Photos Of The Week: March 20-26

A demonstrator attends an antigovernment rally in the Russian city of Barnaul. - Thousands of people across Russia gathered on March 20 to protest government policies and to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Photo by Andrei Kasprishin of Reuters

White phosphorous munitions are blown up by UN and Hamas sappers in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. - The munitions had remained unexploded since the war in the Gaza Strip in 2008-09.

Photo by Mohammed Saber of epa

Dervishes hold a sword across the throat of a believer during a ceremony on March 22 in Rahovec, Kosovo. - The Kosovo dervish community carries on centuries-old mystical practices, such as self-piercing with needles and knives, as a way to earn salvation and find the path to God.

Photo by Armend Nimani of AFP

Protesters gather on March 25 near a banner hanging over a sign marking George W. Bush Street in Tbilisi. - Many are unhappy that a street in the Georgian capital has been renamed in honor of the former U.S. president.

Photo by Inter Press News

U.S. Army soldier Christopher Steiner plays with a goat brought by an Afghan boy near a police station in Kandahar. - Photo by Shamil Zhumatov of Reuters

U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden celebrate the signing of a health-care reform bill on March 23. - Photo by Larry Downing of Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI gestures at the end of a meeting with the youth of Rome and the Lazio region. - The event was held in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in preparation for World Youth Day on March 25.

Photo by AFP

Britain's Prince Charles rides in a British military helicopter en route to Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. - Prince Charles arrived in Afghanistan on March 25 on a surprise visit to meet with British soldiers serving in southern Helmand Province.

Photo by AFP

U.S. Marines depart at sunrise after spending the night at an Afghan farm in Marjah, Helmand Province. - A total of 60 farms were searched and nothing suspect was found. The number of foreign troops under U.S. and NATO command is set to rise to 150,000 by August, with most of the new deployments heading to the south.

Photo by AFP

Belarusian police amass ahead of Freedom Day celebrations in the capital, Minsk, on March 25. - Opposition leaders and activists hold public actions to commemorate the creation of the Belarusian People's Republic (BNR) in 1918. The government does not recognize Freedom Day.

Photo by Artsyem Lyava