This week in pictures: Valentine and quarantine, storms in Europe, Lebanon clashes

Flower shop owner Iris Leung wears her protective face mask as she delivers flowers with masks to customers on Valentine's Day in Hong Kong, Friday, Feb. 14, 2020.
Flower shop owner Iris Leung wears her protective face mask as she delivers flowers with masks to customers on Valentine's Day in Hong Kong, Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. Copyright Vincent Yu/AP Photo
By Natalia Liubchenkova
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button

This week's biggest stories in a selection of images

ADVERTISEMENT

Intense images of clashes between police and protesters in Lebanon, severe weather causing travel chaos in Europe and the ordeal of quarantined cruise ship passengers are among the events in our selection of the best pictures from this week's news.

Lebanon anti-government resistance

Lebanon's new government has won a vote of confidence in parliament based in part on its plan to tackle the country's crippling economic and financial crisis. It came as security forces used tear gas to try and disperse thousands of protesters near the parliament building Beirut earlier on Tuesday.

Hussein Malla/AP Photos
Tear gas canisters that fired by riot police, blowing over anti-government protesters during a protest, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon.Hussein Malla/AP PhotosHussein Malla
Hussein Malla/AP Photo
A protester shouts slogans in front of army soldiers during a protest against a parliament session vote of confidence for the new government in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces near the parliament building in central Beirut.Hussein Malla/AP PhotoHussein Malla

Europe's weather troubles

Trains, planes and ferries were cancelled and weather warnings issued across northern Europe as storm 'Ciara' hit the region, causing floods, particularly in Britain and northern France.

Oli Scarff / AFP
Submerged cars and floating wheelie bins are pictured in a flooded street in Mytholmroyd, northern England.Oli Scarff / AFP

Syrian displaced struggle

As fighting continues in the last rebel-held stronghold in northwest Syria, many civilians have been forced to flee and face a harsh life in makeshift camps covered in snow. More than 140,000 Syrians have been displaced in the last three days alone by continued violence in the country's northwest. The total number of the displaced by the ongoing offensive reached over 800,000.

Ibrahim YASOUF / AFP
Members of a Syrian family are fleeing the attacks by pro-regime forces, drive past a burning shop in the town of Abin Semaan in the countryside west of the northern city of Aleppo.Ibrahim YASOUF / AFP

Anti-Trump protests in the West Bank

Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in the West Bank on Tuesday. It followed a demonstration against U.S President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan.

Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo
Israeli forces clash with Palestinians during a protest against President Donald Trump's Mideast initiative in the West Bank city of Ramallah.Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo

Valentine vs Quarantine

The COVID-19 coronavirus has had an impact on some popular Valentine's Day merchandise.

Vincent Yu/AP Photo
Flower shop owner Iris Leung wears her protective face mask as she delivers flowers with masks to customers on Valentine's Day in Hong Kong.Vincent Yu/AP PhotoVincent Yu

Libyan migration

90 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast by a Spanish NGO Maydayterraneo.

Pablo Garcia/ AFP
Members of the Spanish NGO Maydayterraneo prepare to sail back to the Aita Mari rescue boat after rescuing about 90 migrants in the Mediterranean open sea off the Libyan coast.Pablo Garcia/ AFP

Diamond Princess coronavirus ordeal

Eleven passengers were allowed off the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess on Friday, according to Japan's Health Ministry, in an effort to prioritize passengers who may be at high risk from the virus. Over 200 passengers of the ship tested positive for COVID-19 so far.

Charly Triballeau / AFP
Relatives of passengers wave towards the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, as the ship departs from Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama.Charly Triballeau / AFP

Brazil floods

A torrential downpour flooded Sao Paulo in Brazil, causing its main river to overflow its banks.

Andre Penner/AP Photo
A metropolitan train is stuck at a flooded rail track running along the Pinheiros river in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Andre Penner/AP PhotoAndre Penner

Friday climate protests

'The Earth is my Valentine': schoolchildren protested against climate change on Friday at Parliament Square in London.

Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo
School kids gather at Parliament Square holding placards and flags, as they protest against Climate change, in London, the UK.Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo
Share this articleComments

You might also like

Lebanon government wins confidence vote as protests rage in Beirut

Coronavirus outbreak in pictures: deserted streets, pharmacy queues and temperature checks

Which are some of the best photographs taken in 2022?