The World in Photos This Week

French boots hit Malian soil; smog covers Beijing; and a nonchalant horse trots through a bonfire.

JANUARY 18, 2013

On Jan. 11, France and Mali launched a joint air and ground military operation against the hard-line Islamist groups in northern Mali. This Jan. 12 picture -- taken with a cell phone (thus the poor resolution) -- shows Islamist insurgents in Gao, about 200 miles southeast of Timbuktu. For background on the current conflict, check out Peter Chilson's ebook and read his explanation for why the Mali conflict matters.

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