Today in Pictures, Oct 20, 2026

Students taking part in a foam fight in Scotland, a bear wanders through a library in California, and other photos from around the world in Today in Pictures.

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Students from St Andrews take part in a foam fight, as part of "Raisin Monday" in the Lower College Lawn, at St Andrews in Scotland, Britain, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Lesley Martin — Students from St Andrews taking part in a foam fight, as part of "Raisin Monday" in the Lower College Lawn, at St Andrews in Scotland, Britain, Oct 19.
PHOTO: REUTERS

TOPSHOT - Two customers sit on the terrace of a cafe on a street covered in debris a day after nationwide protests against the "high cost of living", in Marseille on October 18, 2026. France's Prime Minister said 1,200 people were arrested in protests across the country on October 17, and 150 police were hurt during clashes between police and protesters. Massive looting and multiple blazes gripped France as nationwide marches against soaring inflation degenerated into street violence of "extreme intensity". (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP) — Two customers sitting on the terrace of a cafe on a street covered in debris a day after nationwide protests against the high cost of living, in Marseille on Oct 18.
PHOTO: AFP

TOPSHOT - People watch the launch of the H3 rocket, carrying the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft, at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on October 20, 2026. Japanese scientists successfully launched a spacecraft on October 20 that aims to be the first to retrieve samples from one of Mars's moons, potentially helping unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT — People watching the launch of the H3 rocket, carrying the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft, at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on Oct 20.
PHOTO: AFP

A Palestinian woman, Hanan Hameail, speaks with other Palestinian women inside her house, damaged in an Israeli settler attack, in Turmus Ayya in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — A Palestinian woman, Hanan Hameail, speaking with other Palestinian women inside her house, damaged in an Israeli settler attack, in Turmus Ayya in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Oct 19.
PHOTO: REUTERS

People take shelter in an underpass during an air raid alert, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — People taking shelter in an underpass during an air raid alert, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Oct 19.
PHOTO: REUTERS

A car on the damaged bank of a waterway, following torrential rains, which caused floods in eastern Spain, in Els Poblets, Spain, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Eva Manez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — A car on the damaged bank of a waterway, following torrential rains, which caused floods in eastern Spain, in Els Poblets, Spain, Oct 19.
PHOTO: REUTERS

A bear wanders through a library in Mammoth Lakes, California, US, October 14, 2026 in this picture obtained from a video. MONO COUNTY FREE LIBRARIES/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. VERIFICATION Reuters verified the location from the bookshelves, rug, tables and railing, which matched archive imagery of the Mammoth Lakes Library. Coordinates: 37.639637, -118.963066. The date was confirmed by the timestamp visible in the video. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — A bear wandering through a library in Mammoth Lakes, California, US, Oct 14.
PHOTO: REUTERS

A man who is a breast cancer survivor poses for a photo session during the "A Brushstroke for Life" event in Guadalajara, Jalisco state, Mexico, on October 19, 2026. In the event, 100 women are adorned with body paint by artists. The activity has evolved into an artistic and therapeutic movement aimed at raising public awareness of breast cancer, the most common cancer among women worldwide. It is part of a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative to promote awareness, encourage early detection and highlight the importance of timely treatment. (Photo by ULISES RUIZ / AFP) — A man who is a breast cancer survivor posing for a photo session during the "A Brushstroke for Life" event in Guadalajara, Jalisco state, Mexico, on Oct 19.
PHOTO: AFP

TOPSHOT - Underwater hockey players take part in the 2026 HKUWHA Under Water Hockey tournament in Hong Kong on October 17, 2026. Swimmers brandishing short, curved sticks held their breath as they somersaulted and dove towards a weighted puck at the bottom of a Hong Kong swimming pool, vying for first place in a sport likened to voluntary drowning. (Photo by Flora BRADLEY-WATSON / AFP) / To go with Hong Kong-China-sports-octopush, VISUAL STORY by Flora BRADLEY-WATSON — Underwater hockey players taking part in the 2026 HKUWHA Under Water Hockey tournament in Hong Kong on Oct 17.
PHOTO: AFP

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