BERLIN — Irresistible! It must be those dark eyes and those claws (still small enough to be cute): An employee of the Berlin Zoo holds one of the newly born twin panda bear cubs during a presentation to the media at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. The twins, who were born to Meng Meng in August, are now being introduced to the viewing public in hour-long displays. The pandas, currently about the size of rabbits, are among the rarest bears in the world, with only around 1,800 animals remaining in their natural habitat.
Meanwhile, stateside, two giant pandas — Bao Li and Qing Bao — arrived at Washington DC’s National Zoo, where they viewed their new habitat for the first time.
BOISE — Bright enough to compete with distant city lights: Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas makes an appearance in the western night sky as amateur photographers Nolan Letellier, left, and Link Jackson observe on a ridge near the Dry Creek Trailhead in Boise, Idaho. Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. Discovered last year, comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is now prominent in the Northern Hemisphere; earlier this year, it could be seen in the Southern Hemisphere, according to the Associated Press. The comet was officially named after both the observatories that identified it: China’s Tsuchinshan — or “Purple Mountain” — Observatory and an ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in South Africa’s Sutherland Observatory.
The ATLAS-SAAO telescope is one of four telescopes in the ATLAS system, which NASA developed and funded.
BOSNIA — Nature’s revenge, aftermath: Mourners gather as they attend the collective funeral for 19 victims of a landslide caused by recent floods in Jablanica, Bosnia, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. The 19 victims were from Donja Jablanica, a village outside the town of Jablanica where the Bosnian Islamic Community Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic led the service. Their caskets were draped in the traditional Islamic green cloths.
Torrential rains and winds slammed four municipalities in central and southern Bosnia early on Oct. 4, catching many unwarned residents. Resulting floods and tumbling rocks crashed into homes and eliminated escape routes.
PARAGUAY — Leaping for ball control: Venezuela’s Jhonder Cadiz, left, and Paraguay’s Omar Alderete vie for the ball during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. On the business end of soccer, the 2026 World Cup will be played in the United States, with a total of 63 games being hosted at Lumen Field and 11 other stadiums. The FIFA World Cup will then be played every four years, with an expanded field of 32 teams from FIFA’s six soccer confederations, according to the Associated Press.
Soccer fans may experience better mobile-device reception at the 2026 World Cup, thanks to Verizon’s sponsor deal with FIFA announced last month.
TOPEKA — Enduring homage to Native culture that all states should embrace: The bronze sculpture of “Ad Astra” a Kansa Indian, perched atop the Kansas State Capitol dome is silhouetted against the waxing moon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Topeka, KS. The sculpture’s full title, in classical Latin, derives from the state motto, “Ad astra per aspera,” translated as “to the stars through difficulties.” The original sculpture shows the Kaw warrior with a bow and arrow drawn pointing up at the sky, according to the Kansas State Historical Society.
However, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, a replica of the statue was unveiled as part of a new plaza at the Kansas statehouse, reports KSNT.com, the website for the local NBC affiliate station. Richard Bergen and his father made a six-foot tall “Ad Astra” statue for placement in the new plaza outside the Kansas capitol building on Oct. 15. It is a replica of the Ad Astra statue made by the pair in 2002 that sits atop the statehouse’s copper dome.
EL PASO — Ahh, flamboyance — the buzzword of 1930s-era Pachucos: Hugo Cardenas and Araceli Martinez, wearing Zoot suits of the Mexican American subculture known as Pachucos, dance while attending a lowrider exhibition during the 20th anniversary of Lincoln Park in El Paso, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
Lowriding refers to the customization of a vehicle — from the tires to the sound system — with vivid designs and colors. Contrasting with the hot-rod vehicles, the lowrider community modified the cars and bikes to go “low and slow.”
BARCELONA — ‘Luxury yacht’ budget, but grueling labor and dangerous speed … no leisure here: Ineos Britannia races against Emirates Team New Zealand during the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Day 4 race 6 in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. The Match Race final segment is currently underway and will culminate on October 27. New Zealand is the defending team champion and will face the winner of the Louis Vuitton races, with the first to score seven points capturing the win.
The America’s Cup is considered the oldest international sporting trophy and dates back to 1851.
GLASGOW — Acrobatic mid-air engagement among super athletes: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, center right, attempts an acrobatic shot on goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Portugal at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.
Although Portugal had won its first three matches, it wound up scoreless in Tuesday’s game, which ended in a 0-0 draw.