Week in pictures: 18 - 24 February 2023

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A selection of powerful news photographs taken around the world this week.

Image source, Daniel Leal / AFP

A woman dries her tears during the ecumenical prayer service at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London on 24 February, one year after Ukraine was invaded by Russian troops. The conflict has become the worst in Europe since World War Two.

Image source, Thilo Schmuelgen / Reuters

A float depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin taking a bath of blood is seen at the Rosenmontag - or Rose Monday - carnival parade in Duesseldorf, Germany. The UN passed a resolution on 23 February, condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Image source, Mohd Rasfan / AFP

A member of the Kuala Lumpur Freefly group watches his parrots during a free-flight session in Bangi, Malaysia.

Image source, Massimo Pinca / Reuters

A reveller is hit by an orange as she participates in the annual Battle of the Oranges in the northern Italian city of Ivrea. The event dates back to medieval times, and is said to commemorate the day the townsfolk were liberated from the harsh rule of an evil duke.

Image source, Temilade Adelaja / Reuters

Workers offload yam tuber vegetables from a truck at an open market in Awka, Anambra state, ahead of Nigeria's Presidential election. The country's outgoing President - Muhammadu Buhari - is stepping down after nearly eight years in power, amid widespread unrest.

Image source, Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP

A man attaches red balloons to the debris of a collapsed building in Antakya, southern Turkey, following two earthquakes and a series of aftershocks which struck Turkey and Syria, killing more than 44,000 people. The balloons are "the last toys" of children who died during the earthquakes, the man explained to the Agence France-Presse news agency.

Image source, Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters

A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, reads a holy book at Pashupatinath Temple during the Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. The festival is celebrated during the night and day which come just before the new moon and is dedicated to Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity.

Image source, Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

A woman attaches flowers to a footbridge over the River Wyre, in tribute to Nicola Bulley, in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire, England. The body of Ms Bulley, who had been missing for three weeks, was found in the River Wyre, one mile from where she was last seen.

Image source, Peter Nicholls / Reuters

Angela Bassett holds her clutch bag at the 2023 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Ms Bassett was nominated in the supporting actress category for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Image source, Lucas Landau / Reuters

Hundreds of costumed dogs took part in the Blocao, or dog parade, during carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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