Pictures of the week: Hindu festival, orangutan birthday & confessions

The Independent’s picture editors bring you the best photography from all corners of the planet

Sunday 10 September 2023 14:05 BST

Students made up to resemble the Hindu goddess Kali take part in an event ahead of the Janmashtami festival in Mumbai, India (Reuters)

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Each week the picture editors at The Independent sort through hundreds of thousands images sent into us by photography agencies from all around the world.

These are some of the most eye-catching and the most striking images from culture, news, politics, sport and lifestyle.

You can also keep up with the latest photography making headlines via our Instagram.

A pedestrian walks past a clean-up operation in a mud-covered street, following torrential rains that brought widespread floods to the city of Hong Kong.

A Ukrainian boy attends his first day at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv.

A woman confesses outside the Steppe Arena, ahead of Pope Francis' arrival to celebrate the Holy Mass, during his Apostolic Journey in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Reuters)

A woman confesses outside the Steppe Arena ahead of the arrival of Pope Francis to celebrate the holy mass, during his apostolic journey in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Jacky, a male orangutan, picks from fruit gifts during his 46th birthday celebration at Bali Zoo in Indonesia.

Members of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery prepare ahead of a gun salute to Britain’s King Charles at Wellington Barracks.

A Pakistani boy poses for a photograph while attending a class during International Literacy Day in Peshawar.

A carrot cake for horses, designed by former Bake Off contestant Rosie Brandreth, is unveiled at Fergal O’Brien Racing near Cheltenham to mark the first day of National Racehorse Week.

Indian army training cadets perform “Kalaripayattu”, an ancient martial art from Kerala, during a combined display ahead of their graduation ceremony, at the Officers Training Academy.