December 6, 2011. A protester hurls a petrol bomb toward riot police in Athens’ Syntagma Square, the center of months of demonstrations in Greece. Activists were marking the anniversary of the 2008 shooting of a student by police.Yannis Behrakis—Reuters
From suicide bombings in Afghanistan and the U.S. pullout from Iraq to the Ashura rituals in India and Russia’s elections, TIME’s photo department presents the best images of the week.
December 6, 2011. A protester hurls a petrol bomb toward riot police in Athens’ Syntagma Square, the center of months of demonstrations in Greece. Activists were marking the anniversary of the 2008 shooting of a student by police. Yannis Behrakis—Reuters December 6, 2011. A badge picturing Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and another of him with the Iraqi Shi‘ite cleric Moqtada al‑Sadr, are seen on the bloodstained shirt of a man taking part in the Shi‘ite commemoration of Ashura, a holiday marking Hussein’s death that can involve ritual bloodletting.
Ahmad Al-Rubaye—AFP/Getty ImagesDecember 4, 2011. After members of a local electoral commission brought a mobile ballot box into her home in the Russian village of Shestaki, a woman casts her ballot. Vladimir Putin’s ruling party won a reduced majority in the elections amid charges of fraud.
Viktor Drachev—AFP/Getty ImagesDecember 6, 2011. Minutes after a blast that killed more than 50 people during the Shiite holy day of Ashura. The explosion happened next to the Abdul Faz mosque, Afghanistan. Kabul, in a crowd watching Hazara Afghans performing zanjeer--ritual flagellation.
Joel van HoudtDecember 4, 2011. An Indian policeman chases away Shi‘ite Muslims trying to take
part in a religious procession on Dec. 4 in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian‑
administered Kashmir. India has banned such processions in Kashmir since a rebellion against Indian rule broke out in 1989.
Yawar Nazir—Getty ImagesDecember 6, 2011. A man makes a warrior’s gesture during a clash with riot police in the Paraguayan capital of Asunción. More than 400 families who illegally occupied an area belonging to the city government were evicted.
Cai Bing—Xinhua/Zuma PressDecember 2, 2011. A Palestinian protester climbs Israel’s separation wall during a weekly demonstration against Israeli occupation in the West Bank village of Nilin. While change sweeps the Arab world, little progress has been seen in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
Abbas Momani—AFP/Getty ImagesDecember 5, 2011. Kaibiles, members of Guatemala’s special‑operations forces, take part in a ceremony to mark their graduation from a harsh training course. The controversial counterinsurgency unit within the Guatemalan army was founded in 1974; just nine soldiers successfully completed the course.
Jorge Dan Lopez—ReutersDecember 2, 2011. A worker in scuba gear dressed as Santa Claus greets spectators during an aquarium show in Bangkok. Though most of its people are Buddhists, Thailand celebrates Christmas as a festival—often with Santa.
Damir Sagolj—ReutersDecember 5, 2011. Catholic nuns hold booklets with pictures of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej as they sing outside the Royal Palace in Bangkok to mark his 84th birthday.
Damir Sagolj—ReutersDecember 6,2011. A Spanish officer participates in the raising ceremony of the Spanish national flag during the celebrations of the 33rd anniversary of the Spanish Constitution, in Madrid.Daniel Ochoa de Olza—APDecember 5, 2011. An Egyptian woman votes inside a polling station in Nasr City, a neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt.Tara Todras-Whitehill—APDecember 2, 2011. Egyptian demonstrators carry mock coffins in memory of fellow protesters who were killed during deadly clashes with security forces as they take part in a rally at Tahrir Square in Cairo.Ashraf Amra—AFP/Getty ImagesDecember 4, 2011. Police officers investigate wrecked luxury cars at the site of a traffic accident on the Chugoku Expressway in Shimonoseki, southwestern Japan. Ten people were slightly injured in the pile up involving eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, two Mercedes-Benz and two Japanese cars, according to the police. A group of luxury sports car fans were believed to be driving together when the accident occurred. Kyodo/ReutersDecember 4, 2011. A man dressed as a jaguar holds a guitar during closing festivities in honor of Masaya's patron saint, Saint Jerome, in Masaya, Nicaragua. The festival is a three month celebration in honor of the Catholic Saint.Esteban Felix—APDecember 5, 2011. Indian army soldiers in camouflage take part in exercise "Sudarshan Shakti" at Bugundi in Rajasthan state's Barmer desert near the India Pakistan border, India.APDecember 6, 2011. Riot police officers detain a protester during clashes in Athens. Protesting high school students hurled rocks and bottles during clashes clashed with police during a rally to mark the third anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in central Athens.Kostas Tsironis—APDecember 6, 2011. A young Indian Shiite Muslim cries as an elder makes a cut on his forehead with a knife during a procession to mark Ashura in Hyderabad, India. Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, observed around the world in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed.APDecember 6, 2011. Shi'ite Muslim boys beat their chests as they practice self-flagellation during the religious ritual of Ashura in New Delhi, India. Daniel Berehulak—Getty ImagesDecember 6, 2011. Shi'ite Muslim men and boys beat their chests as they practice self-flagellation during the religious ritual of Ashura in New Delhi, India. Hundreds of Muslims in New Delhi and thousands around India took part in a procession to mark the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram. Daniel Berehulak—Getty ImagesDecember 2, 2011. Mongolian tribesmen take part in a camel race during the winter Naadam festival in Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia region, in the latest event to promote tourism in the cold winter months. STR/AFP/Getty ImagesDecember 7, 2011. Walker, a 368 kg polar bear, chases a plastic helmet in a pond on his third birthday at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kincraig, Scotland. Russell Cheyne—ReutersDecember 5, 2011. Sink holes filled with water are seen in this aerial view of the Dead Sea.Baz Ratner—ReutersDecember 4, 2011. Paramilitary policemen practice drills inside the Forbidden City during a heavy haze and smog night in central Beijing, China.Jason Lee—ReutersDecember 2, 2011. An Indian naval commando dispenses orange smoke during a dress rehearsal ahead of Navy Day in Mumbai, India.Rajanish Kakade—APDecember 7, 2011. U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, wait to load onto their armored vehicles as they prepare to convoy to Kuwait from Camp Adder in Iraq at Camp Adder, near Nasiriyah, Iraq. After seven months in Iraq, the third Brigade is pulling out of the country as part of America's military exodus by the end of December after eight years of war and occupation which included the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Joe Raedle—Getty ImagesDecember 7, 2011. A five-metre (16 feet) replica of a devil burns during a "Quema del Diablo" (burning of the devil) ceremony in Antigua, 217 km (135 miles) off Guatemala City. Locals believe that the devil symbolizes evil and negativity, and burning its replica would alleviate them of these problems. However, environmental groups have condemned the ceremony, saying it is a source of air pollution, while religious groups have considered this a form of devil worship. William Gularte—ReutersDecember 8, 2011. Pakistani firefighters extinguish burning NATO supply oil tankers and goods trucks at a terminal following an attack by gunmen in Quetta. Up to 20 trucks were ablaze after a rocket attack on a NATO trucking terminal in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan, officials said.Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty ImagesDecember 8, 2011. A man holds a cross as he prays during a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of of the founding of the St. Mary's Cathedral in Yangon. Soe Zeya Tun—ReutersDecember 8, 2011. A supporter of Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi is grabbed by a Congolese riot police officer outside his candidate's headquarters in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Jerome Delay—APDecember 4, 2011. Giant panda Yang Guang is seen eating bamboo branches through a whole of a FedEx container at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Sichuan province.ReutersDecember 2, 2011. U.S. President Barack Obama tours a "trophy" office space building and speaks about job creation and energy efficiency in Washington, DC. Olivier Douliery—Pool/Getty Images
