FRANKFURT — ‘Hey, let’s run toward that photographer …’: Icelandic horses are driven to their paddock for the first time in the season in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, April 28, 2024. Icelandic horses are a versatile, long-living breed (25-30 years) known for their ability to traverse rough terrain. They are considered to be descendants of the original Viking horses and one of the purest horse breeds in the world. Because of Iceland’s isolation, its horses have not had any genetic input from other breeds.

Iceland has a millennia-old policy to protect its horses’ pure-bred status, according to website guidelines on both Iceland and its equestrian population. In 982 AD, the Icelandic parliament Alþingi passed laws that prohibited any importation of other horse breeds into the country. And any horse that is removed from Iceland can never return.

SAUDI ARABIA — King of Air Miles and diplomacy: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second right, walk to a Joint Ministerial Meeting of the GCC-U.S. Strategic Partnership to discuss the humanitarian crises faced in Gaza, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday April 29, 2024. The Jerusalem Post reported at 4 p.m. Israel time (9 a.m. EDT) that the Saudi foreign minister, in response to questions, said that bilateral agreements between the kingdom and the United States were “very, very close.”

“Most of the work has already been done. We have the broad outlines of what we think needs to happen on the Palestinian front,” Faisal bin Farhan said in a panel.

BOLIVIA — All over the world — the universal engagement of soccer: A fan of Bolivia’s Always Ready smiles as he waits for the start of a Copa Sudamerica Group A soccer match against Peru’s Universidad Cesar Vallejo at Municipal de Villa Ingenio stadium in El Alto, Bolivia, Thursday, April 25, 2024. Always Ready, which ranks #1 in Group A, won that match. 

These two teams will again face each other on May 15.

KENYA — Nature’s revenge, even against churches: A man swims from a submerged church compound after the River Tana broke its banks following heavy rains at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties in eastern Kenya, Sunday, April. 28, 2024. Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to dozens of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the U.N. Large sections of Kenya have been inundated in the flooding, with at least 100 killed. Thousands have had to flee their homes since March, government spokesperson Isaac Maigua Mwaura told CNN on Monday, April 29.

The Horn of Africa, which encompasses Kenya, Ethiopa and Somalia, is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world.

TEXAS — America’s next superstar: Gabby Douglas performs her floor routine while competing at the American Classic gymnastics meet, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Katy, Texas. The event marked a comeback for the 28-year-old Douglas, whose vaulting and balance beam scores qualified her to compete in these two events at the U.S. Championships, May 30-June 2 in Fort Worth.

Gabby Douglas became the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around gold medal in 2012, and first American to claim gold medals in the team and individual all-around events and the first African American to win the all-around title. She and her team also won gold in 2016.

INDIANAPOLIS — ‘You seem excited, let me take your pulse’: Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner (33) dunks against Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez (11) during the second half of Game 4 of the first round NBA playoff basketball series, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won 126-113 and led 3-1 in the best-of-seven games round.

The Tuesday, April 30 Game 5 is a must-win for the Milwaukee Bucks if they want to advance to Round 2.

BERLIN — Protesting a rapper’s death sentence: Protesters attend a rally against a death sentence given to a popular rapper in Iran and to support the women of Iran, in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, April 28, 2024. Toomaj Salehi, a 33-year-old, was sentenced to death by an Iranian court earlier this week for his support of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, which developed after protests in Iran in 2022. He is known mostly for his protest songs concerning Iran’s societal issues and the policies of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Some of Iran’s reform-focused newspapers have decried the unexpected death sentence against Salehi, who promotes defiance against regimes but not violence. 

KENYA — Dam collapse kills 40: Paramedics carry an injured woman after a dam burst, in Kamuchiri Village Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April. 29, 2024. Police in Kenya say at least 40 people have died after a dam collapsed in the country’s west. First responders told CNN that the cause of the dam’s bursting was water blowing through a tunnel under a railway bridge with a clogged culvert.

The dam’s bursting worsened weather-related flooding that has plagued much of Kenya since heavy downfalls began in March.

NASHVILLE — Airborne, legs interlocked, part of the game: Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53) hits Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (90) to the ice during the second period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Nashville, TN. The Canucks won that game and currently lead in the round 3-1. Game 5 is to be played on Tuesday night, April 30.

Each of the four rounds is a best-of-7; the first team to win four games advances to the next round.

OKLAHOMA — Nature’s revenge — ‘angry air’: A car lies on its side after being knocked over during a tornado that tore through downtown Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. A violent tornado, which the National Weather Service has since categorized as an EF-3, gave a direct hit to the town of Sulphur in Murray County. Governor Kevin Stitt told KXII broadcast station that it was the worst tornado damage he’s seen as governor. As of 3 p.m. Sunday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported that additional people were injured in the tornado.

Many of the tornadoes touched down on Saturday, April 27, throughout eastern Oklahoma, with The National Weather Service on Monday confirming that at least 22 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma during the weekend’s outbreak.

MILAN — Not an injury, just a nap: Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram celebrates lying wrapped in a plastic sheet at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Torino at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, April 28, 2024. Inter Milan had already clinched the Italian Serie A league title the week before.

VENICE — Blessing of the canals, a first for Pope Francis: Pope Francis is greeted by Gondoliers upon his arrival in Venice, Italy, Sunday, April 28, 2024. The Pontiff arrived for his first-ever visit to the lagoon town including the Vatican pavilion at the 60th Biennal of Arts.

AMSTERDAM — While the Pope is in Venice, the canals elsewhere celebrate King’s Day: People celebrate King’s Day on the canals of Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday, April 27, 2024.

DES MOINES — One of the hazards of the steeplechase — the water pit: Runners in the women’s invitational 3,000-meter steeplechase leap over the water pit at the Drake Relays athletics meet, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa.

FRANCE — Impressive airborne header at the net: Lens’ Kevin Danso heads the ball towards the goal during a French League One soccer match between Marseille and Lens at the Stade Velodrome stadium in Marseille, France, Sunday, April 28, 2024.