24 hours in pictures, 18 August 2026

Zambian police stands by as supporters of Zambian President elect Hakainde Hichilema celebrate his victory in the street after the announcement of the Electoral Commission of Zambia in Lusaka, on August 18, 2026. Reelected on August 18 for a second term at the head of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema never misses a chance to recall his barefoot cowherd childhood in response to critics who portray him as a tycoon out of touch with reality and increasingly fond of hardline methods. The 64-year-old businessman, credited with restructuring the country’s debt and making schooling free, this time won the August 13 election with around 60% of the vote, defeating Brian Mundubile, a former minister in Lungu’s government (nearly 38%), who was only able to mount a last-minute campaign. (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP)

The Arts of War equestrian statues, newly covered in gold leaf, are seen at Arlington Memorial Bridge near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 17, 2026. The Trump administration has ordered a $5.1 million restoration project to regild the two Arts of War statues, along with the nearby Arts of Peace companion statues. The four statues are being restored under a project overseen by the U.S. Department of the Interior. (Photo by Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A “memorial of gratitude” dedicated to Syriac priest Gabriel Akyuz is displayed in the courtyard of the 1,500-year-old Kirklar Church in Mardin, Türkiye, on August 18, 2026. Curator and designer Ozcan Gecer created the memorial by engraving the covers of 17 books written by Akyuz on Syriac history and culture onto metal. (Photo by Halil Ibrahim Sincar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Sheep farmers gather at Lairg auction for the sale of hill ewes and wedder lambs on August 18, 2026 in Lairg, Scotland. Renowned as one of the biggest one-day sales of hill sheep in Europe, the annual lamb sale returns to Sutherland’s Lairg market, where as many as 20,000 sheep from the northern Highlands have sold at auction in previous years. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Protesters push as they clash with police officers during a rally to protest government policies, one day after Indonesiaâs Independence Day celebration, in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 18, 2026, under the theme “81 Years, Free for Whom?”. The protesters say Indonesians still face a lack of freedom in the economic and political spheres, while criticizing the concentration of power under President Prabowoâs administration. They are calling for an end to corruption, lower prices for basic necessities and fuel, expanded military roles in civilian affairs, and an end to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and Village Cooperatives (KDMP) programs. (Photo by Agoes Rudianto/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Public protector Kholeka Gcaleka briefs the media on the ongoing systemic investigation into alleged maladministration at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) at at Public Protector House on August 18, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. The briefing gave an update on systemic probes into governance, historic financial allocations, and operational delays affecting student allowances. (Photo by Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu)

A female driver poses at the driver’s seat of a pink bus as Pink Bus Service launched to provide safer and more comfortable public transportation for women at the BRTC Dhaka Truck Depot in Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 18, 2026. The service will be operated by women drivers and conductors. Initially, 10 buses will operate on major routes in Dhaka, while two buses each will run in Chattogram and Bogura, bringing the total to 14 buses across the three cities. (Photo by Abdul Goni/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Peter Lakai of New Zealand talks to the media during the New Zealand men’s national rugby team training session at St Stithians College on August 18, 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)

A view shows the sun setting over the Zakho district of Duhok as a reddish glow fills the sky in Zakho, Iraq, on August 17, 2026. (Photo by Rawan Subhi Obaiullah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

German police officers secure the cordoned-off perimeter around Erlenhofstrasse during an ongoing armed operation in the Niehl district of Cologne, Germany, on August 18, 2026. Following reports that a man fired gunshots into the air from an attic apartment, numerous police units were dispatched to the scene, shutting down Erlenhofstrasse and surrounding connecting roads to vehicular and pedestrian traffic while urging the public to avoid the area. (Photo by Kadir Ilboga/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A lion (Panthera leo) is pictured in its enclosure at the Berlin Zoo on August 18, 2026. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

Workers are viewed using rudimentary tools to remove parts and roofs of buildings heavily damaged in Israeli attacks and at risk of collapse at the Bureij Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip, Palestine on August 18, 2026. The removal work is being carried out by the Ministry of Public Works and Bureij Municipality in cooperation with the Qatar Committee. Amid shortages of necessary equipment due to the blockade and war, the efforts aim to reduce the danger posed by damaged structures and ensure the safety of residents. (Photo by Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A pocket chronometer – known as ‘K’, which was used on the Second Beagle Voyage is displayed with a map of the Galapagos Islands at The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre on August 18, 2026 in London, England. Only two surviving pocket chronometers are known from the historic HMS Beagle expedition undertaken by Charles Darwin. This one, known as ‘K’, was used on the Second Beagle Voyage (1831-1836), the expedition during which Charles Darwin carried out research leading to his theory of evolution. The chronometer, along with other artifacts, will go on display at the National Maritime Museum in October. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A motorcyclist dressed in the colours of Cameroon sit and wait on his motorbike for their national women’s team’s arrival at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport in Yaounde, August 17, 2026. Cameroon were crowned champions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after defeating Malawi 3-0 in the final on August 16 in Morocco. (Photo by Daniel BELOUMOU OLOMO / AFP)

People are evacuated on a vehicle by volunteers from a flooded residential area, in Cainta, Rizal, Philippines, on August 18, 2026. Monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding across Metro Manila and its neighboring cities and regions, with the presidential palace placing a school suspension order for the capital region of Manila and 14 other provinces, including those in Central Luzon. (Photo by Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Sardines washed up at Milnerton beach on August 17, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. It is reported that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has confirmed that sardines washing up along parts of the West Coast have tested positive for pilchard herpesvirus, or PHV, alongside environmental stressors, though investigation remain ongoing. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)

A firefighter carries a hose during operations against wildfire at the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve near Sourbrodt, eastern Belgium, on August 18, 2026. (Photo by BRUNO FAHY / Belga / AFP)