The Guardian's picture editors have selected a series of striking images from around the world for Thursday, showcasing a Byzantine gold discovery, a UK prime minister visiting a pub, and devastating wildfires in France.
Byzantine Shipwreck Yields Gold in Croatia
An underwater archaeologist works at a Byzantine shipwreck near Polače on the island of Mljet, Croatia. Igor Miholjek, head of research at the Croatian Conservation Institute's department of underwater archaeology, displays gold found at the site, highlighting the historical significance of the find.
PM Andy Burnham Visits Essex Pub
In Harlow, UK, Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey visited the Hare pub to underscore government efforts to support the hospitality industry. The visit underscores the administration's focus on aiding businesses post-pandemic.
Wildfires Ravage France
In Lacanau, France, boats are moored as a wildfire burns in a forested area in the Gironde after a heatwave and water shortages across much of France. Firefighters attempt to extinguish forest fires using a wildland water truck in Le Porge, Gironde. A virulent wildfire has swept through more than 2,000 hectares since 22 July near the Arcachon Basin, leading to the evacuation of nearly 12,000 residents and tourists.
Ukraine: Anti-Drone Nets and Drone Strike Aftermath
In Izium, Ukraine, a car drives along a road covered with anti-drone nets, with the Holy Ascension Cathedral in the background in the eastern Kharkiv region. In Sumy, a firefighter works at the site of a petrol station hit by a Russian drone strike, illustrating the ongoing conflict's impact on civilian infrastructure.
Environmental and Wildlife Stories
In Arua, Uganda, Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers and veterinarians restrain a sedated Nubian giraffe during its translocation from Murchison Falls National Park to Ajai Wildlife Reserve. In Istanbul, Turkey, a gull mistakes floating polystyrene for food during a monitoring study by the Marine Life Conservation Society around the Princes’ Islands, highlighting the growing impact of plastic pollution and marine debris on coastal wildlife. In Malang, Indonesia, olive ridley turtle hatchlings swim out to sea upon release, having completed a three-month quarantine at Bajulmati Sea turtle conservation in East Java. The greatest threats to wild sea turtles are poaching for their shells and eggs, high levels of plastic waste in the oceans and coastal development.
Protests and Natural Disasters
In Tirana, Albania, people are sprayed with water from water cannons during a demonstration against the government, following weeks of protests against a planned luxury resort backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, on an environmentally sensitive part of the Adriatic coast. In Sivasagar, India, Indian women walk through flooded streets in Assam state. Continuous heavy rainfall over the past few days has caused severe flooding, leaving thousands of people affected and disrupting normal life.
Cultural and Religious Events
In Jerusalem, Orthodox Jews pray to mark Tisha B’av at the Western Wall in the Old City. Tisha B’Av is an annual fasting day marking the destruction of the first and second temples by the Babylonian and Roman Empires. During Tisha B’av, ultra-Orthodox Jews stay up all night and sleep at the Western Wall as they recite lamentations. In Floriana, Malta, spectators enjoy the atmosphere at the Isle of MTV Malta 2026 summer festival. In Woking, UK, artist Philip Colbert presents artworks from his first UK museum exhibition, The Lost Gardens of Lobsteropolis, at the Lightbox Gallery in Surrey.
Heat and Leisure
In Tokyo, Japan, people rest in a park on a hot day. In Nanjing, China, tourists visit Xuanwu Lake Park in Jiangsu Province to view blooming lotus flowers. In Chongqing, China, a keeper feeds a hippopotamus with watermelon at Chongqing zoo, which has taken various measures to keep animals cool during summer heat. In Seoul, South Korea, apartment complexes are shrouded in rain clouds.
Middle East Tensions
In Kfar Tebnit, Lebanon, smoke rises from the site of an explosion carried out by the Israeli military. The Israeli bombardment of Lebanon has caused widespread destruction, mainly in the south, though violence has declined since the signing of a US-Iran memorandum last month and the Lebanon-Israel framework deal.
