The city of Istanbul is covered with snow on Jan. 9, after a storm blanketed Turkey's commercial hub, a city of 15 million, paralyzing daily life, disrupting air traffic and land transport.

Palestinians play with snow during a snow storm in the West Bank village of Halhul near Hebron on Jan. 9. At least 8 people have died due to a winter storm in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Meteorological agencies in Israel and Lebanon both called it the worst storm in 20 years.

A man walks on snow after a heavy snowstorm in the desert near Tabuk, 932 miles from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Jan. 9.

A visitor climbs the steps of Baalbek's Bachus temple as snow covers the Roman ruins of the historic town in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Jan. 9, following a fierce storm which has whipped the region this week with temperatures dropping dramatically and snow falling on across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel.

A Palestinian man uses his donkey cart to transport people across a flooded street in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 9.

Syrian refugees play with snow outside their tents during a winter storm in al-Marj, in the Bekaa valley on Jan. 9. The worst winter storm in two decades has hit the eastern Mediterranean this week, bringing destruction and death to Syria and its neighbors who are already dealing with a refugee crisis from the country's civil war.

A seagull stands on Galata Tower on Jan. 9. Heavy snowfall blanketed Turkey's commercial hub Istanbul, a city of 15 millions, paralyzing daily life, disrupting air traffic and land transport.

Victims of the Seastreak Wall Street ferry accident are aided by rescue personnel, on Jan. 9 in New York.

An injured person is carried to a waiting ambulance following an early morning ferry accident during rush hour in Lower Manhattan on Jan. 9 in New York City.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg surveys the damage to a passenger ferry after it crashed on Jan. 9 in New York. At least 57 people were injured, two critically, when a commuter ferry struck a dock in New York City's financial district, ripping open a right-side front corner.

Passengers from the Seastreak Wall Street ferry wait to be taken to ambulances, in New York, on Jan. 9.

The Seastreak Wall Street ferry is docked in front of the Brooklyn Bridge, left, and Manhattan Bridge, right, following an accident, on Jan. 9 in New York.

Executive Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt, right, tries on 3-D glasses as he looks at North Korean-developed computer technology during a tour of the Korean Computer Center in Pyongyang, North Korea on Jan. 9. At left is Kun "Tony" Namkung, a North Korea's expert and member of the traveling delegation.

Eric Schmidt, back row left, and former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, back row right, look at North Korean soldiers working on computers at the Grand Peoples Study House in Pyongyang, North Korea on Jan. 9.

Eric Schmidt, second from left, and former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, second from right, look through an information technology text book at the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang, on Jan. 9. At left is director of Google Ideas think tank, Jared Cohen. The textbook is titled "Aries Net Certified Technician First Edition Version 3.0."

Puppets of Israel's Labour party head Shelly Yachimovich, right, and Aryeh Deri, one of the leaders of the religious Shas party, are being adjusted during the filming of a television show at the Herzliya Studios near Tel Aviv on Jan. 8.

Puppet maker Hila Flashkes works on a puppet of Israel's Labour party head Shelly Yachimovich at a workshop in Tel Aviv on Dec. 24.

Puppet maker Hila Flashkes, right, and a barber work on a puppet of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a workshop in Tel Aviv on Dec. 24.

Puppeteers sit with a puppet of Israel's Labour party head Shelly Yachimovich before the filming of a television show at the Herzliya Studios near Tel Aviv on Jan. 8.

Israeli lawmaker Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, right, and actors sit and next to puppets of Israel's Labour party head Shelly Yachimovich, center right, and Aryeh Deri, one of the leaders of the religious Shas party, during the filming of a television show at the Herzliya Studios near Tel Aviv on Jan. 8.

A helicopter flies over driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and co-driver Lucas Cruz of Spain competing in the 4th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Nazca to Arequipa, Peru, on Jan. 8. The race finishes in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 20.

KTM rider Stefan Svitko of Slovakia competes in the 4th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Nazca to Arequipa, Peru, Jan. 8, 2013.

Mini's driver Lonid Novitskiy of Russia competes during Stage 4 of Dakar between Nazca and Arequipa, Peru, on Jan. 8.

Eduard Nikolaev, Sergey Savostin and Vladimir Rybakov of Russia race their Kamaz truck on a beach during the 2013 Dakar Rally on Jan. 8.

U.S. Robby Gordon is pictured next to his Hummer in the sand during the Dakar Rally on Jan. 8.

Syrian refugees stand under electricity cables outside their tents, at a temporary refugee camp, in the eastern Lebanese Town of Al-Faour near the border with Syria, on Jan. 8.

Syrian refugees wade through flooded water at a temporary refugee camp, in the eastern Lebanese Town of Al-Faour near the border with Syria, on Jan. 8.

Syrian refugees make their way on water and mud, at Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, near the Syrian border in Mafraq, Jordan, on Jan. 8. Syrian refugees in a Jordanian camp attacked aid workers with sticks and stones on Tuesday, frustrated after cold, howling winds swept away their tents and torrential rains flooded muddy streets overnight. Police said seven aid workers were injured.

A Syrian refugee fixes his tent after heavy rain at the Al-Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria, on Jan. 8

Syrian refugee children watch television at a temporary shelter, after their tents flooded from the rain, at a refugee camp, in the eastern Lebanese Town of Al-Faour near the border with Syria, on Jan. 8.

Pakistani commuters travel during a cold and foggy morning in Islamabad on Jan. 8. Ongoing foggy weather in Punjab and other parts of the country has badly affected flight and rail schedules.

A Pakistani vendor adjusts sugarcane while waiting for customers in the foggy morning in Islamabad, Pakistan on Jan. 8.

Pakistani people travel along the road during a foggy morning in Islamabad on Jan. 8. The fog has also disrupted flight schedules at the Islamabad airport and four Islamabad-bound flights from Dubai and Afghanistan were diverted to Lahore.

Wearing protective clothing, a firefighter is almost surrounded by red hot flames as he protects a property affected by the Dean's Gully fire near the town of Wandandian south of Nowra, New South Wales on Jan. 8. No properties, apart from some farm sheds, have been lost in the Dean's Gully fire, which continues to burn out of control. New South Wales has been declared a total fire ban with the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands placed under 'catastrophic fire conditions,' the highest fire danger level.

A kangaroo hops through a burnt-out paddock after a grassfire in Sunbury, north of Melbourne, Victoria on Jan. 8. The fire has been contained.

A sky crane water bombing helicopter flies through thick smoke over the town of Wandandian south of Nowra, on Jan. 8.

Firefighters continue to hose around a tree that survived a grass fire in Oura, near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, on Jan. 8.

Alison Palmer, right, and her eleven-year-old son Zac at her parents' house, which was destroyed after bushfires swept through the region at Boomer Bay on the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania, on Jan. 8. Residents on a southern Tasmanian peninsula have been urged to seek refuge ahead of a renewed bushfire threat across the region.

Poland's Jacek Czachor competes during Stage 3 of the 2013 Dakar Rally between Pisco and Nazca, Peru, on Jan. 7. The rally takes place in Peru, Argentina and Chile from Jan. 5 - 20.

Russian driver Vladimir Vasilyev overturns with his vehicle during Stage 3 or the 2013 Dakar Rally in the Nasca desert, about 450km south of Lima, Peru.

Spectators watch as co-pilots Czech Republic's Tomas Vratny, Miskolci Jaroslav and Milan Holan compete with their Tatra truck.

Sherco's rider Alain Duclos jumps during Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally.

Sherco's rider Alain Duclos jumps during Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally.

A man plays the accordion as people gathered during Christmas celebration in the town of Richev, some 180 miles south of Minsk, Belarus, on Jan. 7.

A picture taken through mirrors shows a woman applying make-up on a man wearing a costume, during a Christmas celebration in Richev, on Monday.

A woman gives a drink to a man as they attend a Christmas celebration in the town of Richev, some 180 miles south of Minsk on Monday.

People celebrate the pagan rite called 'Kolyadki' in the village of Zhazhelka, some 30 miles east of Minsk, on Monday. Kolyadki is a pagan winter holiday, which over the centuries has merged with Orthodox Christmas celebrations in Ukraine and some parts of Belarus.

People sit on a horse-drawn cart as they attend Christmas celebrations in the town of Richev, on Monday.

Participants fly a kite at the International Kite Festival in Mumbai, India, on Jan. 7.

Dance performers from Gujarat in cultural attire fly a kite during the International Kite Festival in Mumbai, India, on Jan. 7.

A participant from New Zealand flies a large heart shaped kite at the International Kite Festival in Mumbai, India, on Jan. 7. Kite-flyers from around 40 countries are participating in the day-long festival.

A child watches as a Greek Orthodox priest celebrates Christmas Mass at the Orthodox Saint Porfirios church in Gaza City on Jan. 7.

A Palestinian Greek Orthodox boy attends Christmas services at the Saint Porfirios church in Gaza City on Jan. 7.

A Macedonian Orthodox believer holds burning candles during the Christmas Mass in Skopje, Macedonia, on Jan. 7.

Believers hold burning candles during the Christmas Mass at the central Orthodox church, St. Kliment, in Skopje, Macedonia, on Jan. 7.

A Russian Orthodox believer lights candles during a Christmas Mass in a church in Grozny, Chechen Republic, Russia, late Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013.

People watch a ceremonial burning of dried oak branches for the Orthodox Christmas Eve in front of St. Sava temple in Belgrade, Serbia, on Jan. 6.

Visitors walk among large ice sculptures at the 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China, on Jan. 6. The annual festival features hundreds of activities related to snow and ice. Picture made available Jan. 7.

Visitors ride on a horse cart among large ice sculptures at the 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China, on Jan. 6. Picture made availabe Jan. 7.

People slide down an ice slide at the festival on Jan. 5.

Fireworks explode over enormous ice sculptures at the opening ceremony of the Harbin Internatoinal Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China, on Jan. 5.

A woman poses for a photograph in front of a large snow sculpture at the Sun Island Park at the festival on Jan. 5.

Plosky Tolbachnik volcano erupts in Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Jan. 6, 2013.

East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, center, directs motorists as he tries to clear a traffic jam outside the presidential office in Dili on Jan. 7, 2013.