The week in pictures

January 30 — Spain’s Rafael Nadal played for five hours and 24 minutes in Melbourne on Sunday, rallying from two sets down to edge out world No 2 Daniil Medvedev, an opponent 10 years younger, to win the Australian Open.

January 30 — Maisie McLaughlin, great granddaughter of Bernard McGuigan who was killed during “Bloody Sunday”, retraces the steps of the original 1972 civil rights march in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

January 31 —  Former president Jacob Zuma, centre, with advocate Dali Mpofu at the Pietermaritzburg high court on Monday. Zuma’s counsel argued that the court’s dismissal of his bid to have Billy Downer removed as the prosecutor in his arms deal trial was further proof of “routine prejudice”. 

January 31 — People reach out for bread in Kabul, Afghanistan. Earlier this month the UN launched a more than $5bn funding appeal for Afghanistan, warning of widespread hunger, a crippled economy and a population in desperate need of assistance.

February 1 — A man rides his bike past a mural that shows people wearing face masks in Kliptown, Soweto, on Tuesday. In its latest easing of rules, SA has scrapped isolation for Covid-19-positive people with no symptoms and schools have returned to normal.

February 1 — Residents inspect an area where a landslide struck near the capital, Quito, Ecuador, after punishing rain. Rescue crews continued searching homes and streets covered by mud this week. At least 24 people died and nearly 50 were injured, mayor Santiago Guarderas said.

February 2 —  ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba marches with union members in the Johannesburg CBD. The group was demanding permanent employment and the insourcing of cleaners and security guards.

February 2 —  A performer dressed in Peking Opera costume — a form of traditional Chinese theatre — takes part in a show to mark the torch relay for the Winter Olympics at Shougang Park, Beijing, on Wednesday. The Games are set to open on Friday. 

February 2 — A fan in the stands before the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal between Burkina Faso and Senegal at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon. Senegal won
3-1.

February 3 — The stock price of Meta Platforms collapsed as much as 26% on Thursday morning in the US, its biggest drop yet. Facebook’s user base faltered last quarter, the first stagnation in the company’s history.

February 3 — A UPS worker delivers packages during a snowstorm in Detroit, Michigan, the US. A large storm crossing the US triggered winter warnings and weather advisories from New Mexico to Maine.

February 3 — A Russian service member rides in a BMP-3 infantry tank during drills held by armed forces at the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov region, Russia, amid tensions over Ukraine.

February 3 — Officials inspect the building destroyed in a counter-terrorism mission by US special forces in Atmeh, Syria. US President Joe Biden said on Thursday Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi died when he detonated explosives in his hideout in Atmeh. About 13 others were said to have been killed, including his family members.

February 3 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hold a joint press conference after their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine. The two leaders discussed the situation surrounding a possible Russian military invasion of Ukraine.