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The week in photos: August 1-7, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala captured her first-ever WTA Tour crown in the Mubadala DC Open after a win over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States on August 3 (August 4, Manila time). The win propelled Eala to No. 20 in the WTA rankings, the biggest ranking jump since her breakthrough into the top 35 in February, when she surged from No. 47 to No. 31.

On August 3, Day 11 of the Vice President’s impeachment trial, the prosecution finally brings out long-infamous names — from Mary Grace Piattos to Andy C. Lim — in their bid to weave a narrative that Duterte misused her confidential funds.

Veteran lawyer Lorna Kapunan, private counsel for the House prosecution panel, probed state auditor Roderick Wamil over what the Commission on Audit (COA) had earlier flagged as shortcomings in how the OVP spent its confidential funds in the final quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.

On August 5, late into the third and final day of this week’s hearings marked by intense questioning and hours of poring over documents, an exasperated Kapunan suggests using the defense’s documents — which she says with certainty are the same as the prosecution’s — to speed up the process. With minutes left before the impeachment court was supposed to call it a day, the prosecution and defense were still arguing over the admission of documents.

Meanwhile, a Thai teenager killed at least five people and himself at a school outside Bangkok on August 7, after fatally shooting his grandparents, in the Southeast Asian nation’s worst mass killing since 2022. Those killed were all teachers and school staff. Police said the 14-year-old shooter, a student, fired at least 26 bullets using a gun that belonged to his grandfather. An additional 34 rounds were also found.

Catch more stories in these photos from the week that was:

Roman history re-enactment festival in Bosnia

Participants wear Roman costumes during a Roman history re-enactment festival featuring gladiator battles, Roman soldiers, cavalry, ancient crafts and period costumes, as organizers seek to boost tourism by bringing the region’s archaeological heritage to life, in Mokro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on August 1, 2026. PHOTO BY AMEL EMRIC/REUTERS

Annual Canal Parade at WorldPride in Amsterdam

Participants perform ahead of the start of the annual Canal Parade at WorldPride in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on August 1, 2026. PHOTO BY THILO SCHMUELGEN/REUTERS

Flag bearer Reuben Ward of Scotland celebrate with teammates during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games at The Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 2, 2026. PHOTO BY ISABEL INFANTES/REUTERS

Alex Eala wins Mubadala DC Open

Filipino tennis ace Alexandra Eala falls on her knees as she gets emotional after winning against Jessica Pegula in the finals of the Mubadala DC Open, at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington DC on August 3, 2026. PHOTO FROM MUBADALA DC OPEN INSTAGRAM

Sara Duterte impeachment trial

An acknowledgement receipt issued by the Office of the Vice President is flashed on screen as former state auditor Roderick Wamil testifies at the impeachment trial Sara Duterte on August 3, 2026. PHOTO FROM THE SENATE SOCIAL MEDIA UNIT

People walk past an anti-U.S. billboard on a street in Tehran

People walk past an anti-US billboard on a street in Tehran, Iran, on August 3, 2026, amid President Donald Trump’s apparent de-escalation after days of threats of new attacks. PHOTO BY MAJID ASGARIPOU/WANA VIA REUTERS

Cuba's electric grid collapses less than a day after last blackout

Agricultural vendor Adrian Vargas poses for a photograph as Cuba’s national electrical grid collapsed again while the government was trying to restore power following a nationwide blackout, in Havana, Cuba, on August 3, 2026. PHOTO BY NORLYS PEREZ/REUTERS

Wildfires in Washington state

Wildfire smoke rises to the sky over Spokane, Washington, as the Old Trails Fire burns nearby, on August 3, 2026. PHOTO BY DAVID RYDER/REUTERS

Worshippers pray inside Imam Hussein shrine ahead of Arbaeen pilgrimage in Karbala

Visitors gather around the shrine of Imam Hussein ahead of the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq, on August 3, 2026. PHOTO BY ALAA AL-MARJANI/REUTERS

Funeral of 112 members of the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clan, in Gaza City

Palestinians attend the funeral of 112 members of the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clan, who were killed in an Israeli strike in 2023 and whose remains were recovered from beneath the rubble, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense, in Gaza City, on August 4, 2026. PHOTO BY DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS

European Aquatics Championships

A replica of the Statue of Liberty at Ile aux Cygnes stand in the background as swimmers compete in the Men’s 10km Open Water Swimming of the European Aquatics Championships, at Pont de Bir-Hakeim, Paris, France, on August 4, 2026. PHOTO BY GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS

Underground cave offers respite as South Korea swelters under record-breaking heat, in Gwangmyeong

Visitors rest beside an illuminated installation inside Gwangmyeong Cave, a former gold mine turned into a tourist attraction, during a record-breaking heatwave in Gwangmyeong, South Korea, on August 5, 2026, after Yangsan recorded the highest temperature in the country in 122 years. PHOTO BY KIM SOO-HYEON/REUTERS

Drone view shows boats stranded in mud at a marina during a heatwave as low water levels expose the bottom of the Sulejow Reservoir in Barkowice

A drone view shows boats stranded in mud at a marina during a heatwave as low water levels expose the bottom of the Sulejow Reservoir in Barkowice, Poland, on August 5, 2026. PHOTO BY KACPER PEMPEL/REUTERS

Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying Oriental Smart Eye 01 and 02 satellites launching from waters off the coast of Haiyang, in Shandong

People watch a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying Oriental Smart Eye hyperspectral satellites 01 and 02 launching from waters off the coast of Haiyang, in Shandong province, China, on August 5, 2026. CNSPHOTO VIA REUTERS

Russian missile strike in Kyiv

Smoke rises in the city during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on August 5, 2026. PHOTO BY VLADYSLAV SODEL/REUTERS

Congo intercepts a passenger boat near Kinshasa that carried suspected Ebola case

A volunteer uses a megaphone to make announcements while intercepting a passenger boat, after, according to officials, a passenger who had disembarked earlier died after developing symptoms consistent with Ebola, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on August 5, 2026. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION HANDOUT PHOTO VIA REUTERS

People dance with umbrellas on a climate-controlled “rainy street” at the voco Monaco Dubai resort on The Heart of Europe development in Dubai

People dance with umbrellas on a climate-controlled “rainy street” at the voco Monaco Dubai resort on The Heart of Europe development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on August 6, 2026. The attraction generates on-demand rainfall and maintains temperatures at around 27 degrees Celsius, as developers in the UAE explore ways to make outdoor spaces more comfortable during the summer months. PHOTO BY RULA ROUHANA/REUTERS

Trash litter Baseco Beach following heavy rains due to Tropical Depression Maymay

Garbage washed ashore pile along Baseco Beach in Manila on August 7, 2026, following heavy rains and rough seas triggered by Tropical Depression Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon. PHOTO BY RAPPLER

Workers protest wage hike at DOLE

The Unity for Wage Increase Now (UWIN), a coalition of labor groups, marched in front of the Department of Labor and Employment headquarters to denounce the agency’s failure to ensure the implementation of the P85 daily minimum wage increase, on August 7, 2026. PHOTO BY RAPPLER

Shooting takes place at a school in Thailand, officials say

Emergency personnel carry a dead body on a stretcher at Debsirin Nonthaburi School following the shooting incident at the school, in Bang Kruai district in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, on August 7, 2026. PHOTO BY CHALINEE THIRASUPA/REUTERS

with reports from Reuters/Rappler.com

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