Travel pictures

Chinese people welcome the New Year with fireworks, lanterns and incense.

A snow storm in Istanbul grounds planes, halts traffic, and forces closure of Bosphorus Strait.

A thousand men wearing identical masks or feathered hats throw oranges at the residents of Binche.

Racial pride and the fight against racism in Brazil were the themes of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival.

Fourteen women wearing huge, elaborate costumes battle it out to become carnival queen in Tenerife.

A sandstorm engulfs Israel and Egypt, as high waves batter the coast of Lebanon.

People in China and other Asian countries are preparing to celebrate New Year on February 19.

Carnival revellers in historically accurate Venetian finery using mobile phones and selfie sticks.

New research means we may be able to name former patients of the notorious institution.

Dan Kitwood photographs the traditional sport of falconry in the United Arab Emirates.

A table-topped mountain that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World is attracting tourists.

Hindus celebrate Thaipusam, a religious celebration dedicated to Lord Murugan, the god of war.

Revellers preparing to mark the first full day of the Venice Carnival awoke to a flooded city.

Lone individuals made their way across quiet city streets in the aftermath of 'Snowpocalypse'.

Swans spend winter at a lake that never freezes over, in Russia's Altai region.

Soho, the most vibrant and creative area in London, is in danger of losing its identity.

Yadegar Asisi's circular image 100m wide and 30m high of Dresden after the Allied air raids

Haunting photographs of abandoned places by urban explorer Johnny Joo.

The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory is 325m high, making it taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Snow has fallen in parts of the Middle East as a powerful winter storm swept through the region.

When Randall Park Mall opened in 1976, it was the world's largest shopping centre.

Lucas Jackson captures the eerie beauty of deserted areas of the US Army base at Bagram Airfield.

Every winter, a magical city made of ice glows brightly in China's Heilongjiang province.