The Observer's 20 photographs of the week

Dieu Nalio Cherry took a remarkable set of photographs of snake handler Saintilus Resilus during pre-Lenten Carnival celebrations in Petionville, Haiti. Here, he talks to his assistants as they get ready to perform Photograph: Dieu Nalio Chery/AP

And in this picture he performs with a snake wrapped around his face Photograph: Dieu Nalio Chery/AP

Free Syrian Army fighters run for cover as a tank shell explodes on a wall during heavy fighting in the Ain Tarma neighbourhood of Damascus Photograph: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters

In another photograph by Goran Tomasevic in the Ain Tarma part of Damascus, a man walks in front of a blazing building after a Syrian air force strike Photograph: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters

Anfisa, an eight-year-old female chimpanzee, in her enclosure at the Royev Ruchey zoo in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia Photograph: Ilya Naymushin/Reuters

A surfer at the Red Bull Storm Chase at Brandon Bay. Ten of the world's best windsurfers from eight countries competed off the coast of Ireland Photograph: Sebastian Marko/Red Bull/EPA

Gale force winds blow sea foam over damaged caravans in Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia. About 2,000 people have been cut off by floodwaters as ex-tropical cyclone Oswald moved slowly across the Queensland border Photograph: Dave Hunt/EPA

On the first day of the lunar new year, a woman in a panda costume has her ticket checked at Beijing before heading to Cangzhou. The woman said dressing up would help her feel the special atmosphere of the holiday Photograph: AFP

In Tahrir Square, Cairo, violent protests continued this week. Here, near the square, two boys rest during the clashes with police Photograph: Shawn Baldwin/Corbis

Riot police beat a protester opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi during clashes along Qasr Al Nil bridge, which leads to Tahrir Square Photograph: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

And in this final photograph this week from Cairo, an Egyptian protester sits in the road while others use green laser pointers during the violent clashes Photograph: Virginie Nguyen Hoang/AP

Women stand in the courtyard of their house destroyed by a French airstrike in Lere, Mali Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP

Firefighters at the scene of a fire at a nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil, which claimed more than 230 lives Photograph: Agencia RBS/AFP

A man dressed as a 'Momotxorro', a natural entity made of bones and sheep skin, walks to carnival in the Basque village of Zubieta. It is one of the most ancient carnivals in Europe, dating back to before the Roman empire Photograph: Daniel Ochoa De Olza/AP

A regular to this gallery, Kevin Frayer was at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, India, photographing thousands of Kashmiri Muslims offering prayers at the shrine, which houses a relic believed to be a hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

He also photographed the Republic Day parade in New India. People gather atop an Indian Army tank following celebrations commemorating the 1950 adoption of the constitution Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

A few days later was the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi. Indian children with their heads shaved and dressed like Gandhi assemble at an event to mark the day he was assassinated in 1948 Photograph: Arun Sankar K/AP

A bored-looking Silverback sunbathes in the presence of a very young gorilla as Madrid's zoo animals enjoy warmer than usual springtime temperatures Photograph: Jorge Sanz/Corbis

Bahraini Shia Muslim women gather for a demonstration against the death of a child in the village of Daih. The child, Qassim Habib Marzooq, died in hospital after respiratory complications. His relatives claim his death is due to the inhalation of teargas fired by riot police Photograph: Mohammed Al-Shaikh/AFP

A competitor emerges from an underground tunnel during the Tough Guy Challenge in Telford, England Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty