Images from around the world

Take a look at some of the week’s best photographs from around the globe.

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Oct. 13, 2012

Protesters march against austerity measures announced by the Spanish government in Madrid. Several thousand people noisily banging pots and pans marched down Madrid's main north-to-south boulevard protesting the government's austerity measures. With unemployment nearing 25 percent, Spain has introduced biting austerity measures as well as financial and labor reforms in a desperate bid to lower its deficit and assuage investors' misgivings.

Andres Kudacki / AP

Oct. 13, 2012

Syrian youths film a protest against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with their mobile phones in Aleppo, Syria. The army took a pounding at the hands of rebels in northern Syria, a watchdog said, as tensions between Damascus and Ankara escalated over cargo seized from a Syrian passenger plane.

TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 13, 2012

A man takes part in racing Pacu Jawi or "mud cow racing" in Padang Pajang, Indonesia. The Sumatran sport is held at the end of each rice harvesting season by the Minangkabau people in West Sumatra. The activity sees farmers cling onto crude wooden frames attached to two cows, which they then encourage to race through a muddy paddy. With their hands busy holding on tight, 'jockeys' encourage their steeds to go faster by biting their tails.

Vincent Thian / AP

Oct. 13, 2012

Afghan National Police officers navigate a ropes course during a training session at the police academy in Kabul. International observers worry that the Afghan police will not be able to maintain security after NATO and U.S. troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014.

Anja Niedringhaus / AP

Oct. 13, 2012

Actor and ex-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger greets his fans during the "Arnold Classic Europe 2012" at Cristal Palace in Madrid, Spain.

KIKO HUESCA / European Pressphoto Agency

Oct. 13, 2012

Northern lights illuminate the sky over Potter Marsh in Anchorage, Alaska.

Dan Joling / AP

Oct. 12, 2012

Members of the Civil Guard are showered in flower petals as they march during the Civil Guard's "fiesta" in Pamplona, Spain, on the day of Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the Civil Guard.

JESUS DIGES / EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

Oct. 12, 2012

Starlings fly around the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome as dark clouds gather in the evening sky.

STEFANO RELLANDINI / Reuters

Oct. 12, 2012

The faithful light candles at a chapel during the feast of Our Lady of Aparecida at the Basilica of Aparecida near Sao Paulo, Brazil. Accounts claim that the 39-cm-high teracotta statuette of Our Lady of Aparecida was caught in their net by three fishermen in 1717, and became Brazil's national patroness in 1930. The Basilica, the world's largest Marian pilgrimage, will receive 146,000 pilgrims this year.

YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 12, 2012

French President Francois Hollande, front, descends from his presidential plane as he arrives in Dakar, Senegal. Hollande will attempt to make right France's relationship with Africa on his first visit to the continent, beginning with a stop in Senegal, the seat of France's former colonial empire. He is set to leave Friday night for Congo, where he will attend the Francophonie summit in the capital, Kinshasa.

Rebecca Blackwell / AP

Oct. 12, 2012

An elderly man takes his afternoon nap on a Ronald McDonald statue at a shopping mall in Singapore.

Wong Maye-E / AP

Oct. 12, 2012

India Against Corruption activists are carried away by policemen as they sit with disabled people to protest against alleged embezzlement of government funds meant for the welfare of the disabled in New Delhi, India. The activists alleged financial irregularities in a trust run by Indian Law Minister Salman Khurshid and his wife, Louise Khurshid, and demanded the resignation of Khurshid and that a case be registered against him, according to a news agency.

Saurabh Das / AP

Oct. 11, 2012

An F/A-18 Hornet fighter from the Swiss Air Force performs during a flight demonstration over Axalp, Switzerland.

FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 11, 2012

An artisan works on an idol at a workshop ahead of the Durga Puja festival in Allahabad, India. Durga Puja will be celebrated Oct. 20-24.

Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP

Oct. 11, 2012

A protester sets a Catalunya Caixa ATM on fire during a demonstration in Barcelona by university students protesting deep government cuts to education spending. The cuts are part of efforts by Spain's conservative government to slash the public deficit and calm market fears that it will need a financial bailout.

LLUIS GENE / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 11, 2012

A security official stands next to the Popemobile as he waits for Pope Benedict XVI at the end of Mass to open the Year of Faith at the Vatican.

STEFANO RELLANDINI / Reuters

Oct. 11, 2012

South Korean policemen dance in "Gangnam Style" on the stands of the circuit of the Formula One Korean Grand Prix in Yeongam, South Korea. Korean singing sensation Psy, whose hit song "Gangnam Style" has taken the pop world by storm, will wave the checkered flag at the grand prix.

PHILIPPE LOPEZ / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 10, 2012

Terry Campbell, 10, asks Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, for a hug as the wife of Prince William greets well-wishers during a visit to Newcastle Civic Center in England. The duchess carried out a string of engagements in Newcastle without her husband, who attended the funeral of his former nanny.

Paul Edwards / AP

Oct. 10, 2012

A policeman watches Nadezhda Tolokonnikova speaking on a TV screen in a hall outside a courtroom in Moscow. Three members of a Russian punk band appealed their case following their conviction in August as a result of their impromptu performance inside Moscow's main cathedral in February. One was released and the other two were sent to a penal colony.

Sergey Ponomarev / AP

Oct. 10, 2012

Presenters in traditional Chinese Chi Pao dresses wait during National Day celebrations marking the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan. During the celebrations, President Ma Ying-jeou pledged greater efforts to fix the island's economy, now limping along at about a 2 percent annual growth rate.

Wally Santana / AP

Oct. 10, 2012

Islamist activists in Lahore, Pakistan, carry photos of 14-year-old activist Malala Yousafzai during a protest against her attempted assassination. The teen was shot in Mingora on her way home from school. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying Yousafzai, who advocated for girls’ right to education, generated "negative propaganda" about Muslims.

Arif Ali / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 10, 2012

A Palestinian protester hurls a tear gas canister shot by Israeli soldiers during clashes outside the Ofer military prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah. The clashes started during a demonstration calling to release prisoners jailed in Israel.

Majdi Mohammed / AP

Oct. 10, 2012

An electrical storm lights up the night sky behind the business district in Madrid.

Alberto Di Lolli / AP

Oct. 9, 2012

A protester wearing sunglasses with slogans stands in front of a picture of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a rally against the anti-cybercrime law in front of the Supreme Court in Manila. The court suspended implementation of the country's anti-cybercrime law while it decides whether certain provisions violate civil liberties.

Aaron Favila / AP

Oct. 9, 2012

Backdropped by portraits of independence hero Simon Bolivar, a TV camera transmits a live press conference by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. Chavez won his fourth consecutive presidential bid Sunday.

Rodrigo Abd / AP

Oct. 9, 2012

A woman arranges books on a shelf at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. New Zealand is this year's guest of honor at the book fair.

Michael Probst / AP

Oct. 9, 2012

Media crews use apartment balconies to cover protests in Athens against the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Athens went into security lockdown for a landmark visit by Merkel, whose arrival will be greeted by union and opposition party protests. Thousands of police fanned out across Athens, creating a large safety zone for Merkel's meetings with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and President Karolos Papoulias in which all gatherings and protests have been banned.

Aris Messinis / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 9, 2012

Riot police clash with demonstrators in front of Parliament in Athens. Paying her first visit to the financially stricken country in five years, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Greece has covered "much of the ground" required for recovery. Merkel’s arrival triggered protests in Athens attended by about 50,000 demonstrators. The rallies were mostly peaceful, but police briefly clashed with several dozen demonstrators and detained more than 50 people throughout the day.

Dimitri Messinis / AP

Oct. 8, 2012

Pakistani fishermen pull their net out of the sea onto the beach in Karachi, Pakistan.

Shakil Adil / AP

Oct. 8, 2012

Children pretending to be explorers participate in the Columbus Day parade in New York.

Seth Wenig / AP

Oct. 7, 2012

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez celebrate his reelection in downtown Caracas, Venezuela. Chavez survived his closest race yet after a bitter campaign against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles.

Ariana Cubillos / AP

Oct. 7, 2012

Chavez greets his supporters on the balcony of the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. His victory, announced by the National Electoral Council late Sunday, gave Chavez 54.4 percent of the vote, while Capriles took 44.9 percent. In winning his fourth presidential election since 1998, Chavez captured just over 7.4 million votes, turning back what had been a determined battle by Capriles, a 40-year-old former governor.

Rodrigo Abd / AP

Oct. 7, 2012

A wounded Palestinian boy speaks on the phone with his family following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. A missile fired by an Israeli aircraft hit and wounded two Palestinian militants and eight bystanders in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian hospital officials said.

Ahmed Zakot / Reuters

Oct. 7, 2012

A worker pulls a bag of plastic bottles at a dump site in Drisla near Skopje in Macedonia. A garbage collector makes about 90 Macedonian denars, or $2 American, for 22 pounds of plastic bottles. On a good day, garbage collectors can collect up to 551 pounds of plastic bottles, earning them about 2,390 Macedonian denars, or $50 American.

Ognen Teofilovski / Reuters

Oct. 7, 2012

Police officers carry a detained opposition activist to a bus during a protest on Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday in Moscow. Putin turned 60, his grip on power weaker than in the past but under little immediate threat if oil prices stay high.

Maxim Shemetov / Reuters

Oct. 7, 2012

Models display creations by Rajesh Pratap Singh during the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi.

Tsering Topgyal / AP

Oct. 7, 2012

Members of the Colla Jove de Valls celebrate after building a human tower during the 24th Tarragona Castells Competition.

David Ramos / Getty Images

Oct. 7, 2012

Participants descend from a hill on a homemade roller cart during the 24th Roller Cart Festival in Medellin, Colombia.

Albeiro Lopera / Reuters

Oct. 7, 2012

A tamed elephant is brought in to assist Indian forest officials in pushing a tranquilized female one-horned rhinoceros on a sledge in the village of Uparhali, about 25 miles west of Gauhati, India. The rhinoceros had strayed out from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary last week. At least four rhinos were killed by poachers recently, sparking outrage in the state, which is home to the world's largest concentration of the animals.

Anupam Nath / AP

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Photos of the day

Royal Ascot, protests in Brazil, Lego exhibition, flooding in India, Cheetah-Cub robot and more.

epa03749440 US actor Brad Pitt arrives on the red carpet for the New York Premiere of 'World War Z' in Times Square in New York, USA, 17 June 2013. EPA/JASON SZENES

The premiere of ‘World War Z’

The zombie flick starring Brad Pitt opens from Berlin to New York.

Two-year old male rat named Dyatlik wears a costume during a rodent exhibition in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, June 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Animal views

Rodent exhibition, swimming with elephants, Mexico’s feline mayoral candidate and more.

Inmates walk at a high-security male prison camp outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk May 14, 2013. High-security male prison camp number 17 is intended to house male inmates who are serving a sentence for the first time, and have been convicted for serious crimes. Prisoners at the facility work in wood and metal processing shops, manufacture furniture, sew clothes and do other kinds of work. They can also take part in educational, sport and cultural programs. Picture taken May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin (RUSSIA - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 4 OF 29 FOR PACKAGE 'INSIDE SIBERIA'S PRISONS' SEARCH 'ILYA PRISON' FOR ALL IMAGES

Life in a Siberian prison

A look inside a high-security prison camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Johnathon Carrington, valedictorian at Dunbar High School, laughs with family and friends after his school's graduation ceremony at Howard University on Friday, June 14, 2013, in Washington, DC. Carrington, who grew up in Tyler House public-housing apartments and is graduating from one of DC's low-performing high schoolsy, where academic expectations are high. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Johnathon’s journey

Johnathon Carrington graduated Friday as the valedictorian of his neighborhood school, Dunbar High, and is headed to Georgetown University. But Carrington, 17, is nervous, and so are...

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Madonna attends the Dolce & Gabbana and The Cinema Society screening of the Epix World premiere of 'Madonna: The MDNA Tour' at The Paris Theatre on June 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Madonna, Michael Buble, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, Estelle and other celebrities.

In this June 8, 2013 photo, youth compete in the Sao Carlos slum local soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pitch is just dirt and the incandescent lights aren't so bright. But when the boys' feet strike the football in the Sao Carlos slum as night falls every Saturday, big league dreams glow, inflated by the hope of escaping the shantytown with sporting skills. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Brazil’s other soccer fields

With the Confederations Cup opening this week and the World Cup one year away, all eyes are on Brazil, where soccer is arguably played with more passion and art than anywhere else....

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 16: John F. Tatum Sr. hugs his grandson John F. Tatum III during his annual Father's Day block party on Sunday, June 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

Father’s Day picnic in Northeast D.C.

A decades-old backyard barbecue in Northeast Washington draws hundreds in honor of dads everywhere. “It’s off-the-chain fun,” says Butch McNair, who has worked one...

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