BAPTISM SITE: A Greek Orthodox priest held a dove before a ceremony on the banks of the Jordan River near the West Bank city of Jericho Friday. Over a thousand Orthodox Christians flocked to the river to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany at the site where it is believed John the…  BAPTISM SITE: A Greek Orthodox priest held a dove before a ceremony on the banks of the Jordan River near the West Bank city of Jericho Friday. Over a thousand Orthodox Christians flocked to the river to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany at the site where it is believed John the Baptist baptized Jesus.  GOING UNDER: An Orthodox pilgrim entered the water on the West Bank side of the Jordan River for a baptismal ceremony at the site known as Qasr el-Yahud near Jericho Friday.  GOING UNDER: An Orthodox pilgrim entered the water on the West Bank side of the Jordan River for a baptismal ceremony at the site known as Qasr el-Yahud near Jericho Friday.  SWEATING IN SNOW: Gao Yinyu, a 77-year-old retired teacher, exercised at a snow-covered bathing spot in Jilin, China, Thursday.  SWEATING IN SNOW: Gao Yinyu, a 77-year-old retired teacher, exercised at a snow-covered bathing spot in Jilin, China, Thursday.  WARMING UP: Competitors warmed up during the 2013 Manhattan Amateur Classic, an amateur ballroom dance competition, Friday at Chelsea Piers in New York.  WARMING UP: Competitors warmed up during the 2013 Manhattan Amateur Classic, an amateur ballroom dance competition, Friday at Chelsea Piers in New York.  SET FREE: Hostages were freed from a gas facility in Algeria Friday. Algeria's state news service reported that nearly 100 of the 132 foreign workers kidnapped by Islamic militants had been freed amid a continuing hostage standoff.  SET FREE: Hostages were freed from a gas facility in Algeria Friday. Algeria's state news service reported that nearly 100 of the 132 foreign workers kidnapped by Islamic militants had been freed amid a continuing hostage standoff.  ACID ATTACK: A video still showed Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, in a hospital Friday in Moscow, where he is being treated. He was severely burned when a masked assailant threw acid in his face in an attack that may leave him partially blind, officials…  ACID ATTACK: A video still showed Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, in a hospital Friday in Moscow, where he is being treated. He was severely burned when a masked assailant threw acid in his face in an attack that may leave him partially blind, officials said.  UNDER FIRE: A rebel fighter ducked for cover from government jets in Aleppo, Syria, Friday.  UNDER FIRE: A rebel fighter ducked for cover from government jets in Aleppo, Syria, Friday.  BECOMING A BODYGUARD: A trainee at Genghis Security Academy in Beijing, who was training to be a bodyguard, shed tears as he was briefed by a coach on his performance Jan. 12.  BECOMING A BODYGUARD: A trainee at Genghis Security Academy in Beijing, who was training to be a bodyguard, shed tears as he was briefed by a coach on his performance Jan. 12.  ONWARD AND UPWARD: A musher and his sled dogs competed during La Grande Odyssée sled dog race in Les Saisies, France, Friday.  ONWARD AND UPWARD: A musher and his sled dogs competed during La Grande Odyssée sled dog race in Les Saisies, France, Friday.  CALM COWS: Cows stood in a blackened paddock Friday after wildfires swept through Seaton, Australia.  CALM COWS: Cows stood in a blackened paddock Friday after wildfires swept through Seaton, Australia.  WASH DAY: A French soldier hung his clothes to dry on an armored vehicle at an air force base near Bamako, Mali, as troops awaited their deployment Friday. The Malian army, backed by French troops, claimed to have retaken a strategic central town from al Qaeda-linked rebels.  WASH DAY: A French soldier hung his clothes to dry on an armored vehicle at an air force base near Bamako, Mali, as troops awaited their deployment Friday. The Malian army, backed by French troops, claimed to have retaken a strategic central town from al Qaeda-linked rebels.  AFTER A FIRE: Rolando Ramos cuddled his grandson at what used to be his house in Cainta township, Philippines, Friday. An overnight fire gutted more than 200 houses. No injuries were reported.  AFTER A FIRE: Rolando Ramos cuddled his grandson at what used to be his house in Cainta township, Philippines, Friday. An overnight fire gutted more than 200 houses. No injuries were reported.  MARINE MAGIC: A boy looked at jellyfish on display at Resort World Sentosa's Marine Life Park in Singapore Friday. The Marine Life Park has 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species.  MARINE MAGIC: A boy looked at jellyfish on display at Resort World Sentosa's Marine Life Park in Singapore Friday. The Marine Life Park has 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species.  MUSIC FESTIVAL: Fans watched Vampire Weekend perform at the Big Day Out music festival Friday in Sydney, Australia.  MUSIC FESTIVAL: Fans watched Vampire Weekend perform at the Big Day Out music festival Friday in Sydney, Australia.  BASKETBALL PILE: Virginia Commonwealth and Saint Joseph's players scrambled for the ball during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game Thursday in Richmond, Va. VCU won 92-86.  BASKETBALL PILE: Virginia Commonwealth and Saint Joseph's players scrambled for the ball during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game Thursday in Richmond, Va. VCU won 92-86.  IED INJURIES: U.S. soldiers carried a girl injured by an improvised explosive device into an aid station in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Friday. The IED also injured a man, who lost both legs.  IED INJURIES: U.S. soldiers carried a girl injured by an improvised explosive device into an aid station in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Friday. The IED also injured a man, who lost both legs.  JAKARTA FLOODS: Rescuers evacuated a baby from a flooded area in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, as the death toll climbed from severe flooding. Drownings, landslides and flood-related electrocutions have killed at least 11 people, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said Friday.  JAKARTA FLOODS: Rescuers evacuated a baby from a flooded area in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, as the death toll climbed from severe flooding. Drownings, landslides and flood-related electrocutions have killed at least 11 people, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said Friday.
In today's pictures, a man exercises at a snowy spot in China, dance competitors warm up in New York, a boy looks at jellyfish on display in Singapore, and more.