Readers’ award: best independent retailer Rafi’s Spice Box Photo: Alex Telfer for the Observer

Chennai, India Schoolboys make a portrait of the late Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, to mark what would have been his 86th birthday in two days’ time. Photo: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

Bernese Oberland, Switzerland A Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft flies past spectators during a flight demonstration of the Swiss Air Force over the Axalp. Photo: Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters

New York’s architectural gems are on show for Open House Weekend, which runs 14-15 October. From historical to contemporary, residential to industrial, hundreds of sites across the five boroughs are open to visitors. New York’s…

London, UK The Armada portrait of Elizabeth I is unveiled following extensive cleaning at the Queen’s House, Greenwich. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images

The world really is flat at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia!

Flames overtake a structure as nearby homes burn in the Napa wine region. Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Arlington, US Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers looks for an open receiver in the third quarter of the NFL match against the Dallas Cowboys at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Kagoshima, Japan An H-2A rocket carrying a Quasi-Zenith satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre. The satellite is part of an improved navigation programme. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters

In Kathmandu, Nepal, Holi is a celebration of spring and change. Here, we see Sona celebrating the popular Hindu festival of colors, which encourages people to forgive and ask to be forgiven. It's ultimately the time when evil loses and…