Pictures of the Week: January 24 – January 31

1 minute read

From snowstorms crippling the American South and ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on trial in Cairo to celebrations marking the Chinese New Year and Pope-inspired superhero street art in Rome, TIME presents the best pictures of the week.

Philippines Demolition
Jan. 27, 2014. Plainclothes police arrest a resident who allegedly threw rocks at them as they enforce the demolition of their shanties at the sprawling community of informal settlers at suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. Bullit Marquez—AP
Pope Francisco
Jan. 26, 2014. A seagull attacks a dove released by Pope Francis and children from the window of his private apartments at the end of the Sunday Angelus prayer at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.Donatella Giagnori—Archivolatino/Zuma Press
Winter Weather Alabama
Jan. 30, 2014. One car lies half submerged in the Cahaba River as another sits abandoned, after a snow storm in Mountain Brook, Ala.. Hal Yeager—AP
Ukraine Protests
Jan. 25, 2014. Riot police keep a fire hose aimed at protesters continously during rioting on Hrusehvskoho Street in central Kiev. Freezing temperatures creates a dramatic landscape of fire and ice.Ross McDonnell
THAILAND-POLITICS-PROTEST
Jan. 27, 2014. Water is poured onto the hand of the body of Thai anti-government protest leader Suthin Tharathin as he lies in a Buddhist temple where thousands of people come to pay their respects in Bangkok. Nicolas Asfouri—AFP/Getty Images
President Barack Obama works at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
Jan. 27, 2014. President Barack Obama works at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, as he prepares to deliver his State of the Union address before a combined session of Congress the following day.Gabriella Demczuk—The New York Times/Redux
A broken glass of a niche where the reliquary with the blood of the late Pope John Paul II was located is seen next to a painting of the late Pope in the small mountain church of San Pietro della Ienca
Jan. 28, 2014. The broken glass of a niche where the reliquary with the blood of the late Pope John Paul II was located is seen next to a painting of the late Pope in the small mountain church of San Pietro della Ienca, near the city of L'Aquila, Italy.Max Rossi—Reuters
China Celebrate The Lunar New Year Of The Horse
Jan. 30, 2014. Fireworks illuminate a residential area to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year of Horse in Beijing, China. Feng Li—Getty Images
EXPO TATTOO VENEZUELA 2014
Jan. 30, 2014. A child plays around her mother's tattooed legs during the 'VenezuelaExpo Tattoo' in Caracas, Venezuela.Miguel Breza—EPA
Bomb Blast in Cairo, Egypt
Jan. 24, 2014. A suicide bomber struck Cairo police headquarters in the first of three bombings in the Egyptian capital that killed several people ahead of the anniversary of the 2011 uprising.Tarek Wajeh—NurPhoto
Brussels, Belgium. 28th January 2014. Ukrainian protest group Femen staged a demonstration outside the European Council today where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected. © Peter Cavanagh/Alamy Live News
Jan. 28, 2014. Ukrainian protest group Femen stage a demonstration outside the European Council, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected, in Brussels, Belgium. Peter Cavanagh—Alamy
Tough Guy Challenge
Jan. 26, 2014. A competitor runs past a fire during the Tough Guy Challenge in Telford, England. Bryn Lennon—Getty Images
Central African Republic
Jan. 24, 2014. A terrified woman walks down from the bush in the hills 15 kilometers (9 miles) outside Bangui, Central African Republic, as Rwandan troops tell her to calm down during a weapons search operation.Jerome Delay—AP
Ukraine: Street Fights in Kiev
Jan. 25, 2014. Flowers laid down on icy ground as a commemoration for killed activist Sergej Nigojan, Institutska Road, Kiev, Ukraine.ddp images/Sipa USA
APTOPIX Ukraine Protests
Jan. 25, 2014. A protester walks near burning tires following clashes with police in central Kiev, Ukraine.Darko Vojinovic—AP
Ukraine: Street Fights in Kiev
Jan. 25, 2014. A mannequin is seen on top of a burnt bus on Grushevskogo Road, Kiev, Ukraine.ddp images/Sipa USA
Kenya Lions
Jan. 25, 2014. A team led by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) take measurements of the canine teeth while they prepare to fit a GPS-tracking collar to a tranquilized male lion, in Nairobi National Park in Kenya. Ben Curtis—AP
Central African Republic Death Of A Neighborhood
Jan. 25, 2014. A car burns next to a gutted Muslim owned house in the PK13 district of Bangui, Central African Republic.Jerome Delay—AP
Ukraine: Funeral in Kiev
Jan. 26, 2014. Mourners attend the funeral service at Sankt-Michael-Cathredal for Mikhail Zhiznevsky, 25, an anti-government protester who was killed in clashes with police in Kiev, Ukraine.ddp images/Sipa USA
Ukraine: Funeral in Kiev
Jan. 26, 2014. The funeral service at Sankt-Michael-Cathredal for Mikhail Zhiznevsky, 25, an anti-government protester who was killed in clashes with police, in Kiev, Ukraine.ddp images/Sipa USA
Protests Continue In Kiev As The Opposition Calls For A Snap Election
Jan. 26, 2014. Men carry a casket containing the body of Mikhail Zhiznevsky, 25, an anti-government protester who was killed in clashes with police, after a memorial service in his honor in Kiev, Ukraine. Brendan Hoffman—Getty Images
A boy carries a cross at the beginning of Sunday mass in a church in Wango
Jan. 26, 2014. A boy carries a cross at the beginning of Sunday mass in a church in Wango, a district of the capital Bangui, Central African Republic.Siegfried Modola—Reuters
INDIA-REPUBLIC DAY
Jan. 26, 2014. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Dog Squad personnel take part in a march during Republic Day celebrations in Jammu, India.Alok Pathania—AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX India Republic Day
Jan. 26, 2014. Indian students hold their national flag as they perform a dance during the Republic Day celebrations in Hyderabad, India.Mahesh Kumar A.—AP
Avalanche debris is pictured on the Richardson Highway in Alaska in this handout photo
Jan. 25, 2014. Avalanche debris is pictured on the Richardson Highway in Alaska in this handout photo.Road traffic to Valdez, Alaska, was cut off from the rest of the state after avalanches over the weekend blocked the only road into the coastal community.Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities/Reuters
APTOPIX Russia Leningrad Siege
Jan. 27, 2014. A soldier looks on during a parade marking the 70th anniversary of the battle that lifted the Siege of Leningrad in St. Petersburg, Russia.Dmitry Lovetsky—AP
RUSSIA-POLITICS-HISTORY-WAR
Jan. 26, 2014. World War II re-enactors dressed as Soviet Red Army's (R) and Nazi Germany's (L) troops take part a staged battle to mark the 70th anniversary of the final raise of the Nazi blockade of the city of Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, in the village of Porogki in Leningrad region, Russia.Olga Maltseva—AFP/Getty Images
THAILAND-POLITICS-PROTEST
Jan. 27, 2014. The wife and daughter (C) of Thai anti-government protester leader Suthin Tharathin (front) cry next to his body as he laid in a Buddhist temple where thousands of people come to pay their respect in Bangkok. Nicolas Asfouri—AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX 2014 Sochi Olympics
Jan. 27, 2014. The Olympic torch is tested before the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Olympic Parkin Sochi, Russia. David J. Phillip—AP
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plays table tennis at Boys and Girls Club in Newark
Jan. 27, 2014. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plays table tennis following a news conference at the Boys and Girls Club of Newark Clubhouse in Newark, New Jersey.Andrew Kelly—Reuters
BESTPIX Israelis Visit Yad Vashem During International Holocaust Memorial Day
Jan. 27, 2014. Israeli soldiers observe shoes of Holocaust victims during a visit at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, Israel, which commemorates the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II.Uriel Sinai—Getty Images
California Drought Dries Up Bay Area Reservoirs
Jan. 28, 2014. A car sits in dried and cracked earth of what was the bottom of the Almaden Reservoir in San Jose, California. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
Valerie Trierweiler, former companion of French President Francois Hollande, eats cake at a Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action centre at a slum in Mumbai
Jan. 28, 2014. Valerie Trierweiler, former companion of French President Francois Hollande, eats cake at a Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) centre at a slum in Mumbai. Danish Siddiqui—REuters
Pakistan Daily Life
Jan. 28, 2014. Pakistani children, whose families were displaced from Pakistan's tribal areas due to fighting between the Taliban and the army, attend their daily Madrassa, or Islamic school, at a mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—AP
APTOPIX India Hindu Festival
Jan. 28, 2014. Light shines from a tent of devotees resting at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati river, during the annual traditional fair 'Magh Mela' in Allahabad, India.Rajesh Kumar Singh—AP
THE DAILY LIFE AT THE BEDOUIN VILLAGE IN GAZA STRIP
Jan. 28, 2014. Palestinian Bedouin children enjoy a donkey ride around Gaza Strip.Ahmed Deeb—Barcroft Media /Landov
President Barack Obama enters the House Chamber of the Capitol Building to deliver the State of the Union address.
Jan. 28, 2014. President Barack Obama enters the House Chamber of the Capitol Building to deliver the State of the Union address.Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times/Redux
President Obama Delivers State Of The Union Address At U.S. Capitol
Jan. 28, 2014. (L-R) U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) listen as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.Win McNamee—Getty Images
APTOPIX India Homosexuality
Jan. 28, 2014. An Indian gay rights activist holds up a placard and a flag during a protest against a recent Supreme Court verdict that upheld section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes homosexuality in New Delhi, India.Altaf Qadri—AP
A mother holds her child while attempting to take cover as repeated gun shots are heard close to Miskine district during continuing sectarian violence in the capital Bangui
Jan. 28, 2014. A mother holds her child while attempting to take cover as repeated gun shots are heard close to Miskine district during continuing sectarian violence in the capital Bangui, Central African Republic.Siegfried Modola—Reuters
Wangouma Nestor, lies on a stretcher in Camp de Roux, a main base recently abandoned by former Seleka fighters near Bangui
Jan. 28, 2014. Wangouma Nestor, who had his neck cut, lies on a stretcher in Camp de Roux, a main base recently abandoned by former Seleka fighters near the center of the capital Bangui, Central African Republic. Siegfried Modola—Reuters
City Ballet Art Installation
Jan. 28, 2014. A Patron of the New York City Ballet walks along a massive photograph on linoleum flooring, by French-born artist JR, featuring over 80 dancers arranged in an array of poses at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. Craig Ruttle—AP
Masked men lead a donkey through the streets during carnival celebrations in Zubieta
Jan. 28, 2014. Masked men lead a donkey through the streets during carnival celebrations in Zubieta, Spain.Vincent West—Reuters
Morsi prison escape trial begins in Egypt
Jan. 28, 2014. Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi talks from a cage in a makeshift courtroom inside a police academy in Cairo, Egypt.Almasry Alyouma—EPA
A Palestinian couple waits before a mass wedding ceremony in the West Bank city of Jericho
Jan. 28, 2014. A Palestinian couple waits before a mass wedding ceremony in the West Bank city of Jericho.Ammar Awad—Reuters
Another Extreme Cold Front Moves Through Midwest
Jan. 28, 2014. With temperatures hovering around -10 degrees, steam rises from Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson—Getty Images
Lion Dancing Troop Practice Ahead Of Chinese New Year Celebrations
Jan. 29, 2014. A Lion Dancer takes a break during a practice session, ahead of Chinese New Year, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Nicolas Axelrod—Getty Images
FASHION-SPAIN-080-BARCELONA-TXELL
Jan. 29, 2014. A model presents a creation by Txell Miras during the 080 Barcelona Autumn-Winter 2014-2015 fashion week in Barcelona, Spain.Josep Lago—AFP/Getty Images
Central African Republic
Jan. 29, 2014. A Christian girl plays in Bangui's monastery where she found refuge in Bangui, Central African Republic.Jerome Delay—AP
BESTPIX Flooding Continues To Affect People's Lives On The Somerset Levels
Jan. 29, 2014. Trees are reflected in flood waters on the Somerset Levels near Langport in Somerset, England.Matt Cardy—Getty Images
Protest Performance of Swan Lake Outside The Russian Embassy
Jan. 29, 2014. Ballet dancers wait to cross the road to join Amnesty International activists for a photocall outside the Russian Embassy in London.Dan Kitwood—Getty Images
A puma is seen inside the kitchen of a residential home in Santiago
Jan. 29, 2014. A puma is seen inside the kitchen of a residential home in this handout picture provided by the Agricultural and Livestock Service of Chile (SAG), in Santiago, Chile.Agricultural and Livestock Service of Chile (SAG)/Reuters
Italy - Feature - First Pope Francis graffiti murales appears in Rome
Jan. 29, 2014. Pope Francis represented as a Super Hero by italian artist Mauro Pallotta aka MAUPAL, in a street nearby St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican.Alessandra Benedetti—Corbis
Nepal Hindu Festival
Jan. 29, 2014. Nepalese Hindus take bath in the Bagmati River, holy to them, during Madhav Narayan festival in Katmandu, Nepal.Niranjan Shrestha—AP
Children are engulfed in dust as a convoy arrives at a IDP camp at the airport in Bangui
Jan. 29, 2014. Children are engulfed in dust as a convoy of escorted taxis carrying Muslims, fleeing the continuing sectarian violence, arrives at a temporary internally displaced person (IDP) camp at the airport of the capital Bangui, Central African Republic.Siegfried Modola—Reuters
Tents of anti-government protesters are seen at Independence Square in central Kiev
Jan. 30, 2014. Tents of anti-government protesters are seen at Independence Square with the air temperatures around minus 19 degrees Celsius (minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit) in central Kiev, Ukraine.Gleb Garanich—Reuters
President Obama Travels To Wisconsin and Tennessee
Jan. 30, 2014. President Barack Obama departs the White House for Wisconsin and Tennessee in Washington.Olivier Douliery—Getty Images
Winter Weather Alabama
Jan. 30, 2014. A car lies half submerged in the Cahaba River in Mountain Brook, Ala. Hal Yaeger—AP
People rest at aisle of a Publix grocery store after being stranded due to a snow storm in Atlanta
Jan. 29, 2014. People rest at the aisle of a Publix grocery store after being stranded due to a snow storm in Atlanta, Georgia. A rare winter storm gripped the U.S. South on Wednesday, killing five people, stranding children overnight at their schools, gnarling traffic across many states and canceling flights at the world's busiest airport. Tami Chappell—Reuters
RUSSIA-WEATHE-FEATURE
Jan. 30, 2014. Passengers are silhouetted in the frozen window of a bus in St. Petersburg.Olga Maltseva—AFP/Getty Images
Graffiti marks the stump of a tree felled as part of a plan to remove alien vegetation and reduce fire risks in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park
Jan. 27, 2014. Graffiti marks the stump of a tree felled as part of a plan to remove alien vegetation and reduce fire risks in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park in South Africa.Mike Hutchings—Reuters
Super Bowl Stadium Football
Jan. 30, 2014. This aerial photo shows MetLife Stadium, lower left, in East Rutherford, N.J., with the New York City skyline, top, in the background. The Seattle Seahawks play the Denver Broncos on Sunday at the stadium in the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game.AP
Knox sits alone before being interviewed on the set of ABC's "Good Morning America" in New York
Jan. 31, 2014. Amanda Knox sits alone before being interviewed on the set of ABC's "Good Morning America" in New York. Knox vowed on Friday to fight her second conviction for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in 2007 while the two were students together in the Italian university town of Perugia. Andrew Kelly—Reuters
Pakistan Daily Life
Jan. 31, 2014. An eight-months-old trained monkey sits on a can next to his owner, holding the leash as they wait for customers to perform to in a park in Islamabad, Pakistan, Muhammed Muheisen—AP
TOPSHOTS-UKRAINE-UNREST-EU-RUSSIA-POLITICS
Jan. 31, 2014. Anti-government protesters warm themselves at a fire near a barricade early morning in Kiev, Ukraine.Angelos TzortzinisAFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX Pakistan Refugees Photo Essay
Jan. 24, 2014. Afghan refugee girl, laiba Hazrat, 6, poses for a picture, while playing with other children in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Muhammed Muheisen—AP

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com