Snapshots

Changing of the guard: David Kimaiyo (right), Kenya's former inspector general of the National Police Service, hands over the agency's flag to the acting inspector general, Samuel Arachi, during a ceremony at Jogoo House in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on Jan 2. Allan Muturi / Xinhua

Peacekeepers greet another year: A Chinese peacekeeping police riot squad holds a flag-raising ceremony welcoming the new year in Greenville, Liberia, on Jan 1. Yang Qiankun / Xinhua

Tomb of Askia: Photo taken on Dec 31 shows the woman's chamber of the mosque beside the Tomb of Askia, in Gao, northern Mali. Built in the late 15th century, Askia is believed to be the burial place of Askia Mohammad I, one of the Songhai Empire's most prolific emperors. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. Li Jing / Xinhua

Meeting of minds: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center) holds talks with Zambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba (left) and Uganda's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Henry Okello Oryem in Beijing on Jan 5. Zhang Duo / Xinhua

Building collapse: Rescuers search for survivors in the debris of a collapsed residential building in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on Jan 5. Kenya's rescuers had retrieved two bodies from the rubble of the building, which collapsed on Jan 4 in a Nairobi residential estate. Allan Muturi / Xinhua

New Year fete: Uganda's Ndere Troupe performs during a new year celebration at a hotel in Kampala, capital of Uganda, on Dec 31. Joseph Kiggundu / Xinhua