Last week was an eventful one. Even as people across the country continued to line-up outside banks and ATMs, a triple ton by 25 year old Karun Nair lifted the spirits of the cricket loving nation, and finally gave people something to cheer about. From the shocking shooting of the Russian ambassador to Turkey to the hopeful story of a 7-year-old Syrian girl fleeing Aleppo with Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan’s help, here’s a photo-roundup of some of the most significant stories this week:
1. England’s captain Alastair Cook greets India’s Karun Nair after scoring a triple-century (300 runs) during the fourth day of the fifth and final Test cricket match between India and England at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on December 19, 2016. Nair scored a record 303* becoming only the second Indian batsman after Virender Sehwag to achieve the feat.
2. Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was assassinated by a lone assailant shouting anti-Russian slogans at an art gallery in Ankara. The photograph, captured by Associated Press photographer Burhan Ozbilici is being hailed by many as the photograph that will change the future of photojournalism in the world.
(Source: AP Images)
3. Germany’s festive mood turned sombre when a truck ploughed into a market in Germany, killing 12 people and injuring dozens. In a show of resilience, the Breidscheidplatz Christmas market re-opened three days later. In the picture, one can can see visitors paying tribute at the makeshift memorial.
4. Demonetisation woes continued to haunt the nation, with people still having to wait outside queues and ATMs to withdraw cash. Rural India has been particularly hit. Shot in Sunderban, India, this picture shows a bank customer beaming teeth to teeth having finally been able to withdraw money after standing in a queue since midnight.
5. The world heard many heartbreaking stories about evacuation of civilian population from Aleppo in Syria. But the safe evacuation of 7-year -old Bana El Abad to Turkey on account of intervention by the Turkish President Recep Erdogan was one of the few stories that raised hopes. Helped by her mother, who manages her account, Bana Alabed uploaded pictures and videos of her experiences of the war, drawing the world’s attention to the everyday horrors of war for children. Picture 1 shows a happy Alabed with President Erdogan, while Picture 2 is a photo of the girl at her home in Syria.
(Credit: https://twitter.com/AlabedBana)
6.Christmas is here and India is ready for it. From school children to parents, everyone is gung-ho about the festival, buying gifts and decorating trees. In this picture: Excited children line up at a toy store in Mumbai to meet Santa Claus.
