Pictures of the Week: December 27 – January 3

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From celebrations ringing in 2014 around the world and the swearing in of New York City’s new mayor to crackdowns on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the first legal sales of recreational marijuana in the United States, TIME presents the best pictures of the week.

Egypt Friday protests
Dec. 27, 2013. Egyptian pro-democracy protestors and police clash during a demonstration against Muslim Brotherhood's 'terrorist label' in the Alf Maskan district of Cairo, Egypt.Mohammed Elshamy—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
American Flag
Dec. 30, 2013. United States Marines support a 100-yard American flag during pre-game ceremonies at the Holiday Bowl NCAA college football game in San Diego. Gregory Bull—AP
Pope Francis kisses a baby Jesus statue as he leads a mass at Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican
Jan. 1, 2014. Pope Francis kisses a baby Jesus statue as he leads a mass at Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Italy. Giampiero Sposito—Reuters
Light and laser illuminate the Great Wall of China to celebrate the new year at the Badaling section of the Great Wall, in Beijing
Dec. 31, 2013. Lights and lasers illuminate the Great Wall of China to celebrate the new year at the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing, China.Kim Kyung-Hoon—Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sits on a ski lift during a visit to a newly built ski resort in the Masik Pass region
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sits on a ski lift during a visit to a newly built ski resort in the Masik Pass region, in this undated picture published in the North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun, and released by Yonhap on Dec. 31, 2013. Yonhap/Reuters
Fireworks illuminate the sky above Prague
Jan. 1, 2014. Fireworks illuminate the sky over Prague Castle in central Prague, Czech Republic.Filip Singer—EPA
A dancer from Romania's northeastern region of Moldova performs the "bear" dance, a ritual for good luck in the New Year
Dec. 30, 2013. A dancer from Romania's northeastern region of Moldova performs the "bear" dance, a ritual for good luck in the New Year, during a traditional parade in Comanesti, 300 km northeast of Bucharest, Romania. Bogdan Cristel—Reuters
Ukraine Protest
Dec. 30, 2013. A pro-European demonstrator holds a mirror which reflects a group of riot police officers standing guard in Kiev, Ukraine.Sergei Chuzavkov—AP
South Sudan Violence
Jan. 2, 2014. One of the few to have a mosquito net, a displaced child who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, lies under it after waking up in the morning in the town of Awerial, South Sudan.Ben Curtis—AP
Friends and relatives of Yanguere Richard, 21, carry his remains to the burial grounds in Bangui
Dec. 27, 2013. Friends and relatives of Yanguere Richard, 21, carry his remains to the burial grounds in Bangui. Richard was killed in the inter-religious fighting in Bangui, Central African Republic.Andreea Campeanu—Reuters
Palestinian demonstrators protest near the Israeli border fence with Gaza as Israeli army shoots tear gas
Dec. 27, 2013. Palestinian demonstrators protest near the Israeli border fence with Gaza as Israeli army shoots tear gas.Amir Cohen—Reuters
Spain Financial Crisis Evictions Demolitions
Dec. 30, 2013. Maria Jesus Navarro, 48, holds her grandchildren as they warm up next to an electric heater in the suburbs of Madrid, Spain, as the family waits to be evicted from the home they have lived in for the past ten years. Andres Kudacki—AP
Dead bodies are seen in the Qalamoun mountains, north of Damascus
Dec. 27, 2013. Dead bodies are seen in the Qalamoun mountains, north of Damascus, in this handout photograph distributed by Syria's national news agency SANA. Syria's army ambushed Islamist fighters in the Qalamoun mountains north of the capital Damascus, leaving as many as 60 people dead, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. SANA/Reuters
India Kashmir Muslims
Dec. 27, 2013. Kashmiri Muslim women pray inside the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom, commonly known as Sultan-Ul-Arifeen, on the eve of the saint's Urs, in Srinagar, India.Dar Yasin—AP
South Sudan Violence
Dec. 27, 2013. A displaced boy lies down against a fence inside a United Nations compound, home to thousands of people displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, South Sudan.Ben Curtis—AP
South Sudan Violence
Dec. 28, 2013. A man walks in a ward of mainly soldiers with gunshot wounds inside the Juba Military Hospital in Juba, South Sudan.Ben Curtis—AP
NEPAL-FESTIVAL-ELEPHANT
Dec. 28, 2013. Nepalese mahouts guide their elephants across the Rapati river at Sauraha in Chitwan, some 150 km southwest of Kathmandu, during the Chitwan Elephant Festival.Prakash Mathema—AFP/Getty Images
India Train Fire
Dec. 28, 2013. An Indian woman watches with folded hands as hospital staff and volunteers carry charred bodies of passengers near the site of a train accident at Kothacheruvu, about 155 kilometers (96 miles) north of Bangalore, India.Aijaz Rahi—AP
Australia's team celebrates after the dismissal of England's Root during the third day of the fourth Ashes cricket test at the Melbourne cricket ground
Dec. 28, 2013. Australia's team celebrates after the dismissal of England's Joe Root during the third day of the fourth Ashes cricket test at the Melbourne cricket ground, Australia.David Gray—Reuters
APTOPIX Spain Family Mass
Dec. 29, 2013. A member of the church shakes a censer during a mass honoring the family in Madrid, Spain.Andres Kudacki—AP
Faithful are pictured through the water of a fountain as Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican
Dec. 29, 2013. Faithful are pictured through the water of a fountain as Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic palace in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, Italy.Max Rossi— Reuters
The MV Akademik Shokalskiy is pictured stranded in ice in Antarctica
Dec. 29, 2013. The Russia ship, MV Akademik Shokalskiy, is pictured stranded in ice in Antarctica.Andrew Peacock—Reuters
Els Enfarinats Festival Celebrated With Flour Fight In Ibi
Dec. 28, 2013. A reveler takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival in Ibi, Spain. David Ramos—Getty Images
March for democracy in Bangladesh
Dec. 29, 2013. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supported lawyers are hit by a police water cannon in front of the main gate of the Supreme Court during the March For Democracy protest rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Abir Abdullah—EPA
North Dakota Train Explosion
Dec. 30, 2013. A massive fireball from an exploding train car rises into the air just west of Casselton, North Dakota.Dave Arntson—Zuma Press
APTOPIX Spain Weather
Dec. 30, 2013. The fog covers the landscape while a train crosses an ancient aqueduct, bottom right, in Noain, northern Spain.Alvaro Barrientos—AP
Cold morning in Amritsar
Dec. 30, 2013. An Indian daily wage laborer wrapped in a blanket warms himself near a fire (unseen) on a cold morning in Amritsar, India.Raminder Pal Singh—EPA
Relatives of Palestinian prisoner Barbakh celebrate ahead of his expected release in Khan Younis
Dec. 30, 2013. Relatives of Palestinian prisoner Rami Barbakh, who has been held by Israel since 1994, celebrate ahead of his expected release in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.Ibraheem Abu Mustafa—Reuters
TOPSHOTS-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-PRISONERS
Dec. 31, 2013. Palestinians wave their national flag as they await the release of Palestinian prisoners to Jerusalem December 31, 2013. Israel has freed 26 Palestinian prisoners under peace talks brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who returned to the region to boost the faltering negotiations.Menahem Kahana—AFP/Getty Images
Israel freed 26 Palestinian prisoners under peace talks brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry
Dec. 31, 2013. Rami Barbakh, a released Palestinian prisoner, (C), is reunited with his family upon arriving at his home in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.Abed Rahim Khatib—NurPhoto
Snowy winter in Kashmir
Dec. 31, 2013. A Kashmiri family crosses Dal Lake in a Shikara (gondola) in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir.Farooq Khan—EPA
A woman places flowers at the site of an explosion on a trolleybus in Volgograd
Dec. 31, 2013. A woman places flowers at the site of an explosion on a trolleybus that climed the lives of 33 people, in Volgograd, Russia. Sergei Karpov—Reuters
TOPSHOTS-INDIA-POLITICS-BJP-PROTEST
Dec. 31, 2013. Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anurag Thakur (C) tries to cross a police barricade during a protest outside Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's residence in New Delhi, India.Sajjad Hussain—AFP/Getty Images
A shrine attendant cleans up after a ritual to bid farewell to 2013 and prepare for the new year at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo
Dec. 31, 2013. A shrine attendant cleans up after a ritual to bid farewell to 2013 and prepare for the new year at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.Yuya Shino—Reuters
A migrant labourer with his face covered with facial cream, smokes as he waits for the cream to dry at a barber shop in New Delhi
Dec. 31, 2013. A migrant laborer, his face covered with facial cream, smokes as he waits for the cream to dry at a barber shop in New Delhi, India. Anindito Mukherjee—Reuters
Miley Cyrus
Dec. 31, 2013. Miley Cyrus leaves the stage after her performance in New York's Times Square during New Year's Eve celebrations. Craig Ruttle—AP
Bill de Blasio
Jan. 1, 2014. Bill de Blasio blows a kiss and waves as he exits his house with his family for his swearing in ceremony as New York mayor at the start of the new year, in New York. Seth Wenig—AP
Fireworks explode in the sky over Dubai
Jan. 1, 2014. Fireworks explode in the sky over Dubai, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the ëLargest Firework Display in this handout provided by the Dubai World Record 2014. Dubai World Record 2014/Reuters
A Buddhist man splashes coloured water on the dome of Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu
Jan. 1, 2014. A Buddhist man splashes coloured water on the dome of Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal.Navesh Chitrakar—Reuters
TOPSHOTS-JAPAN-NEWYEAR
Jan. 1, 2014. People release balloons to celebrate the New Year during the annual countdown ceremony by the Prince Park Tower Tokyo.Kazuhiro Nogi—AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX Rethinking Pot The First Sales
Jan. 1, 2014. A long line of buyers trails from a store selling marijuana in Pueblo West, Colo.John Wark—AP
Singapore New Years Eve
Jan. 1, 2014. A balloon floats amidst fireworks exploding over the financial district at midnight in Singapore. Wong Maye-E—AP
A man gets a sand bath from friends as thousands of people took to the beaches on New Year's Day in Durban
Jan. 1, 2014. A man received a sand bath from friends as thousands of people took to the beaches on New Year's Day in Durban, South Africa. Rogan Ward—Reuters
Ice covers an apartment building which was destroyed by an explosion and a fire in Minneapolis
Jan. 1, 2014. Ice covers an apartment building which was destroyed by an explosion and a fire in Minneapolis.Reuters
World News - Jan. 1, 2014
Jan. 1, 2014. Two participants wearing a polar bear costume take part in the 94th annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.Carmine Marinelli—Zuma Press
Polar Bear Swim 2014 in Vancouver
Jan. 1, 2014 Crowds rush towards the frigid waters of English Bay during the 2014 Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.Andrew Chin—Zuma Press
Flying pigeons cast shadows on the wall an old house built in front of the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu
Jan. 1, 2014. Flying pigeons cast shadows on the wall an old house built in front of the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal.Navesh Chitrakar—Reuters
A woman, displaced as a result of religious violence, plaits the hair of her daughter who is nursing an injury at a hospital in Bossangao
Jan. 1, 2014. A woman, displaced as a result of religious violence, plaits the hair of her daughter who is nursing an injury at a hospital in Bossangao, Central African Republic.Andreea Campeanu—Reuters
China, Hangzhou: Panda Li Li plays on a tree in the sunshine in a zoo i
Jan. 2, 2013. Panda Li Li plays on a tree in the sunshine in a zoo in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province.Ropi/Zuma Press
APTOPIX South Sudan Violence
Jan. 1, 2014. Displaced people who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor, prepare to sleep in the open at night in the town of Awerial, South Sudan. Ben Curtis—AP
Relatives mourn before the funeral of Palestinian Ali, near Nablus
Jan. 2, 2014. Relatives mourn before the funeral of Palestinian Saeed Jaser Ali, 85, in the West Bank village of Kufr Kadum near Nablus. Ali died after inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli army to disperse protesters in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said.Mohamad Torokman—Reuters
Japan's Empress Michiko and Crown Prince Masako make a public appearance as well-wishers wave Japan's national flags during New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
Jan. 2, 2014. Japan's Empress Michiko (R) and Crown Prince Masako make a public appearance as well-wishers wave Japan's national flags during New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan.Yuya Shino—Reuters
CHINA-LIFSTYLE-TOURISM-WINTER
Jan. 2, 2014. A Chinese ice swimmer (R) washes with water after his daily swim in Beijing, China.Wang Zhao—AFP/Getty Images
EQUESTRIAN-UAE-MOREEB-DUNE-FESTIVAL
Jan. 2, 2014. Jockeys compete in a race for purebred Arab horses during the Liwa 2014 Moreeb Dune Festival in the Liwa desert, 250 kilometres west of the Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi. Karim Sahib—AFP/Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-HONG KONG-ECONOMY-PROPERTY
Jan. 2, 2014. Apartment blocks form a symmetrical pattern in Hong Kong.Alex Ogle—AFP/Getty Images
Indian poor people affected by the cold weather in Dehli
Jan. 2, 2014. An Indian daily worker is seen in an open area during a cold winter morning at the old quarters of Delhi, India.Money Sharma—EPA
The fingers of Rahul Maji, who lives and works with family at brick factory, is pictured as he works in Kathmandu
Jan. 2, 2014. The fingers of Rahul Maji, 12, who lives and works with his family at a brick factory, is pictured as he works in Kathmandu, Nepal.Navesh Chitrakar—Reuters
BANGLADESH-VOTE
Jan. 3, 2014. A Bangladeshi boatman tidies up his bedding after waking up in the early morning in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Munir Uz Zaman—AFP/Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-BANGLADESH-VOTE-POSTERS
Jan. 3, 2014. A Bangladesh resident of a shanty town looks out of a window of her home at a street filled with political posters in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Munir Uz Zaman—AFP/Getty Images
Woman looks at burning houses in Bossangoa, north of the Central African Republic's capital Bangui
Jan. 3, 2013. A woman looks at burning houses in Bossangoa, north of the Central African Republic's capital Bangu.Andreea Campeanu— Reuters
TOPSHOTS-CAMBODIA-LABOUR-TEXTILE-PROTEST-ARMY
Jan. 3, 2014. Cambodian police stand guard during a garment workers' protest to demand higher wages in front of a factory in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.Luc Forsyth—AFP/Getty Images
Pope Francis conducts a mass at the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in downtown Rome
Jan. 3, 2013. Pope Francis conducts a mass at the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in downtown Rome, Italy. January 3, 2014. Alessandro Bianchi—Reuters
SNOW STORM HITS WASHINGTON, D.C.
Jan. 2, 2013. The Washington Monument is seen as snow falls in Washington, D.C. Kevin Dietsch —UPI /Landov

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