Nov. 29 Daily Brief: Anti-government protestors in Bangkok, the Grinch who posed for photos and gearing up for Christmas
EU integration protest, garment factory fire, World AIDS Day sand sculpture and more
- A sex worker activist attends a demonstration with prostitutes against a proposal to scrap sanctions on soliciting and instead punish prostitutes’ customers with fines in Paris November 29, 2013. French lawmakers will start debating today a bill aimed at stemming prostitution with steep fines to clients – a radical switch from the country’s traditionally tolerant stance that will give it some of the toughest legislation in Europe. Prostitution is not illegal in France, which has an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 sex workers according to a 2012 report by the Scelles Foundation, but there are laws against pimping, human trafficking and soliciting sex in public. (Charles Platiau/REUTERS)
- A man (R) dressed up as “the Grinch”, a fictional character by author Dr. Seuss, who poses for photos with people for money, poses for a picture with a baby in a stroller and his father in Times Square, during Black Friday sales in New York November 29, 2013. Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving Day holiday, has traditionally been the busiest shopping day in the United States. (Carlo Allegri/REUTERS)
- Protesters sing the Ukrainian anthem during a demonstration in support of EU integration at Independence Square in Kiev November 29, 2013. Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich failed on Thursday to salvage an ambitious free-trade pact with the European Union despite a warning that Ukraine was risking its future by turning its back on the deal. Ukraine and the 28-nation EU had aimed to sign an ambitious trade and cooperation agreement at Thursday’s summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, which would have marked a historic westwards shift by the former Soviet republic away from Russia’s orbit. (Stoyan Nenov/REUTERS)
- A protester with chained hands tears a portrait of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich during a demonstration in support of EU integration at Independence Square in Kiev November 29, 2013. Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich failed on Thursday to salvage an ambitious free-trade pact with the European Union despite a warning that Ukraine was risking its future by turning its back on the deal. Ukraine and the 28-nation EU had aimed to sign an ambitious trade and cooperation agreement at Thursday’s summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, which would have marked a historic westwards shift by the former Soviet republic away from Russia’s orbit. (Stoyan Nenov/REUTERS)
- An anti-government protester gestures as he gathers with others outside the headquarters of the ruling Puea Thai Party of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Bangkok November 29, 2013. (Athit Perawongmetha/REUTERS)
- An anti-government protester blows on a whistle next to a riot policeman as she gathers with others outside the headquarters of the ruling Puea Thai Party of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Bangkok November 29, 2013. (Athit Perawongmetha/REUTERS)
- A soldier wears glasses given to him by an anti-government protester who broke in with others into the compound of the Royal Thai Army headquarters in Bangkok November 29, 2013. About 1,500 anti-government protesters forced their way into the compound of Thailand’s army headquarters on Friday, the latest escalation in a city-wide demonstration seeking to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. (Damir Sagolj/REUTERS)
- Anti-government protesters sleep as they take a break from demonstrations in central Bangkok November 29, 2013. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the latest escalation in country-wide demonstrations seeking to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. (Dylan Martinez/REUTERS)
- Former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is mobbed by supporters during anti-government demonstrations in central Bangkok November 29, 2013. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the latest escalation in city-wide demonstrations seeking to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. (Dylan Martinez/REUTERS)
- Islamist fighters march during their graduation ceremony at a camp in eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus November 28, 2013. The newly graduated fighters, who went through military training, will operate under the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham brigade. Picture taken November 28. (Diaa Al-Din/REUTERS)
- Islamist fighters demonstrate with their weapons during their graduation ceremony at a camp in eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus November 28, 2013. The newly graduated fighters, who went through military training, will operate under the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham brigade. Picture taken November 28. (Diaa Al-Din/REUTERS)
- Workers disassemble a Louis Vuitton pavilion shaped like a giant suitcase as Kremlim’s Spasskaya Tower is pictured behind in central Moscow November 29, 2013. President Vladimir Putin’s government found itself struggling on Wednesday to contain an uproar over the gigantic Louis Vuitton suitcase set up to house an exhibit on the travel and possessions of the rich and famous. (Tatyana Makeyeva/REUTERS)
- Partially frozen Bow River makes its way through the Alberta’s Banff National Park in Lake Louise, the host of men’s alpine skiing FIS World Cup, in Lake Louise, Canada, on November 28, 2013. Today’s downhill was cancelled due to the power failure. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images
- Smoke rises from a fire burning at a Standard Group garment factory in Gazipur November 29, 2013. The were no reports of casualties in the fire. (Andrew Biraj/REUTERS)
- Smoke rises from a fire burning at a Standard Group garment factory in Gazipur November 29, 2013. There were no reports of casualties in the fire. (Andrew Biraj/REUTERS)
- A firefighter inspects the damage at a Standard Group garment factory which was on fire in Gazipur November 29, 2013. A huge fire on Friday destroyed the Bangladesh garment factory supplying key Western brands, authorities said, in a blaze touched off by workers angered over rumours of a colleague’s death in police firing. There were no initial reports of casualties in the fire. Police broke up a clash with the workers with tear gas, but hundreds of workers gathered later, vandalized the factory, set two buildings on fire, and blockaded the road, said Mushfiqur Rahman, a manager at Standard Garments, a firm in the building. (Andrew Biraj/REUTERS)
- The snow covered mountain summits of Serles mountain and Mutterer Alm mountain are seen during sunset in the western Austrian village of Absam November 29, 2013. (Dominic Ebenbichler/REUTERS)
- Ukrainian students stand hand in hand to create a human chain symbolizing the unity of Ukraine with the EU in front of the tents set up by supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko in Kiev on November 2013. The chain begins on the Kiev’s Independence Square and, according to the organizers, must end at the border with Poland, the nearest EU country bordering the Ukraine. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych told an EU summit on Friday that Kiev wanted to sign a historic pact with the bloc “in the near future” but needed economic and financial aid. The European Union will not accept a Russia “veto” or any other meddling in its ties with other nations, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said Friday. (Sergi Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images)
- An armed Palestinian, member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, a group linked to the Fatah movement, is dressed in a skeleton outfit as he takes part in the funeral of Mahmud Waji Awad, a Palestinian man who died the previous day of his injuries after he was shot in a 2012 clash with Israeli troops, in the West Bank’s Qalandiya camp on November 29, 2013. (Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images)
- Protestors hold pictures of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and chant slogans on November 29, 2013 during a pro-Morsi rally in Istanbul. A group of Islamist protesters gathered in front of the Fatih mosque after Friday prayer in support of detained Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt. Clashes erupted in Cairo and other Egyptian cities Friday as police dispersed protests staged by Islamists defying a new law banning unauthorised demonstrations, security officials said. (Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)
- Indian sandartist Sudersan Pattnaik gives the final touches to a sand sculpture on the eve of World AIDS Day, as a horseman rides by on Golden Sea Beach in Puri, some 65 kms east of Bhubaneswar on November 29, 2013. World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1, every year to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and to demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic. (Asit Kumarstrdel/AFP/Getty Images)
- A protester stands between banners against the closure of the only health centre on the island of Ikaria, as public sector’s doctors and medical staff protests outside the Ministry of Health on November 29, 2013 in Athens. Medical staff extended their strike started on November 25th until December 9th, against government’s plans to suspend and reallocate staff . (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images)
- Bordeaux’s and Frankfurt’s players are seen standing on the pitch at the beginning the UEFA Europa League Group F qualifying football match between FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Eintracht Frankfurt on November 28, 2013 at the Chaban-Delmas Stadium in Bordeaux, western France. (Nicholas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images)
- Swansea City’s Spanish striker Alvaro Vazquez reacts to missing a late chance on goal during the Group A Europa League football match between Swansea and Valencia CF at The Liberty Stadium in Swansea on November 28, 2013. Valencia won the game 1-0. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)
- Partially frozen Bow River makes its way through the Alberta’s Banff National Park in Lake Louise, the host of men’s alpine skiing FIS World Cup, in Lake Louise, Canada, on November 28, 2013. Today’s downhill was cancelled due to the power failure.(Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)
- A Thai opposition protester shouts slogans as protesters face off with police deployed to guard the ruling Puea Thai party headquarters in Bangkok on November 29, 2013. Defiant Thai opposition protesters stormed the army headquarters and besieged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s party offices on November 29, intensifying their fight to bring down her government. (Christophe Archambault//AFP/Getty Images)