Supporters of anti-US Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr wave Iraqi flags during a rally in Baghdad. (Reuters)

A Syrian tank is seen in Idlib. Syrian forces fired mortars and rockets that killed scores of people in the rebellious city of Homs, activists said. (AP)

Lava flows during an eruption of Mt. Etna volcano, near Catania, Sicily, Italy. (AP)

A young gray seal appears in partly frozen water at a breeding station for seals in Friedrichskoog, northern Germany. (AFP)

Participants prepare to inflate hot air balloons to kick off the four-day 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon festival at sunrise at Clark Economic Zone, Pampanga province in northern Philippines. (AP)

Cyclists compete in the 5th stage of the Tour of Qatar cycling race between the Camel Race Track to the corniche of Al-Khor, north of Doha, Qatar. (AFP)

Guests of an igloo lodge siton a bench near the Nebelhorn mountain in Oberstdorf, southern Germany. A village of ten igloos hosts up to 30 guests in the winter months and supplies them with warm blankets and sleeping bags, so that they can spend the night there. (AP)