Gore Vidal, the American author, playwright and commentator who became a celebrity for his written works as much as for his outspokenness on the issues of the day, died Tuesday at the age of 86 in Los Angeles.

Sri Lankan mahouts wash an elephant Wednesday near a fountain ahead of the Esala Perahera festival in the ancient hill capital of Kandy. The Buddhist festival, which features a nightly procession of dancers, fire twirlers, traditional musicians, acrobatic fire performers…

A woman looks at a book in the "aMAZEme" labyrinth at the Southbank Centre in London on Tuesday. Brazilian artists Marcos Saboya and Gualter Pupo used 250,000 books to create the maze, which will be on display through Aug 25.

Construction workers add the final touches Thursday on a statue depicting Nelson Mandela outside Howick, South Africa. The monument will become part of [the Capture Site, the museum which sits on the spot where Mandela was arrested on Aug. 5,…