Seven days in photographs. August 27 - September 2, 2011

Hurricane Irene battered the U.S. east coast over the weekend. The hurricane claimed 43 lives in 12 states, most victims drowned or were killed by falling trees.

The flag of the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) was hoisted above the Libyan embassy in Moscow. The embassy staff replaced the green flag of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya with the tricolor red, black and green flag of the rebel government. The NTC has been recognized as Libya’s legitimate power by 60 states, including Russia.

Katia, a tropical storm raging in east Atlantic, developed into a category one hurricane on Thursday morning, but was again downgraded to tropical storm several hours later.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday opened a cadet school in south Russia’s Stavropol. He rang the school’s first bell and planted a tree in the schoolyard.

On August 29, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the 16th bike festival by the Night Wolves biker club in the southern Russian city of Novorossiisk. The premier drove a three-wheel Harley Davidson ahead of a convoy of some 50 bikers.

Nine people were killed when three suicide bombers blew themselves up in the Chechen capital Grozny on Wednesday, August 31. 22 people were injured and six of them remain in a serious condition.

The fourth international military music festival, Spasskaya Bashnya or the Spasskya Tower, opened with a fireworks display on Red Square on Wednesday evening. During the festival, orchestras from 14 countries will demonstrate the traditions and creativity of their countries in the heart of Moscow.