The week in photos: August 15-21, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — On August 18, two students were killed in a shooting inside the junior high school building of Ateneo de Zamboanga University Tumaga campus. One of those who died was the shooter himself. Authorities said the suspect was a minor, while the victim was a 10th grader, also a minor.

Initial police findings showed that the shooter went to Room 404 of the campus building and shot the other student, killing him. He then ran down to the third floor, shouted, and then shot himself.

In the United States, a bipartisan group of 29 US states is suing Meta, seeking potentially tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties and changes to how Meta does business.

Four lead states — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to hook young users, fueling anxiety, depression and even suicide, and misleading consumers about the platforms’ safety. Meta is being accused of violating federal law by improperly collecting and using children’s personal data.

Meta Platforms rejected accusations by US states that it intentionally sought to get children addicted to its Facebook and Instagram platforms in pursuit of profit at the trial, which started on August 18.

Meanwhile, on August 17, the first-ever hostile witness in the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte, former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, told the court that the instruction to hand over P125 million in confidential funds to her security officer came from the vice president herself.

This isn’t the first time Acosta has named Duterte as the person who gave the instruction, but her admission before the impeachment court carries more weight, says a prosecutor.

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

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend a memorial service ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two, at Budokan Hall in Tokyo on August 15, 2026. PHOTO BY MANAMI YAMADA/REUTERS

Serena and Venus Williams of the United States shake hands with Peyton Stearns of the United States and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, after their doubles match in the Cincinnati Open, at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, on August 17, 2026. PHOTO BY AARON DOSER/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS

Cast members Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez attend the 25th Anniversary Celebration Screening of ‘The Fast and the Furious’ in Los Angeles, California, on August 17, 2026. PHOTO BY MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS

Commuters and pedestrians wade through floodwaters during heavy monsoon rains, along Taft Avenue corner Pedro Gil in Manila on August 17, 2026. PHOTO BY ELOISA LOPEZ/REUTERS

A child observes the damage at the St. Fransiskus Asisi-Karot church, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Ruteng, Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, on August 17, 2026. PHOTO BY WILLY KURNIAWAN/REUTERS

Private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan questions hostile witness, former Special Disbursing Officer of the Office of the Vice President Gina Acosta, during the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte on August 17, 2026. SENATE SOCIAL MEDIA UNIT

Protesters hold pictures behind a placard with names of young people, as parents of children and young adults whose deaths were allegedly related to social media use hold a press conference, as Meta faces a landmark trial in federal court over claims from 29 states, in Oakland, California, on August 18, 2026. PHOTO BY MANUEL ORBEGOZO/REUTERS

Concerned parents and residents stand outside Ateneo de Zamboanga University after a shooting that killed two people, in Zamboanga City on August 18, 2026. PHOTO BY NONOY LACSON/RAPPLER

Vinyl sleeve artwork is displayed during the press preview of the War Child x Secret 7″ exhibition, where 700 sleeves are displayed and auctioned to raise money for children affected by war, at 180 Studios, in London, on August 18, 2026. PHOTO BY JACK TAYLOR/REUTERS

A Palestinian boy cools down in a makeshift pool on the remains of a house destroyed during the Israeli offensive, on a hot summer day in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, on August 18, 2026. PHOTO BY MAHMOUD ISSA/REUTERS

A drone image shows a church damaged by the earthquake in Quimbaya, Colombia, on August 18, 2026. PHOTO BY LUISA GONZALEZ/REUTERS

An Aymara woman walks to board a bus as snow falls during a spell of low temperatures and precipitation affecting several regions of the country, in El Alto, Bolivia, on August 18, 2026. PHOTO BY CLAUDIA MORALES/REUTERS

Belgian firefighters work in a forest affected by a wildfire in Waimes, in the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) region, Belgium, on August 18, 2026. PHOTO BY YVES HERMAN/REUTERS

A woman cools herself off with a portable mini fan as people gather on the day Pope Leo holds the weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, on August 19, 2026. PHOTO BY REMO CASILLI/REUTERS

A staff member dressed up in a costume walks with VBot robots on a dog leash during the 2026 World Robot Conference, in Beijing, China, on August 19, 2026. PHOTO BY TINGSHU WANG/REUTERS

Students run to hide during a drill by police officers to prepare for an active shooter scenario, at Surasakmontree School in Bangkok, following a deadly shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, on August 19, 2026. PHOTO BY ATHIT PERAWONGMETHA/REUTERS

Participants take part in a civil defense drill on the sidelines of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield, in Busan, South Korea, on August 20, 2026. PHOTO BY YONHAP NEWS AGENCY VIA REUTERS

Firefighters work at a site hit by a Russian missile strike, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on August 20, 2026. PHOTO BY ANATOLII STEPANOV/REUTERS

Family members and supporters gather for a Holy Mass at the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque City to remember former senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. on the 43rd anniversary of his assassination, on August 21, 2026. PHOTO BY RAPPLER

Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor, wife of former Hong Kong Alliance leader Lee Cheuk-yan, leaves West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts in Hong Kong, following the conviction of three former Tiananmen vigil organizers charged with inciting subversion of state power, on August 21, 2026. PHOTO BY TYRONNE SIU/REUTERS