Wildfires in Greece and California, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, COVID-19 burials in Indonesia, elephants in Kenya, rhythmic gymnastics in Tokyo, the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics, flooding in Venice, thick smoke in Russia's Far East, drought in Chile, and much more. [A note to readers who came here from an email newsletter: If you subscribed to The Atlantic Photo years ago, your service may be disrupted soon as an older version of our newsletter service is being discontinued. To keep receiving new photo stories in your inbox, please subscribe here.]
Photos of the Week: Burned Paws, Ducky Derby, Mermaid Convention
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A mermaid swims during MerMagic Con at the Freedom Aquatic Center in Manassas, Virginia, on August 7, 2021. MerMagic Con is advertised as the largest mermaid convention in the world. #
Joseph Prezioso / AFP / Getty -
A fire continues to burn inside the trunk of a tree after the Dixie Fire moved through the area on August 11, 2021, in Greenville, California. The Dixie Fire, which has incinerated over 500,000 acres, is the second-largest recorded wildfire in state history. #
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Volunteers pause while working at the scene of a forest fire near the village of Kyuyorelyakh, west of Yakutsk, Russia, on August 7, 2021. Wildfires in Russia's vast Siberia region endangered a dozen villages Saturday and prompted authorities to evacuate some residents. #
Ivan Nikiforov / AP -
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A view as the flag bearers of the competing nations enter the stadium during the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on August 8, 2021. #
Leon Neal / Getty -
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A view of Highway 89, with burned trees on one side and unburned trees on the other, at the site of the Dixie Fire, near the town of Greenville, California, on August 7, 2021. #
Fred Greaves / Reuters -
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An aerial view of a landfill where discarded tires are stored in piles, 160 kilometers away from Kuwait City, on August 12, 2021. The Kuwaiti government is seeking less environmentally harmful solutions to get rid of millions of disposed tires which have been accumulating for about 20 years. #
Faisal Alnomas / Anadolu Agency / Getty -
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Volunteers from the Nahdatul Ulama Sleman burial team prepare to bury the body of a woman who died from COVID-19 during a funeral service in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on August 12, 2021. Indonesia has recorded more than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, as the country continues to struggle with a huge wave of infections driven by the Delta variant. #
Ulet Ifansasti / Getty -
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Motorcycle enthusiasts attend the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, on August 8, 2021. The rally is expect to draw more than 500,00 people during its 10-day run. #
Scott Olson / Getty -
Rubber ducks float in the Chicago river during the Chicago Ducky Derby on August 5, 2021, in Chicago, Illinois. Derby organizers dropped 70,000 rubber ducks into the river to raise money for Special Olympics Illinois. Donors sponsored ducks in the derby for $5 each. The sponsor of the first duck to cross the finish line won a new SUV. #
Scott Olson / Getty -
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A view of La Parva ski resort with very little snow on the ground, on August 10, 2021, in Santiago, Chile. Ski resorts, which were hard-hit by the pandemic in 2020, have now been forced to end the season one month earlier than usual due to lack of snow. The Andean region faces historically low snowfall, as a consequence of higher temperatures and climate change. #
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In Kabul, Afghanistan, Zamery Samadi, a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicant, stands with his 18-year-old son Fardin, holding a portrait of his eldest son Fahim, 23, who was killed by the Taliban, at their home on August 5, 2021. Fardin was injured in 2016 by an IED explosion targeting U.S. troops. Zamery worked for 11 years as a security guard and laborer for the U.S. Army from 2002-2013. He is struggling to get the necessary documents needed to complete his SIV application since he left the job years back and has found the U.S. military unresponsive. Thousands of Afghans who worked for the United States government during its nearly 20-year war here now fear for their safety as the U.S. withdraws its troops from the country. Many of these Afghans, who worked as interpreters and translators, have applied to come to the United States as part of the SIV program, with the first such group arriving last month. But, for most SIV candidates, the timeline for relocation remains unknown. #
Paula Bronstein / Getty
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