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  • Egyptian protesters march in defiance of curfew

    Reuters

    Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi march despite a nighttime curfew in the city of Suez on Jan. 28. Egyptian protesters defied a nighttime curfew in restive towns along the Suez Canal, attacking police stations and ignoring emergency rule imposed by Islamist President Morsi to end days of clashes that have killed at least 52 people. Egypt's army chief said political strife was pushing the state to the brink of collapse - a stark warning from the institution that ran the country until last year as Cairo's first freely elected leader struggles to contain bloody street violence.

    By Tom Perry, Yasmine Saleh and Yusri Mohamed, Reuters

    Political opponents spurned a call by Mohammed Morsi for talks on Monday to try to end the violence. Instead, huge crowds of protesters took to the streets in Cairo and Alexandria, and in the three Suez Canal cities - Port Said, Ismailia and Suez - where Morsi imposed emergency rule and a curfew on Sunday.

    "Down, down with Mohammed Morsi! Down, down with the state of emergency!" crowds shouted in Ismailia. In Cairo, flames lit up the night sky as protesters set vehicles ablaze.

    The demonstrators accuse Hosni Mubarak's successor Morsi of betraying the two-year-old revolution. Morsi and his supporters accuse the protesters of seeking to overthrow Egypt's first ever democratically elected leader by undemocratic means. Continue reading the full story.

    Slideshow: Tempers flare in Egypt

    Khalil Hamra / AP

    On the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, huge crowds take to the streets in five cities.

    Launch slideshow

    Previously on PhotoBlog:

    A state of emergency is imposed on three cities in Egypt as a top military official warns the country is on the brink of collapse following days of anti-government protests. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

     

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  • Wild weather has broken a lot of hearts: Australia PM

    Chris Hyde / Getty Images

    A man comforts his daughter on their roof as they inspect damage to their neighborhood in Bundaberg, Queensland on Jan. 29, 2013. Rescue and evacuation missions continued as emergency services prepared to move patients from Bundaberg Hospital to Brisbane amid fears the hospital could lose power.

    EPA

    Homes are inundated with floodwater in North Bundaberg on Jan. 29, 2013. The Premier of Queensland Campbell Newman said the situation in Bundaberg remained serious, and the government was working with local authorities to ensure thousands of evacuees had access to food, water and bedding.

    Reuters reports — A deluge fed by the ex-tropical cyclone Oswald has dumped more than 8 inches of rain in parts of Queensland and New South Wales over the past three days, swelling rivers and swamping towns

    A fleet of 14 helicopters rescued more than 1,000 people across Queensland overnight and rescue efforts continued on Tuesday.

    "Across Queensland the wild weather has broken a lot of hearts," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

    Among the four people killed was a three-year old boy, who died in hospital after being hit by a falling tree as he and his mother watched floodwaters in parts of Brisbane, Australia's third largest city. Read the full story.

    Related:

    Video: Frothy sea foam spills into Australian town

    PhotoBlog: Three killed, dozens rescued in Australia floods

    Dave Hunt / EPA

    Sea foam is seen as walkers take to Burleigh Heads beach on Queensland's Gold Coast on Jan. 29, 2013, following wild weather caused by ex-cyclone Oswald.

    Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

    A man hangs onto the railing of North Curl Curl ocean pool in Sydney after winds and rain battered the city, producing large swells, on Jan. 29, 2013. Parts of Sydney experienced record rainfall after ex-cyclone Oswald swept through the city on Monday night.

    Rains lashed towns across eastern Australia, all the way down to Sydney, creating massive flooding, churning up foam from the ocean that bewildered drivers, and stranding civilians who had to be rescued by helicopter. NBC's Sara James reports.

     

  • Poison suspected in deaths of 10 endangered pygmy elephants in Borneo

    Sabah Wildlife Department via AFP - Getty Images

    A baby pygmy elephant stands beside a dead adult in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in Malaysia's Sabah state.

    By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

    Ten endangered pygmy elephants have been found dead in suspicious circumstances in Malaysia, according to reports.

    Sen Nathan, head veterinarian at the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in Sabah state on the island of Borneo, said officials "highly suspect" the animals were poisoned, but tests are still to be carried out to determine whether they were deliberately harmed, BBC News reported.

    "It was actually a very sad sight to see all those dead elephants, especially one of the dead females who had a very young calf of about three months old. The calf was trying to wake the dead mother up," he said, according to the BBC.

    Nathan added the elephants, aged between four and 20, were believed to be from the same family group.

    Malaysia’s The Star newspaper said the first elephant died on Dec. 29 and the last was found on Jan. 24.

    The paper reported that the dead animals were found in an area that it described as an “industrial tree plantation.”

    The Star said it was not known how the elephants had died, and noted it was possible they had eaten poisonous plants or pesticides.

    The BBC cited Masidi Manjun, environmental minister for the Sabah area, as saying it was “a sad day for conservation and Sabah.”

    Sabah Wildlife Department via Reuters

    Malaysia's wildlife officials inspect a dead pygmy elephant.

    Conservation charity WWF runs an “adopt a pygmy elephant” campaign.

    According to its website, the animals are found “only on the northeast tip of the island of Borneo, and inhabit forests near water sources and grasslands. “

    “Borneo pygmy elephants are smaller than other Asian elephants, chubbier, and have bigger ears and tails,” it said. “They eat roughly 300 pounds of food daily—mostly roots, grasses, leaves, bananas and sugar cane.”

    WWF estimates that there are possibly as low as 1,600 individuals in the wild.

    “The top threats to pygmy elephants are habitat loss and conflict with humans,” it added.

    Related:

    Orphaned elephants find sanctuary in Kenya amid rampant poaching

  • Alleged Bulgarian crime boss 'The Beret' shot outside court

    Gergana Kostadinova / EPA

    Guards carry the wounded Zlatomir Ivanov after he was shot in front of the City Court in Sofia, Bulgaria on Jan. 29, 2013.

    Stoyan Nenov / Reuters

    An investigator works at the crime scene where Zlatomir Ivanov was shot in downtown Sofia on Jan. 29, 2013.

    An unidentified gunman shot and wounded a suspected Bulgarian crime boss nicknamed "The Beret," the latest blow to the center-right government's efforts to restore the rule of law and improve the Balkan country's image.

    Zlatomir Ivanov was shot four times in his legs, arm and stomach as he was about to enter the central court building in broad daylight. He and his bodyguard, who was also wounded, were taken to hospital.

    The shots were thought to have come from an apartment across the street from the court building.

    -- Reuters, European Pressphoto Agency

     

  • Missile launcher appears at Seattle gun buyback event

    Nick Adams / Reuters

    Seattle Police Department officers inspect a missile launcher seized from Mason Vranish, who purchased it outside a gun buyback program in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 26.

    By Jonathan Sanger, NBC News

    Nick Adams / Reuters

    Seattle Police Department officers inspect a missile launcher seized from Mason Vranish, who bought it outside a gun buyback event in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 26.

    Mason Vranish went to a gun buyback event in Seattle on Saturday hoping to pick up some inexpensive firearms, and he wound up scoring a Redeye missile launcher.

    Vranish, who describes himself as a firearms enthusiast, bought the previously used launcher from a man who was taking the weapon to the Seattle Police Department’s gun buyback. People who turned in weapons at the event received a gift card of up to $200, according to the AP.

    Vranish paid the man $100 cash for the missile launcher, thinking it would be a great novelty item. He said it was a one-time use launcher that had been previously used. However, police took the weapon until they could find out if it could be legally owned by a civilian. The man who sold the launcher to Vranish told him he had found the launcher in his house and that it was left by the previous owners.

    Vranish was given $200 in gift cards for the missile launcher. He hopes to get it back, but now he has “a feeling it was probably stolen.”

    Related: Missile launcher shows up at Seattle gun buyback

     

    Nick Adams / Reuters

    Mason Vranish, left, pays $100 cash for a used missile launcher outside of a Seattle Police Department gun buyback program in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 26. Participants received up to a $100 gift card in exchange for working handguns, shotguns and rifles, and up to a $200 gift card for assault weapons. The event lasted from 9 a.m. until shortly after noon, after the event ran out of $80,000 worth of gift cards.

    Nick Adams / Reuters

    Seattle Police Department Sgt. Paul Gracy, left, seizes a missile launcher from Mason Vranish outside a gun buyback program in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 26.

    Nick Adams / Reuters

    Seattle Police Department Sgt. Paul Gracy looks over a seized a missile launcher purchased outside a gun buyback event in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 26.

     

  • Baton-wielding police threaten protesters as Egypt's stability teeters

    Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

    A riot police officer uses his baton on an anti-government protester during clashes along Qasr Al Nil bridge, which leads to Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 28.

    Khalil Hamra / AP

    A masked Egyptian protester flashes the victory sign during clashes with police, background, near Tahrir Square, Cairo, on Jan. 28.

    AP

    Egyptians attend the funeral of several victims the previous day's violence in Port Said, Egypt, on Jan. 28. The worst violence in Egypt this past weekend was in the Mediterranean coastal city of Port Said, where at least 44 people died in two days of clashes. The unrest was sparked on Saturday by a court conviction and death sentence for 21 defendants involved in a mass soccer riot in the city's main stadium on Feb. 1, 2012, that left 74 dead.

    By John Newland, Staff Writer, NBC News
    Thousands turned out Monday in Port Said to attend funerals for the seven people killed in the previous day's violence, which broke out as mourners paid their respects to 33 people who had died in riots the day before.
    Meanwhile, a man in Cairo was shot dead during a fifth day of clashes during protests against the government of President Mohammed Morsi, Reuters reported, citing a source in the Interior Ministry. Full Story

    Khalil Hamra / AP

    An Egyptian protester covers his face with a plastic bag to protect himslef from tear gas during clashes with riot police near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 28.

    Khalil Hamra / AP

    A protester throws a tear gas canister back at riot police during clashes near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 28.

    Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

    Riot police run towards anti-government protesters during clashes near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 28.

    AP

    Egyptians carry the coffins of the previous day's violence in Port Said, Egypt, on Jan. 28.

    Slideshow: Tempers flare in Egypt's Tahrir Square

    Asmaa Waguih / Reuters

    On the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, hundreds of youths clash with police.

    Launch slideshow

    Previously on PhotoBlog:

  • Three killed, dozens rescued in Australia floods

    Brett Faulkner / AFP - Getty Images

    Floodwaters race across the Oxenford - Tamborine road on Australia's Gold Coast on Jan. 28, 2013 as severe floods swept through two states.

    Dan Peled / EPA

    Residents inspect their flooded home in Bundaberg, Queensland, on Jan. 28, 2013. At least 1,200 Bundaberg properties are already flooded, and there are fears the number could reach 2,000.

    Dramatic video from a helmet camera shows a baby and two women being airlifted out of a truck in Eastern Australia after flood waters washed the vehicle off the road. NBC's Lester Holt reports.

    Three people were reported to have been killed and dozens more were plucked from roofs and marooned cars in dramatic air rescues in northeastern Australia on Monday as severe floods swept through two states, inundating thousands of homes.  

    The heavy rain was caused by the remnants of a tropical cyclone that hit the country last week and also brought severe weather including tornadoes.

    -- Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press

     

    Emergency Management Queensland / Network Ten via AFP - Getty Images

    A man being winched to safety by helicopter in Biloela, Queenland, on Jan. 27, 2013.

    Paul Beutel / EPA

    Evan Roberts surveys the remains of a neighbour's gazebo blown onto his damaged home in Bargara, Queensland on Jan. 27, 2013. A large weather system courtesy of ex tropical cyclone Oswald is causing flooding down Queensland's coast and into northern New South Wales.

    Nicole Armitstead via EPA

    Children playing in sea foam at Burleigh Heads in Queensland on Jan. 28, 2013.

     

  • Weekend violence claims more than 45 lives in Egypt

    Mohammed Abed / AFP - Getty Images

    With his trousers around his knees to show defiance, a protester throws stones towards riot policemen and other demonstrators who have taken the side of security forces during clashes near Cairo's Tahrir Square on Jan. 27, 2013.

    Ed Giles / Getty Images

    Protesters try to convince an elderly woman to move out of the way after she sat down in between opposing sides during a demonstration in Tahrir Square, Cairo on Jan. 27, 2013.

    AP

    A mass funeral in Port Said on Jan. 27, 2013. Tens of thousands of mourners poured into the streets of the restive Egyptian city of Port Said on Sunday for a funeral for most of the 37 people killed in rioting a day earlier, chanting slogans against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

    Ed Giles / Getty Images

    A protester stands by a fire lit during clashes with riot police near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 27, 2013.

    Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

    A protester opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi throws a tear gas canister, which was earlier thrown by riot police, during clashes along Qasr Al Nil bridge, which leads to Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 27. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi announced on Sunday he was imposing a state of emergency for 30 days in three cities along the Suez Canal that have been the scene of the worst violence that flared over the weekend, killing more than 45 people.

    "Down, down Morsi, down down the regime that killed and tortured us!" people in Port Said chanted as the coffins of those killed on Saturday were carried through the streets.

    In a televised address, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said a nightly curfew would be introduced in Port Said, Ismailia and Suez, starting Monday evening. He also called for dialogue with top politicians. About 200 people protested in Ismailia after the announcement.

    -- Reported by Edmund Blair and Yasmine Saleh, Reuters

    Read the full story.

    A day after 37 people were killed in protests, chaos erupted among the thousands who walked to mourn them. Meanwhile, President Morsi declared a state of emergency. NBC's Ayman Moyeldin reports.

  • Brazil nightclub fire kills at least 245

    Agencia RBS via AP

    A man carries a man injured in a fire at the Kiss club in Santa Maria city, Brazil, early Jan. 27.

    Television footage showed people sobbing outside the club, while shirtless firefighters used sledge hammers and axes to knock down an exterior wall to open up an exit. 

    "It was really fast. There was a lot of smoke, really dark smoke," survivor Aline Santos Silva, 29, told Globonews TV. "We were only able to get out quickly because we were in a VIP area close to the door." 

    -- Reported by NBC News and wire reports

    Read the full story.

    Agencia RBS via Reuters

    Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at Kiss nightclub in the southern city of Santa Maria, Brazil.

    Agencia RBS via AP

    People help a man injured in a nightclub fire in Santa Maria city, Brazil, on Sunday.

    Ronald Mendes / EPA

    Relatives of those trapped in a nightclub fire in southern Brazil mourn on Sunday.

    A fire broke out early Sunday morning at a night club in Santa Maria, in southern Brazil, killing revelers — many of them students. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.

    Slideshow: Nightclub fire in Brazil

    Reuters

    A fast-moving nightclub inferno claimed the lives of more than 230 people in southern Brazil.

    Launch slideshow

     

  • Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

    Horse goes head over hooves at Cheltenham

    Jockey Peter Buchanan and horse Bold Sir Brian fly over a hedge during The Murphy Group Steeple Chase at Cheltenham racecourse, Jan. 26, in Cheltenham, England.

    Updated on Jan. 28, 2013: According to a report by Will Hayler of sportinglife.com, Bold Sir Brian was able to get back to his feet after falling at Cheltenham on Saturday.

  • Injured dolphin dies in polluted NYC canal

     

    Justin Lane / EPA

    By Andrew Mach and Vignesh Ramachandran, Staff Writers, NBC News
    An injured dolphin that became stranded in Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal died Friday, a marine foundation said.

    The Riverhead Foundation confirmed to NBC News the dolphin passed away Friday evening. No other details about the mammal's death were immediately available. Read the full story.

     

    Brendan Mcdermid / Reuters

    A man reaches down to pat a dolphin as it struggles along a bulkhead in the headwaters of the Gowanus Canal as others look on.

    Mike Segar / Reuters

    A dolphin struggles to lift its head out of the water in the headwaters of the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, New York.

     

  • In figure skating, things aren't always as they appear

    Valdrin Xhemaj / EPA

    Ekaterina Riazanova and Ilia Tkachenko of Russia perform during the Ice Dance Free Dance competition for the ISU Figure Skating European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, Jan 25, 2013.

    Antonio Bronic / Reuters

    Sara Hurtado and Adria Diaz of Spain perform during the ice dance free dance program at the European Figure Skating Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 25.

    More ice skating in PhotoBlog:

  • Anti-abortion activists march on Washington 40 years after Roe v. Wade

    Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

    People participate in the annual March for Life rally on the National Mall in Washington, Jan. 25, 2013. The anti-abortion marchers on Friday marked the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion, and Pope Benedict expressed support for the demonstrators.

    By Eric Tucker, The Associated Press 
    Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators are marching through Washington to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to protest the landmark decision that legalized abortion.
    Crowds held signs and chanted Friday on the National Mall and surrounding streets for the March for Life.
    The demonstration this year coincides with the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that created a constitutional right to abortion. Earlier this week, opponents marked the anniversary with workshops, prayers and calls for more limits on abortion rights.
    Among the speakers was former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. He says the country responded with love to the struggles of his daughter, Bella, who was born with a serious genetic condition. He said the family is better off for having Bella in their lives. 

    Michael Reynolds / EPA

    A pro-choice woman and pro-life man shout at one another outside the Supreme Court Jan. 25.

    Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images

    An anti-abortion activist is seen during the annual "March for Life" infront of the US Supreme Court on Jan. 25.

     

  • Married at 11, a mom by 14: Growing up and raising a family at the same time

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

    Jan. 21, 2013: Krishna, 14, poses with her four-month-old baby Alok and husband Kishan Gopal, 16, inside the living room of their house in a village near Baran, Rajasthan.

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

    Jan. 21, 2013: Gopal Kishan plays with baby Alok.

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters, file

    May 16, 2010: Then-13-year-old Kishan Gopal, right, returns home with his 11-year-old newlywed wife Krishna, left, in a village near Kota, Rajasthan.

    Reuters photographer Danish Siddiqui first met Krishna and Kishan Gopal on their wedding day, May 16, 2010. The groom was 13 years old, his bride just 11.

    The legal age for marriage in India is 18 but weddings like theirs are common, especially in poor, rural areas where girls in particular are married off young.

    Siddiqui has been visiting the young couple at their home in the desert state of Rajasthan every year since they were married, documenting the changes in their relationship and their surroundings. In a post on Reuters' Photographers Blog, he takes up the story:

    When I went to their house last week I was greeted by the loud wailing of a baby. It was their four-month-old son Alok, which means enlightenment in Hindi. Last year when I visited them, I learned that Krishna, the child bride, was seven months pregnant. I wasn't surprised at all but out of curiosity I asked Gopal, her husband, why he was in such a hurry to expand the family. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nothing else to do, no work, life is so boring." I was a bit taken aback.

    Those like me who live in big cities plan meticulously before taking the plunge into parenthood. And here this teenager was telling me that he wanted to have a child and risk his young wife’s life because of boredom. That, again, is a different India.

    When I visited, I was happy that the parents, their family and even the neighbors were enjoying the presence of the little boy. Gopal told me that his wife was nearly on her deathbed after the delivery last year and her being alive now is nothing less than a miracle.

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters, file

    July 17, 2012: Gopal Kishan, then aged 15, listens to songs on his mobile phone as his father looks on at their soybean field on the outskirts of his village.

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

    Jan. 21, 2013: Krishna sits with her four-month-old baby Alok outside her house.

    When I asked the 14-year-old mother if she’s happy she had a baby boy, Krishna nodded her head and said, "I wanted a girl but its okay now." I was surprised by her response, as most people in both Indian cities and villages prefer boys over girls who they see as assets as opposed to girls who they consider liabilities or dependents.

    During my visit, I noticed that 17-year-old Gopal had changed in the last couple of years. He started consuming alcohol a lot.

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

    Jan. 21, 2013: Gopal Kishan drinks liquor at a roadside restaurant on the outskirts of his village.

    He hasn't got any work, as even the soybean fields which his family owns are not that fertile now. The water level in their fields has gone down, resulting in irrigation problems. This time when I was in the village, Krishna broke down after her husband came home drunk and was trying to carry the baby. She was scared Gopal might drop his son.

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

    Jan. 21, 2013: Krishna breaks down after her husband came home drunk.

    I stayed with the couple for a day and then took them out of the village to shoot some portraits. It was the first time in four months that Krishna was stepping out.

    I took the opportunity to ask Gopal about his future plans. He told me that for his family's survival he needs to move out of the village and try to find some work in the city. When I asked him if he plans to have another baby he told me his first experience was scary enough for him and his wife.

    As I left the small village, the only thing which bothered me was the future of four-month old Alok. Would he go down the same route his parents took or would he bend societal norms to carve a separate path for himself and his future partner?

    Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

    July 17, 2012: Krishna, then aged 13, stands with Kishan Gopal, then 15, inside a newly constructed room at her house.

    For more visit the Reuters' Photographers Blog.

    Related links:

  • Protesters fill Tahrir Square on anniversary of Egyptian revolution

    Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

    Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi demonstrate at Tahrir Square in Cairo, on Jan. 25.

    Ed Giles / Getty Images

    An Egyptian protester runs with a live tear gas canister during clashes with riot police in Tahrir Square on Jan. 25, in Cairo, Egypt. Thousands of protesters converged on the capital's iconic Tahrir Square on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak's regime.

    Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

    Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi shout slogans at Tahrir Square in Cairo, on Jan. 25.

    Khalil Hamra / AP

    An Egyptian protester evacuates an injured boy during clashes near Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, on Jan. 25. Two years after Egypt's revolution began, the country's schism was on display Friday as the mainly liberal and secular opposition held rallies saying the goals of the pro-democracy uprising have not been met and denouncing Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

    Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to mark the 2011 uprising that led to Egypt's change in power. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports. 

    By Ahmed el-Shemi and Tom Perry, Reuters --

    CAIRO -- Youths fought Egyptian police in Cairo and Alexandria on Friday on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak and brought the election of an Islamist president whom protesters accuse of riding roughshod over the new democracy.

    The Jan. 25 anniversary showcased the divide between the Islamists and their secular foes that is hindering President Mohammed Morsi's efforts to revive an economy in crisis and reverse a plunge in Egypt's currency by enticing back investors and tourists.

    Inspired by Tunisia's historic popular uprising, Egypt's revolution spurred further revolts across the Arab world. But the sense of common purpose that united Egyptians two years ago has given way to internal strife that has only worsened and last month triggered lethal street battles.

    Opponents of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies massed in Cairo's Tahrir Square Friday to revive the demands of a revolution they say has been betrayed by Islamists.

    Continue reading.

    SLIDESHOW: Tempers flair in Egypt's Tahrir Square

    Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

    A riot police officer gestures a during clashes with protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi throwing stones at him along Sheikh Rihan street near Tahrir Square in Cairo, on Jan. 25.

    Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

    Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi flee from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes along Sheikh Rihan street near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 25.

    Ed Giles / Getty Images

    Egyptian men take part in midday prayer during a demonstration in Tahrir Square on Jan. 25, in Cairo, Egypt. Thousands of protesters converged on the capital's iconic Tahrir Square on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak's regime.

    Khalil Hamra / AP

    Skirmishes break out between protesters and security forces, unseen, near Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, on Jan. 25. Egyptian opposition protesters are gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square to mark the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak's autocratic regime.

    Andre Pain / EPA

    A general view shows protesters gathering during a demonstration marking the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution at Tahrir square, in Cairo, Egypt, on Jan. 25.

  • Agony in the ruins of a charred home after Mumbai fire

    Punit Paranjpe / AFP - Getty Images

    A woman weeps as she speaks on the phone in her burnt-out house after a fire raged through the Nayanagar slum in Mumbai on Jan. 25, 2013.

    A fire killed six people when it ripped through a slum in the heart of the Indian city, leaving hundreds homeless, emergency services said.

    -- Agence France-Presse

    At least six people were killed when fire swept through a Mumbai neighborhood that destroyed more than 50 homes. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

  • Witness: Egypt riot police set fire to protest tents in Tahrir Square

    Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

    An anti-Morsi demonstrator tries to escape from a tent -- set on fire by riot police, according to a witness -- at Tahrir Square in Cairo Friday.

    Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

    Riot police beat an anti-Morsi demonstrator with batons after he emerges from his burning tent Friday.

    Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

    A column of smoke is seen rising from the burning tents of the demonstrators Friday.

    Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

    Morsi's opponents were expected to head to Tahrir Square on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak with protests against the new head of state.

    By Ahmed el-Shemi and Tom Perry, Reuters

    CAIRO -- Hundreds of youths clashed with Egyptian police in Tahrir Square on Friday in a violent start to the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak and led to the election of an Islamist president who is now the focus of protester rage.

    The Health Ministry said 16 people had been wounded. At one point, riot police used one of the incendiaries thrown at them to set ablaze at least two tents erected by the youths, a Reuters witness said. Read the full story.

    Previously on PhotoBlog:

     

  • Blind sled dog thrives with brother's help

    Jim Cole / AP

    Sled dogs Poncho, left, and his blind brother Gonzo are hooked up for a run at the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel in Jefferson, N.H., on Jan. 17, 2013. Poncho has taken to helping his blind brother on regular runs.

    The Associated Press reports — When Gonzo started tripping over his food dish three years ago, no one could explain or stop the Alaskan husky's quickly advancing blindness. But a veterinarian offered some simple advice: "Run this dog."

    Jim Cole / AP

    Ben Morehouse guides a team of sled dogs, including Gonzo and Poncho, through a field below the Presidential Range in the White Mountains in Jefferson, N.H.

    Gonzo, one of 120 dogs at Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, was happy to comply. With help from his brother, Poncho, he soon resumed his place pulling a sled all over New Hampshire's North Country to the delight of tourists and his caretakers, who quickly realized that if Gonzo didn't treat his blindness like an obstacle, neither would they. 

    Kennel owner Neil Beaulieu describes a spring day when he took the pair for a ride on a trail known for its deep snow, and Gonzo strayed to the edge of the trail and stumbled. With the team still moving forward, Poncho reached over, dug his head in the snow and pulled his brother out, grabbing his harness with his teeth.

    "He essentially picked him out of the powder ... threw him back on the trail and never skipped a beat," Beaulieu said. "I've run dogs in a lot of places, all over the country, and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen sled dogs do." Read the full story.

    Video: Huskies train for famous sled dog rally in Scotland

    Jim Cole / AP

    Sled dogs at the Muddy Paw Sled dog Kennel in Jefferson, N.H. The kennel takes in rescues and "second-chance" dogs.

     

  • House fly has an encounter with President Obama

    Larry Downing / Reuters

    A fly lands between the eyes of U.S. President Barack Obama while he speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Jan. 24, 2013.

    By Mark Felsenthal, Reuters

    WASHINGTON -- There was a buzz at the White House on Thursday when President Barack Obama announced the nomination of two top financial regulatory officials.

    A large fly interrupted the president as he presented his picks to head the Securities and Exchange Commission and a watchdog for financial consumer products.

    Under bright television lights, the fly darted around the president's head as he spoke in the White House's ornate State Dining Room, alighting briefly on the middle of his forehead.

    A giant black fly joined in on the festivities as President Obama announced his nominations for head the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

    "We need cops on the beat to enforce the law," the president said, speaking about SEC nominee Mary Jo White and Richard Cordray, who he renominated to continue as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

    Obama broke off to swat at the intruder, which flew away.

    "This guy is bothering me here," Obama said, glaring at his staff.

    The insect was luckier than a fly that harassed Obama in 2009 while taping a television interview.

    "Get out of here," he said, before smacking and killing the fly. "I got the sucker," he said at the time. An animal rights group protested.

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  • School officials say high-powered rifles could prevent a massacre

    Jae C. Hong / AP

    Santa Ana school police Sgt. Kevin Philips locks his rifle in a gun rack mounted in a police vehicle in Santa Ana, Calif., Jan. 24, 2013. The semiautomatic rifles look like they belong in a war zone instead of a suburban public school, but officials in this Los Angeles-area city say the high-powered weapons now in the hands of school police could prevent a massacre.

    By Gillian Flaccus, The Associated Press

    The semiautomatic rifles look like they belong in a war zone instead of a suburban public school, but officials in this Los Angeles-area city say the high-powered weapons now in the hands of school police could prevent a massacre.

    "They're not walking around telling kids, 'Hurry up and get to class' with a gun around their neck," Fontana school police Chief Billy Green said. "Parents need to know that if there was a shooter on their child's campus that was equipped with body armor or a rifle, we would be limited in our ability to stop that threat to their children." 

    "If the wrong person gets ahold of the gun, then we have another shooter going around with a gun. What happens then?" said James Henriquez, a 16-year-old sophomore who just enrolled at Fontana High School this week after moving from Texas.  Full story

    Jae C. Hong / AP

    Santa Ana school police Sgt. Kevin Philips checks out a rifle from the police armory in Santa Ana, Calif., Jan. 24. The officers split their time between 44 schools in the district and keep the rifles in a safe at their assigned school or secured in their patrol car each day before checking the weapon back in to the school police headquarters each night.

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  • Tear down this wall: Protesters topple a barrier as Cairo braces for large demonstrations

    Hussein Tallal / AP

    Anti-government protesters try to tear down a cement wall built to prevent them from reaching parliament and the Cabinet building near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 24.

    Egyptian protesters worked Thursday to tear down a cement wall built to prevent them from reaching parliament and the Cabinet building near Tahrir Square, in Cairo. Ultimately, they toppled the wall.  The protests come on the eve of the second anniversary of Egypt’s Jan. 25 uprising, which toppled longtime authoritarian president Hosni Mubarak in 2011. 

    Hussein Tallal / AP

    Egyptian protesters try to tear down a cement wall near Tahrir Square.

    Hussein Tallal / AP

    Hussein Tallal / AP

    Egyptian protesters react as the wall falls.

    Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

    Protesters flee from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes after protesters removed a concrete barrier near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 24.

    Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to mark the 2011 uprising that led to Egypt's change in power. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports. 

    Story: Two years since uprising, Egypt braces for more protests

    See more stories from Egypt on PhotoBlog

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