Damascus
December 15, 2013
A man looks for survivors inside a pickup truck at a damaged site after what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Bangui, Central African Republic
December 20, 2013
A man wounded in fighting between anti-Balaka forces and former Seleka militiamen sits on the floor in a community hospital. Gunfire erupted in and around the capital after a period of relative calm, with violence flaring in angry demonstrations against Chadian peacekeepers, shootouts at checkpoints, and the destruction of a mosque.
Bangui, Central African Republic
December 20, 2013
The body of a man suspected to be an ex-Seleka militiaman lies by a charred car.
Juba, South Sudan
December 19, 2013
An internally displaced man holds his son inside a United Nations Missions in Sudan compound. South Sudanese government troops battled to regain control of a flashpoint town and sent forces to quell fighting in a vital oil producing area on Thursday, the fifth day of a conflict that that has deepended ethnic divisions in the two-year-old nation.
Qunu, South Africa
December 14, 2013
The funeral cortège carrying the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela approaches his home village.
Santiago, Chile
December 15, 2013
Michelle Bachelet celebrates after winning Chile's presidential election in a landslide victory, which should hand the center-leftist the mandate she sought to push ahead with wide-reaching reforms.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
December 16, 2013
Police clashed with supporters of the native Indian community during a protest outside the Indian museum, next to the Maracana stadium. Officers arrested more than 20 indigenous people who occupied the abandoned museum as a protest against its demolition, as part of renovations ahead of Brazil's 2014 World Cup, according to local media.
Amman, Jordan
In this Nov. 22, 2013, photo, men keep a stolen cat in a bird cage at the "thieves market." Dog breeding coupled with dognapping is a thriving business in Jordan, where lax laws call for only a $7 fine for violators and police remain hesitant to pursue those suspected of animal abuse. Activists have campaigned for years for increased penalties, but lawmakers seem uninterested to pursue it in a culture where animal abuse remains rampant.
Bhubaneswar, India
December 19, 2013
Villagers walk home carrying water collected from the Kuakhai River on a foggy morning.
Washington, D.C.
December 15, 2013
President Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle, and daughter Sasha check out the funny face made by one of a team of elves—made up of former patients of the Children's National Medical Center—who greeted the first family as they arrived for a taping of the Christmas in Washington television benefit program at the National Building Museum. The 32nd-annual show, benefiting the Children's National Health System, featured Hugh Jackman, the Backstreet Boys, Sheryl Crow, Anna Kendrick, Janelle Monae, and Pat Monahan.
Kiev, Ukraine
December 17, 2013
An interior ministry member looks through a bus window at a pro-European-integration demonstration. Ukraine's president secured a $15 billion loan from Russia Tuesday when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin—money that could help fend off economic crisis as antigovernment protests continued.
New York
December 17, 2013
Cecil Williams pets his guide dog, Orlando, in his hospital bed following a fall onto subway tracks from a platform. The blind 61-year-old Williams says he fainted while holding onto his black Labrador, who tried to save him from falling. Both escaped without serious injury.
Milan, Italy
December 16, 2013
AS Roma's Gervinho (left) is tackled by AC Milan's goalkeeper Gabriel during their Italian Serie A soccer match at San Siro stadium.
Paris
December 17, 2013
French President Francois Hollande (left) shakes hands with Quebec Premier Pauline Marois as she leaves the Élysée Palace.
Viavelez, Spain
December 19, 2013
Huge waves crash onto the seafront in the northern region of Asturias.
