From Tragedy To Triumph: 15 Photos That Defined This Week
Jing Zhiyuan demonstrates how to use remote kissing device Long Lost Touch during an interview with Reuters, at his home in Beijing, China, on March 12, 2023, in an image released March 23, 2023.
This week in photos started off Reuters releasing images from earlier this month of a kissing machine named MUA that was invented by a Chinese start-up. Yes, you read that right. MUA, named for the sound one makes when a kiss is blown, collects data from your mouth as you kiss it and uses motion sensors in the device’s silicone lips. It mimics kissing a partner and is designed with long-distance relationships in mind. If one feels compelled, it’s also possible to download kiss data submitted by other users via an accompanying app. It even warms up and makes sounds!
The product, which looks like something from an episode of Black Mirror, was first released on Jan. 22 and, within two weeks, received a total of about 20,000 orders. China’s strict COVID lockdowns inspired MUA, with its inventor Zhao Jianbo telling Reuters, “I was in a relationship back then, but I couldn’t meet my girlfriend due to lockdowns.” Though this device is unique, there have been previous similar inventions in Tokyo in 2011 and Malaysia in 2016.
Jing Zhiyuan demonstrates how to use a remote kissing device called Long Lost Touch during an interview at his home in Beijing on March 12, 2023, in an image released March 22, 2023.
Paris is burning
Protests in Paris over pension reform escalated into more fiery clashes with police, with an estimated 1 million people taking to the streets. Thursday was the ninth day of demonstrations, with protests turning more violent; at least 80 people were arrested and piles of garbage were lit on fire.
“Everyone is angry. Everyone thinks this law is unfair, but it particularly penalizes women who are expected to produce future generations of the nation, and then find they are punished for doing so,” a social worker identified as Marie told The Guardian.
A person stands near a burning scooter, as protesters gather at the Place de la République during a demonstration over pension reform in Paris, on March 21, 2023.
A man throws a bucket of water on a barricade formed from burning garbage cans in Paris, on March 23, 2023.
The indictment cometh
This past week, scores of reporters swarmed the Manhattan Criminal Court anticipating the announcement of former president Donald Trump’s indictment. Trump is facing a potential arrest regarding his alleged role in paying hush money to adult actor Stormy Daniels. Freelance photographer Angus Mordant, who has been outside the courthouse since Monday, told BuzzFeed News, “I’m not sure if an indictment feels more or less imminent with each passing day.”
Members of the media set up outside 80 Centre Street in New York City, where Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg continues his investigation into former US President Donald Trump, on March 20, 2023.
More from around the world
A young southern white rhinoceros named Jogi made an appearance with his mother Malia at the Safari de Peaugres, south of Lyon, France, on March 22. Jogi, who was born in the early morning hours of Feb. 22, is the first southern white rhinoceros to be born in France.
The cherry blossoms are at peak bloom in Washington, DC, this week. Tourists and locals alike flocked around the Tidal Basin to see the Yoshino cherry trees blossom, which has been a tradition for more than 100 years, since the trees were given by Japan in 1912. Peak bloom, according to the National Park Service, is when 70% of the cherry blossoms have fully bloomed.
The young southern white rhinoceros Jogi walks with his mother Malia in their enclosure at the wildlife park Safari de Peaugres, south of Lyon, France, on March 22, 2023.
Cherry trees blossom near their peak bloom on the grounds of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 20, 2023.
A costumed dog participates in a march to commemorate St. Patrick's Day and to remember the Irish who fought alongside the Mexican army in 1846 against the United States, in the Coyoacán municipality of Mexico City, on March 19, 2023.
The Pyramid of the Moon is seen on the day of the spring equinox as hot air balloons float above the precolonial city of Teotihuacan on the outskirts of Mexico City, Mexico, on March 20, 2023.
A missile fired by the North Korean military at an undisclosed location is shown in this image released by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 20, 2023.
Young volunteers from Change Is Us stand near an installation made from more than 6,000 PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles in Mumbai, India, on March 21, 2023. The installation, in the shape of a pair of fish, is intended to create awareness about World Recycling Day.
A man watches members of the Malaysian Islamic authority as they perform the Rukyah Hilal Ramadan, the sighting of the new moon to determine the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 22, 2023.
A washerman washes clothes on the banks of the river Brahmaputra on World Water Day in Guwahati, India, on March 22, 2023.
Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara perform during pairs free skating at the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan, on March 23, 2023.
A street food vendor waits for customers at Galle Face Promenade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on March 23, 2023. Many people visit Galle Face in the evening to exercise and enjoy street food.
