January 23, 2012. Residents struggle to drown a fire in a slum in central Malano in
Equatorial Guinea. The country is co-hosting the African Cup of Nations tournament and has been criticized for pouring money into the games while 7 in 10 of its citizens live in poverty and 1 in 5 children dies before the age of 5.Rebecca Blackwell—AP Photo
From the State of the Union and the Year of the Dragon to ballot boxes and backstage fashion, TIME’s photo department presents the best images of the week.
January 23, 2012. Residents struggle to drown a fire in a slum in central Malano in
Equatorial Guinea. The country is co-hosting the African Cup of Nations tournament and has been criticized for pouring money into the games while 7 in 10 of its citizens live in poverty and 1 in 5 children dies before the age of 5.Rebecca Blackwell—AP PhotoJanuary 24, 2012. An Aurora borealis is pictured near the city of Tromsoe, northern Norway.
Rune Stoltz Bertinussen—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 21, 2012. Statues of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus were among the items rescued by firefighters from the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Italy. Nearly two weeks after the mishap, 17 people are still unaccounted for.Gregorio Borgia—AP PhotoJanuary 20, 2012. Pressing upward from beneath a translucent black shroud, Occupy Wall Street protesters in San Francisco form ghostly faces as part of a rally outside the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The group proposed a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that would outlaw corporate personhood.Sarah Rice—Getty ImagesJanuary 21, 2012. A mourner prays beside the body of Yousif Mowali, 24, before his funeral in Muharraq, Bahrain. Authorities claim Mowali drowned, while his family and human rights groups say he was in police custody and that his body showed burns and bruises, suggesting he may have been tortured.Hasan Jamali—AP PhotoJanuary 21, 2012. A Bahraini man runs from tear gas fired by riot police in the Muharraq, Bahrain, cemetery during the politically charged funeral of Yousif Mowali, 24. Hasan Jamali—AP PhotoJanuary 23, 2012. A log book outside Representative Gabrielle Giffords’ office. The morning after receiving a standing ovation at the State of the Union address, the Democrat from Arizona announced her retirement. Giffords, who was shot in the head in an assassination attempt last year, wrote in her resignation letter, “I will recover and will return.”Brendan Smialowski—The New York TimesJanuary 26, 2012. U.S. President Barack Obama steps off Air Force One and walks to his limousine upon his arrival on a rainy and foggy night in Romulus, Michigan. Jason Reed—ReutersJanuary 23, 2012. A model presents a creation by French designer Alexis Mabille as part of his haute couture spring-summer 2012 fashion show in Paris.Charles Platiau—ReutersJanuary 24, 2012. A child watches riot police from a passing car during an antigovernment protest in Bucharest. Thousands from all over Romania gathered in the capital city to call for the resignation of President Traian Basescu and early elections.Vadim Ghirda—AP PhotoJanuary 23, 2012. On day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament, U.S. tennis star Serena Williams pauses for a moment during her singles match against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia—a match that Makarova would win 6-2, 6-3.Nicolas Asfour—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 26, 2012. A photograph of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is projected on a large screen during a memorial service for Paterno in State College, Pennsylvania. Paterno died of cancer at the age of 85 on Jan. 22. Gary Cameron—ReutersJanuary 24, 2012. President Barack Obama delivers his annual Address to the Congress on the State of the Union, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.Martin H. Simon—CorbisJanuary 24, 2012. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) is hugged by President Barack Obama as he enters the chamber of the House of Representatives to deliver his third State of the Union address.Pete Marovich—Zumapress.comJanuary 25, 2012. Lilly Earp, 8, changes the diaper of her five-week-old sister Emily in their apartment at Hope Gardens Family Center, a shelter for homeless women and children, run by Union Rescue Mission on 77 acres (0.31 square km) of countryside away from Skid Row, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Calif. Lucy Nicholson—ReutersJanuary 23, 2012. This undated picture was released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) inspecting the Command of large combined unit 671 of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed place in North Korea.KCNA via KNS—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 25, 2012. A child and his mother rest in Tunggyi, the capital of Shan state. Derided as a well-choreographed sham in one of the world's most authoritarian countries when it opened a year ago, Myanmar's parliament began a third session with feisty stirrings of democracy, under pressure to accelerate economic and political reforms that could soon convince the West to lift decades-old sanctions. Damir Sagolj—ReutersJanuary 25, 2012. Thousands of Egyptians gather in Tahrir Square to mark the one year anniversary of the revolution in Cairo.Jeff J Mitchell—Getty ImagesJanuary 25, 2012. Egyptians set up an obelisk with the names of people who were killed during the 18-day uprising a year ago in Tahrir Square.Amr Nabil—AP PhotoJanuary 25, 2012. The national flag is waved as tens of thousands of Egyptians gather for a mass rally in Cairo's Tahrir Square, marking the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak.Mahmud Hams—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 22, 2012. Bulgarian Orthodox bishops attend a service celebrating Patriarch Maxim's name day in St. Nedelia cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria. Nikolay Doychinov—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 23, 2012. A worshipper burns incense in prayer at the Lama Temple in Beijing, one of the most renowned Tibetan monastery outside Tibet, wishing for good luck and good fortune on the first day of the Chinese New Year of the Dragon.Diego Azubel—EPAJanuary 23, 2012. A Chinese woman lights joss sticks to pray for prosperity and well-being on the first day of the Year of the Dragon, at the Dongyue Temple in Beijing.Mark Ralston—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 25, 2012. Members of counternarcotics police destroy a cocaine production laboratory in Puerto Concordia, Meta, Colombia, during an operation against FARC drug trafficking infrastructures, in which 17 laboratories were destroyed in southeastern jungles. Two planes, 22 boats, 692 kilograms of coca paste and 13 tons of substances used to produce the drug were seized and 10 people were arrested during the operation. Mauricio Duenas—EPAJanuary 25, 2012. Damaged houses burnt by fireworks are left in Suphanburi province, north of Bangkok, Thailand. The fireworks set off during an official Chinese New Year celebration and sparked a blaze. AP PhotoJanuary 23, 2012. A woman sits at the site of a fire in Kolkata, India, where over a thousand people were rendered homeless after at least 100 shanties were destroyed by the blaze.Bikas Das—AP PhotoJanuary 22, 2012. Actors wearing traditional costumes march through a small door as they prepare to take part in an ancient Qing Dynasty ceremony in which emperors prayed for good harvest and fortune, during the opening of the temple fair at Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, in Beijing.David Gray—ReutersJanuary 24, 2012. A woman covered with live snakes lies on a small stage as she showcases acts of magic and feats of unusual physical abilities at the temple fair in Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, in Beijing.David Gray—ReutersJanuary 24, 2012. A woman swallows a live snake as she performs on a small stage showcasing acts of magic and feats of unusual physical abilities at the temple fair in Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, in Beijing.David Gray—ReutersJanuary 22, 2012. An actor exits the changing room prior to his performance on the eve of the New Year of the Dragon at a park in Beijing.Diego Azubel—EPAJanuary 23, 2012. Confetti and money litter the ground as New York's Chinese community holds its annual Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival to welcome in the lunar new year, the Year of the Dragon.Ed Lefkowicz—Demotix/CorbisJanuary 22, 2012. Ballot boxes stand at an empty polling station in Donja Lomnica, Croatia, during the country's E.U. referendum. More than 66 percent of Croatians favored E.U. entry, but approval is considered lukewarm as turnout was low.Hrvoje Polan—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 23, 2012. Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney walks off stage after a televised debate in Tampa, Fla. Two days later, a TIME/CNN/ORC poll showed Romney and former Speaker Newt Gingrich in a virtual tie heading into the pivotal Florida primary on Jan. 31.Scott Audette—ReutersJanuary 23, 2012. Former House speaker and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, accompanied by his wife Callista, speaks during a campaign stop in Tampa, Fla. Brian Blanco—EPAJanuary 20, 2012. The shadow of Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is cast against the South Carolina state flag as he waits to be introduced at a campaign rally in North Charleston, S.C. David Goldman—AP PhotoJanuary 23, 2012. Before the start of the first Egyptian parliament session since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak, members of the parliament stand and pray for the souls of the victims who died during the revolution.Asmma Waguih—Getty ImagesJanuary 24, 2012. A man takes a bath outside his shanty in front of the Indian national flag in Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, in Mumbai.Danish Siddiqui—ReutersJanuary 22, 2012. A bead of sweat drips from Rafael Nadal of Spain's head during a break between games against Feliciano Lopez of Spain at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.Vivek Prakash—ReutersJanuary 20, 2012. Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gets his hair touched up by a stylist for a television interview before a campaign event aboard the USS Yorktown in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.David Goldman—AP PhotoJanuary 24, 2012. An attendee in the crowd holds a sign as former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, speaks at a campaign event with the Punta Gorda Tea Party in Punta Gorda, Fla. Eric Thayer—The New York TimesJanuary 24, 2012. President Barack Obama casts a shadow on the wall as he walks along the colonnade at the White House on the day of his State of the Union address.Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 23, 2012. Indonesian ethnic Chinese pray during Lunar New Year celebrations at Dharma Bakti temple in Chinatown in Jakarta.Dita Alangkara—AP PhotoJanuary 20, 2012. Syrians attend Friday prayers at Al Amawi mosque in Damascus.Ahmed Jadallah—ReutersJanuary 21, 2012. A model prepares backstage at the Malaikaraiss Autumn/Winter fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin at Brandenburg Gate. Adam Berry—Getty ImagesJanuary 20, 2012. Melinda Star Guido is surrounded by news media cameras as she is discharged from Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center five months after her birth. Guido was born at 24 weeks, weighing 9.5 ounces, and was the third smallest baby born in the world. She currently weighs 4.5 pounds and doctors will continue to monitor her for the next six years. Kevork Djansezian—Getty ImagesJanuary 21, 2012. A Palestinian woman bakes bread on firewood inside her tent in one of the poorest regions in the Al-Zaiton neighborhood, in the Gaza strip. Ali Ali—EPAJanuary 26, 2012. A member of the Cryophil amateur winter bathing club enters the Yenisei River with an air temperature some minus 26 degrees Celcius in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.Ilya Naymushin—RussiaJanuary 26, 2012. The woman looks through an icy window on a bus in Kiev, Ukraine. The temperature in the Ukrainian capital fell to -15 C (5 F).Sergei Chuzavkov—AP PhotoJanuary 26, 2012. A dog seen during a blizzard in Catelu, on the outskirts of Bucharest. Southern Romania was paralysed by heavy snow, with dozens of national roads cut off and 28 flights to and from Bucharest's airports cancelled.Daniel Mihailescu—AFP/Getty Images January 26, 2012. Jewish women pray behind the curtain separating men and women at the tomb of rabbi Baba Sali during the annual pilgrimage to his grave in the southern Israeli town of Netivot. Thousands of Jews, mostly of Moroccan origin, came to pray over the tomb of the respected rabbi known as a miracle-maker by religious Jews. Menahem Kahana—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 23, 2012. Afghans walk down a snow-covered road after a snowstorm in Kabul.Musadeq Sadeq—AP PhotoJanuary 23, 2012. Soldiers stand next to distillers at an outdoor clandestine drug processing laboratory discovered in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, on the outskirts of Guadalajara, Mexico.Alejandro Acosta—ReutersJanuary 24, 2012. A detained illegal migrant from Uzbekistan looks from his cell through a dirty glass window with a grate at police station in Kazansky (Kazan) railway station in Moscow. Police detained about 30 illegal migrants during a routine check. Andrey Smirnov—AFP/Getty ImagesJanuary 25, 2012. In Tampa, Fla., Audrey Maybrey wipes away tears as she testifies in the trial of Christopher Hanney, who is accused on trying to kill Audrey, his wife, and setting her on fire. Kathleen Flynn—Tampa Bay TimesJanuary 25, 2012. Rescue worker remove a car after a building collapsed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There is no official word on deaths, but Globo television cites unidentified Brazilian authorities as saying two bodies have been found so far. Felipe Dana—AP PhotoJanuary 24, 2012. Workers clean before the opening ceremony of the ordinary diet session of the Parliament in Tokyo.Koji Sasahara—AP PhotoJanuary 25, 2012. A cleaner sweeps up rubbish before crowds arrive for the temple fair at Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, on the third day of the Chinese New Year in Beijing.David Gray—ReutersJanuary 22, 2012. Two poodles named Willow and Floyd are transformed into a Tigoodle and a Zeboodle. A new craze in which dogs are clipped and dyed into different shapes for wacky competitions is spreading to Britain from the U.S. Landov—Barcroft MediaJanuary 23, 2012. A sign sits on a park bench during the annual March for Life in Washington.Shawn Thew—EPAJanuary 22, 2012. Hindu pilgrims cross a newly constructed temporary bridge at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Allahabad, India. Rajesh Kumar Singh—AP PhotoJanuary 24, 2012. A morning jogger stretches in a park on a cold winter day at Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi.Parivartan Sharma—Reuters
