From protests in Russia and the crisis in Syria to tornadoes in the American midwest and the 84th annual Academy Awards, TIME’s photo department presents the best images of the week.
Feb. 28, 2012. Iranians walk past electoral posters for an upcoming parliamentary election on a street in Tehran.Ahmad Halabisaz—Xinhua Press / CorbisFeb. 27, 2012. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspects units under the command of the Korean Peoples' Army 4th Corps, stationed in the southwestern sector of the front at an undisclosed location in North Korea.KNS / AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 26, 2012. Defendants accused of working for unlicensed non-governmental organizations and receiving illegal foreign funds stand in a cage during the opening of their trial in Cairo.Mohamed Omar—EPAFeb. 28, 2012. People gather outside St. Mary's of Chardon for a candlelight vigil remembering the victims of a school shooting in Chardon, Ohio.Shannon Stapleton—ReutersFeb. 26, 2012. A man holds a rose as relatives of victims of a casino arson attack gather outside the casino in Monterrey, Mexico.Daniel Becerril—ReutersFeb. 28, 2012. People carry the body of Mohammed al-Mnawi, who was killed by Syrian security forces, as they shout anti-government slogans during his funeral in Damascus.AP PhotoFeb. 28, 2012. Syrians gather at a graveyard during the funeral of a man killed by a shrapnel in the Syrian town of Qusayr. Gianluigi Guercia—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 28, 2012. An activist of the opposition holds flowers as she sits in a police bus after a rally in front of the Russian Central Election Commission headquarters in Moscow after their attempt to hold an unauthorized protest against the upcoming March presidential poll.Kirill Kudryavtsev—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 28, 2012. A changing billboard with an election poster depicting Russian billionaire and presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov, left, and an advertising poster depicting American actor Bruce Willis, right, is seen in the moment of changing screens in St. Petersburg.Dmitry Lovetsky—AP PhotoFeb. 25, 2012. An Oscar statue remains covered in plastic before it is unveiled at the red carpet arrivals area during preparations for the 84th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Calif.Lucy Nicholson—ReutersFeb. 26, 2012. Actress Angelina Jolie arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, Calif.Frazer Harrison—Getty ImagesFeb. 26, 2012. Uggie the dog from The Artist poses in the press room at the 84th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, Calif.Joe Klamar—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 25, 2012. A stage hands cleans the floor during rehearsals for 84th Academy Awards.Chris Carlson—APFeb. 24, 2012. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Tunis to attend the "Friends of Syria" conference at which representatives from over 60 countries will discuss the crisis in Syria.Jason Reed—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 26, 2012. U.S. President Barack Obama speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.Brendan Smialowski—ABACA USAFeb. 27, 2012. Vice President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks during the 3rd Annual Black History Month Reception at the Vice President's Residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.Carolyn Kaster—AP PhotoFeb. 29, 2012. A hotel receptionist tries to put out a fire during a demonstration in Barcelona.David Ramos—Getty ImagesFeb. 24, 2012. Senegal's presidential candidate Seck attends an election campaign rally in Dakar.Youssef Boudlal—ReutersFeb. 26, 2012. The view of the Olympic Stadium at sunset during the FINA Diving World Cup and Olympic Test Event in London. Steven Paston—Action Images / ZUMA PRESSFeb. 26, 2012. A diver competes during the Women's 10 m Platform Diveoff at the FINA Diving World Cup held at the Aquatic Centre in the London 2012 Olympic Park, Stratford, London.Geoff Caddick—EPAFeb. 27, 2012. World number-one tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves to Cedrik-Marcel Stebe of Germany during their ATP Dubai Open tennis match in the Gulf Emirate.Karim Sahib—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 27, 2012. Surfer Kelly Slater of the U.S. is seen dominating the famed Snapper Rocks break at the Gold Coast, Australia, netting the highest heat score of the morning a 16.36 (out of 20.00) to advance into round four.Kirstin Scholtz—EPAFeb. 27, 2012. New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez is shown in the mirror as he poses for a portrait on photo day during baseball spring training, in Tampa, Fla.Matt Slocum—AP PhotoFeb. 27, 2012. A race fan sits surrounded by empty seats in anticipation of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 54th Daytona 500 race in Daytona Beach, Fla.Pierre Ducharme—ReutersFeb. 27, 2012. A truck carrying a jet engine track dryer catches on fire in the third turn during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 54th Daytona 500 race at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.Pierre Ducharme—ReutersFeb. 24, 2012. Afghans shout slogans during an anti-U.S. protest over the burning of Korans at a military bass in Afghanistan, in Ghani Khail, east of Kabul.Rahmat Gut—AP PhotoFeb. 25, 2012. Demonstrators are seen during a march protesting President Abdoulaye Wade's bid for a third term, two days before polls in the normally stable nation of Senegal.Osonycz Aude—SIPAFeb. 28, 2012. Pakistani Shiite Muslims condemn killings of passengers in Skurdu, Pakistan.Mohammad Abbas—AP PhotoFeb. 28, 2012. The coffin of lieutenant Carlos Alberto Figueredo, one of the two military dead in the fire at the Brazilian Antarctic's base Capitao Ferraz is disembarked from a military air transport during a ceremony at Rio de Janeiro's air base.Antonio Scorza—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 24, 2012. A Kuwaiti woman wears a contact lens in the colors of her national flag in Kuwait City on the eve of the Gulf state's 51st Independence Day, and ahead of the 21st anniversary of the end of the Gulf War with the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.Yasser Al-Zayyat—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 25, 2012. People hold a giant Libyan flag during a march to Martyrs Square in Tripoli.Anis Mili—ReutersFeb. 27, 2012. A technician checks phone lines at the European Council headquarters ahead of a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels.Yves Herman—ReutersFeb. 25, 2012. Nepalese people watch from the window of their house as a statue of Buddha is brought in at Patan during the Samyak festival in Kathmandu. Navesh Chitrakar—ReutersFeb. 25, 2012. Revelers participate at a Trimery celebration in the city of Strumica, Macedonia. Ognen Teofilovski—ReutersFeb. 25, 2012. An ethnic Naga woman wearing traditional clothing participates in a rally, urging the Indian government to expedite the India-Naga political dialogue for a positive solution in New Delhi.Kevin Frayer—AP PhotoFeb. 25, 2012. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, center, greets the crowd as he arrives for his 88th birthday celebrations in Mutare, Zimbabwe.Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi—AP PhotoFeb. 26, 2012. Supporters wave their hands as Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at Thone Khwa township.Soe Zeya Tun—ReutersFeb. 26, 2012. Hot air balloons carrying tourists rise above the pagodas at dawn in Myanmar's ancient town of Bagan. STR / AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 29, 2012. A miko, or shrine maiden, walks as snow falls at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Franck Robichon—EPAFeb. 29, 2012. An aerial view shows rescuers searching for persons under an avalanche at Col de la Croix in the Skiing area The Diablerets, Switzerland.Jean-Christophe Bott—EPAFeb. 29, 2012. Children from Peachtree Academy wait for Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to arrive for a campaign rally. Evan Vucci—APFeb. 24, 2012. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney walks to his campaign bus after speaking at a town hall meeting in Kalamazoo, Mich.Gerald Herbert—AP PhotoFeb. 27, 2012. A Secret Service agent stands watch from behind an American flag as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Albion, Mich.Gerald Herbert—AP PhotoFeb. 27, 2012. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign rally at the Royal Oak Theater in Royal Oak, Mich.Gerald Herbert—AP PhotoFeb. 25, 2012. Dancers of the Classic Ballet of Moscow On Ice perform in Cali, Colombia.Christian Escobar—EPAFeb. 28, 2012. A person is seen silhouetted against protest slogans on a wall in the center of Athens.Louisa Gouliamaki—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 28, 2012. A gas mask covers the mouth on the statue of independence hero Leonardo Bravo to protest pollution in Mexico City.Eduardo Verdugo—AP PhotoFeb. 29, 2012. A man confronts a hooded protester who was vandalising a bank during a protest against cuts in public education in Barcelona .Albert Gea—ReutersMarch 1, 2012. Maldivian policemen stand guard as a protestor shouts slogans during a rally in Male.Ibrahim Faid—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 28, 2012. Riot police stand guard during a sit-in protest against the construction of the TAV, near Chianocco, north of Turin, Italy.Giorgio Perrottino—ReutersMarch 1, 2012. A model of Hogwarts castle from the Harry Potter film series is unveiled at the Warner Bros Studio Tour, Watford, London.Jonathan Short—AP PhotoFeb. 28, 2012. A member of the national weightlifting team lifts weights as he prepares to compete with other athletes for the selection of the Olympics team in Khartoum, Sudan.Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah—ReutersFeb. 29, 2012. Broken branches and household debris are scattered across a lawn in Harveyville, Kan., after an apparent tornado passed through the town.Matthew Fowler—Emporia Gazette / AP PhotoFeb. 29, 2012. Carissa Westfall helps salvage products from Nature's Sunshine Health Foods store in Branson, Mo. after storms spawned tornadoes that ripped through the U.S. Midwest.Sarah Conrad—ReutersFeb. 24, 2012. A refugee boy from Myanmar stands in ruins of the Um-Piam refugee camp after a fire engulfed part of it near Mae Sot, Thailand.Damir Sagolj—ReutersFeb. 24, 2012. Refugees make a temporary shelter at the ruins of their burnt home at the Um-Piam refugee camp near Mae Sot, Thailand. Damir Sagolj—ReutersFeb. 26, 2012. A Pakistani family watches the compound of Osama bin Laden being demolished by authorities in Abbottabad, Pakistan.Anjum Naveed—AP PhotoFeb. 26, 2012. Boys play baseball on a street in Havana.Desmond Boylan—ReutersFeb. 27, 2012. A girl poses in front of the newly built houses in Zoranje, City of Soleil, in Port au Prince, Haiti. Andres Martinez Casares—Xinhua Press / CorbisFeb. 27, 2012. Relatives of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails protest outside the Red Cross offices in support of Hanaa al-Shalabi, a Palestinian woman freed in a prisoner swap with Israel but who was re-arrested, in the West Bank town of Hebron.Hazem Bader—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 24, 2012. Palestinian women gesture as they shout at Israeli policemen during clashes in Jerusalem's Old City.Ammar Awad—ReutersFeb. 25, 2012. Palestinian girls are reflected in mirrors displayed for sale outside a shop in Jabaliya town, North Gaza Strip.Ali Ali—EPAMarch 1, 2012. Drivers gather in front of a truck on the outskirts of Dhaka Andrew Biraj—ReutersFeb. 27, 2012. An Indian child looks on as others read the Koran at Gulbarg society during a ceremony in Ahmedabad, India.Ajit Solanki—AP PhotoFeb. 27, 2012. A survivor stands outside his house that was burnt and damaged in the Godhra riots during the commemoration of its 10th anniversary, in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad.Amit Dave—ReutersFeb. 28, 2012. Afghan army soldiers stand besides the bodies of alleged Taliban militants after a gun battle between Taliban and Afghan police after an attack at Afghan police station in Jalalabad province, Afghanistan.Mirwice Sahel—EPAFeb. 25, 2012. Chinese rescuers haul the body of a passenger out of the 50-m (165-ft.) gorge on a stretchers after a bus plunged into a ravine killing 15 tourists and injuring 19 others, near Jincheng in Shanxi province.STR / AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 28, 2012. Friends and family members mourn as the coffin of Garcia Pena is lowered into the ground at a cemetery on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Jose Luis Gonzalez—ReutersFeb. 29, 2012. A farmer sows watermelon seeds in a field on the banks of the river Ganges in Allahabad, India.Jitendra Prakash—IndiaFeb. 27, 2012. Tea farmers of the Dong ethnic group pick spring tea in Buyang Village of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.Liang Kechuan—Xinhua Press / CorbisMarch 1, 2012. Small screens show South Korean President Lee Myung-bak as participants listen to his speech during the 93th anniversary ceremony of Independence Movement Day, a public holiday to remember activists who fought for Korean independence against Japanese colonization, in Seoul.Ahn Young-Joon—AP PhotoFeb. 27, 2012. Supermodel Naomi Campbell presents a creation from Roberto Cavalli 2012 Autumn/Winter collection during Milan Fashion Week in Milan.Alessandro Garofalo—ReutersFeb. 29, 2012. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II opens the newly re-furbished Somerset House East Wing, King's College, London.Eddie Mulholland—AFP / Getty ImagesFeb. 28, 2012. Li Jingchun, a farmer, works with his family members on his self-made aircraft on top of his house in Xiahe village, China. Sheng Li—ReutersFeb. 27, 2012. The "Pillar of Light" monument lights up as the day ends in Mexico City.Dario Lopez-Mills—AP PhotoFeb. 26, 2012. Nepal's Chandra Bahadur Dangi, 72, who says he's only 22 in. (56 cm) tall, has his traditional hat adjusted by his nephew Dolak Dangi as he walks to be measured by officials, in Kathmandu.Niranjan Shrestha—AP PhotoFeb. 24, 2012. Because of slash and burn practices, one green tree is left amongst hills of burnt out brown and deforested land, near Mae Chaem, northern Thailand.Barbara Walton—EPAFeb. 29, 2012. A woman performs morning exercises with fans at the Ditan park in Beijing.Andy Wong—AP PhotoFeb. 27, 2012. A U.S. Army carry team moves the transfer case of Maj. Robert Marchanti during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Dover, Del. Win McNamee—Getty ImagesMarch 1, 2012. International artist Yvette Mattern shows his stunning laser rainbow projection, Global Rainbow, Whitley Bay, England. Bethany Clarke—Getty Images
