoes the careful cleaning from his home within Florence's Accademia Gallery, where it has resided for over 150 years. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Italian restorer Eleonora Pucci cleans Michelangelo's statue of David using a backpack vacuum and synthetic fibre brush at the Galleria dell'Accademia, in Florence on February 19, 2024. Michelangelo's masterpiece received a delicate beauty treatment on Monday, part of routine maintenance on one of the world's most recognisable nudes. Every two months, the marble sculpture of a muscular and steely-eyed David -- completed by a 29-year-old Michelangelo in 1504 -- undergoes the careful cleaning from his home within Florence's Accademia Gallery, where it has resided for over 150 years. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
A rainbow lights up stormy skies in Robbins, 56km north of Sacramento, California. AFP
A rainbow lights up stormy skies in Robbins, 56km north of Sacramento, California. AFP
Families who have fled from the war in Sudan arrive at a Transit Centre for refugees in Renk, South Sudan. AFP
Families who have fled from the war in Sudan arrive at a Transit Centre for refugees in Renk, South Sudan. AFP
Sri Lankan cricket fans climb trees to watch their team in the second T20 international cricket match against Afghanistan at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. AFP
Sri Lankan cricket fans climb trees to watch their team in the second T20 international cricket match against Afghanistan at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. AFP
Riders crash before the finish line during stage one of the sixth UAE Tour, from Al Dhafra Walk to Liwa. AFP
Riders crash before the finish line during stage one of the sixth UAE Tour, from Al Dhafra Walk to Liwa. AFP
Republic of Korea Air Force's Black Eagles perform a display on the first day of the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre. EPA
Republic of Korea Air Force's Black Eagles perform a display on the first day of the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre. EPA
Polish farmers in tractors block the S17 highway to Warsaw during a national protest in Lublin over Ukrainian imports. Getty Images
Polish farmers in tractors block the S17 highway to Warsaw during a national protest in Lublin over Ukrainian imports. Getty Images
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protest outside London's Royal Courts of Justice during his appeal against extradition to the US to face charges over the publication of intelligence files. AFP
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protest outside London's Royal Courts of Justice during his appeal against extradition to the US to face charges over the publication of intelligence files. AFP
A Palestinian man enters a heavily damaged house following an Israeli strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
A Palestinian man enters a heavily damaged house following an Israeli strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
Tourists enjoy the rare opportunity to wade through water at Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California, normally the driest place in the US. AFP
Tourists enjoy the rare opportunity to wade through water at Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California, normally the driest place in the US. AFP
A climate activist demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Reuters
A climate activist demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Reuters
People photograph the cherry blossoms in Kawazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. AFP
People photograph the cherry blossoms in Kawazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. AFP
A worker walks along the middle of the track during maintenance work on Long Bien bridge in Hanoi, Vietnam. AFP
A worker walks along the middle of the track during maintenance work on Long Bien bridge in Hanoi, Vietnam. AFP
A worker inspects the foundations of a judging tower being built on the coral reef in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, for the Paris Olympic Games surf competition. AP
A worker inspects the foundations of a judging tower being built on the coral reef in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, for the Paris Olympic Games surf competition. AP

World

Today's best photos: From cleaning the statue of David to Olympic preparations in Tahiti

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

The National

February 20, 2024

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More from The National:

Monday's best photos: From tourists in Sri Lanka to a Cat Extravaganza in London

Sunday's best photos: From Bengal tiger cub in Spain to mourners at funeral in Lebanon

Saturday's best photos: From a French Lemon Festival to a Taipei Lantern Festival

Friday's best photos: From Prince Harry sledding to Dune: Part Two premiere

Thursday's best photos: From Biathlon World Championships to the Berlinale Film Festival

Wednesday's best photos: From snow-covered New York to Valentine's Day in Taiwan

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Updated: February 20, 2024, 1:07 PM`
Photography