Photos Of The Week: January 1-8

Belarusian swimmers in Vitebsk prepare for a dip in icy waters on January 7. - Photo by RFE/RL

Georgians take part in the Alilo procession on Christmas Day, collecting donations for charity. - Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas this week on January 7, in keeping with the Julian calendar. See more photos of Orthodox celebrations here.

Photo by AFP

Bulgarian men perform the traditional Horo dance in the river Tundzha on Epiphany Day, January 6. - Photo by Nikolay Doychinov for AFP

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko greets people during Christmas celebrations in the city of Brovary. - Tymoshenko is now campaigning for the presidential election to be held on January 17.

Photo by epa

Iraqi military helicopters fly past the bombed-out Communications Ministry, destroyed during the 2003 invasion. - Photo by AFP

An Afghan woman browses at the burqa market in Kabul. - Photo by RFE/RL

Palestinian men carry a woman who fainted after a confrontation with settlers and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. - Photo by epa

A woman looks at floodwaters outside her house in Obot, Albania. - Albanian authorities have declared a natural disaster in several northwestern regions of the country, where flooding has forced the evacuation of hundreds of people.

Photo by epa

Fireworks explode around the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, during the opening ceremony in Dubai. - Photo by Ali Haider for epa