Pictures of the Week: May 3 – May 10

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From the safe return of three kidnap victims in Ohio and the rescue of a woman trapped for 17 days in the rubble of a garment factory in Bangladesh to Israeli air strikes in Syria and a teddy bear hospital in Germany, TIME presents the best pictures of the week.

Pakistani general election 2013 / …lections lÈgislatives pakistanaises de 2013
May 3, 2013. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI: Pakistan Movement for Justice) chairman Imran Khan speaking in front of about 80,000 supporters attending a public gathering held in the local Government Degree College in Abbotabad, Pakistan.Massimo Berruti—Agence VU
India Kashmir Festival
May 3, 2013. Kashmiri Muslims pray as a head priest, unseen, displays a relic, believed to be a hair from the beard of the Prophet Mohammad, during special prayers on the death anniversary of Abu Bakr Siddiq, the first Caliph of Islam, at Hazratbal Shrine on the outskirts of Srinagar, India.Dar Yasin—AP
TOPSHOTS-ISRAEL-SYRIA-CONFLICT
May 6, 2013. An Israeli soldier (L) prays inside a net tent pitched close to Merkava tanks deployed in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights near the border with Syria. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has appealed for restraint after Israeli air strikes on targets near Damascus which prompted Syrian officials to warn "missiles are ready" to retaliate.Menahem Kahana—AFP/Getty Images
Women and girls in traditional dress make wreaths from periwinkle leaves to prepare for a ritual celebrating the pagan god Yurya in the village of Pogost
May 6, 2013. Women and girls in traditional dress make wreaths from periwinkle leaves to prepare for a ritual celebrating the pagan god Yurya in the village of Pogost, some 250 km (155 miles) south of Minsk. Locals believe that Yurya protects their harvest, and the annual tradition on May 6 is devoted to praying for plentiful future harvests.Vasily Fedosenko—Reuters
Reburial ceremony for remains of Russian WWII soldiers outside St. Petersburg
May 7, 2013. An Orthodox priest blesses the coffins with the remains of Russian soldiers who perished in the fights at Sinyavino's Hills during the blockade of Leningrad in WWII, during a reburial ceremony outside St. Petersburg. The remains of 417 Russian soldiers, discovered by the memorial research group are reburied as Russia celebrates the 68th anniversary of the victory over Nazi-Germany in WWII on May 9.Anatoly Maltsev—EPA
Servicemen take part in a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in Moscow
May 3, 2013. Servicemen take part in a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in Moscow.Maxim Shemetoc—Reuters
A farmer harvests wheat on a field in Kathmandu
May 6, 2013. A farmer harvests wheat on a field in Kathmandu, Nepal.Navesh Chitrakar—Reuters
APTOPIX Mideast Iran Syria
May 6, 2013. An Syrian man wrapped in a Syrian flag with a portrait of President Bashar Assad, walks past anti riot police during an anti-Israeli demonstration in front of the UN office in Tehran. Iran Condemns Israeli Air strikes on Syria and urged countries in the region to stand against the attack.Ebrahim Noroozi—AP
APTOPIX Kentucky Derby Horse Racing
May 4, 2013. Horses run around a muddy track during the ninth race before the 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.J. David Ake—AP
Hefazat-e-Islam locked in clashes with police in Dhaka
May 5, 2013. An activist trying to take another severely injured activist to the hospital, as no one else offers to help in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoynagar and Kakrail areas of Dhaka turned into a battleground as Hefazat-e-Islam locked in clashes with police and the Awami League. At least three persons are dead and more than 50 injured.Atish Saha—Demotix/Corbis
Women on the frontlines of Syrian civil war
May 3, 2013. Veils used as cover from sniper fire are seen at Sheikh Maksoud front line, a majority-Kurdish neighborhood took by opposition fighters since weeks ago, and targeted by Syrian army aircraft bombardments and heavy shelling, forcing thousands of residents to flee into safe areas outside of Aleppo City.Narciso Contreras—Polaris
Flying superheroes light aircrafts in Santiago de Chile
May 3, 2013. A human-shaped model aircraft flies near the Costanera Center Tower in Santiago de Chile, Chile.Felipe Trueba—EPA
Early Southern California Wildfires Threatens Area
May 3, 2013. A wall of flame approaches a statute of St. Francis of Assisi in Hidden Hills, California.Kevork Djansezian—Getty Images
US-CALIFORNIA-FIRE
May 3, 2013. A rabbit runs from a wildfire burning along the Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County, California. Some 4,000 homes were threatened by a growing wildfire northwest of Los Angeles that has forced the closure of California's scenic coastal highway, firefighters said.Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images
A worshipper holds wooden crossesas she takes part in the Christian Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old city
May 4, 2013. A worshiper holds wooden crosses as she takes part in the Christian Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old city.Baz Ratner—Reuters
NRA Gathers In Houston For 2013 Annual Meeting
May 4, 2013. A young attendee inspects an assault rifle during the 2013 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the NRA's 3-day annual meeting that features nearly 550 exhibitors, gun trade show and a political rally. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
AfrikaBurn Festival in Karoo Desert
May 3, 2013. Participants in the AfrikaBurn festival dance in a dust storm in the Karoo desert, Tweefontein, South Africa. The festival is based on Burning Man in the United States and see thousands of people gathering in the desert to construct a temporary community.Kim Ludbrook—EPA
APTOPIX Kentucky Derby Horse Racing
May 4, 2013. Desirae Masterson, from Indianapolis, Ind., with her hat covered in a plastic bag to protect it from the rain, shares a mint julep with her husband Ray before the running of the 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. David Goldman—AP
TOPSHOTS-CHINA-ENVIRONMENT-PROTEST
May 4, 2013. Police stand on the roadside during a demonstration against plans for a factory to produce paraxylene (PX), a toxic petrochemical used to make fabrics, in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province on. Hundreds of people took part in a street protest against a proposed chemical plant in southwest China on May 4, state media said, in an echo of earlier protests in other Chinese cities.AFP/Getty Images
CHINA-ENVIRONMENT-PROTEST
May 4, 2013. Demonstrators take part in a protest against plans for a factory which will produce paraxylene (PX), a toxic petrochemical used to make fabris, in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province.AFP/Getty Images
Orthodox Christians wears headband with cross made from papyrus as he prays outside of one of 11 monolithic rock-cut churches, in Lalibela
May 4, 2013. An Orthodox Christians wears a headband with a cross made from papyrus as he prays outside of one of 11 monolithic rock-cut churches, ahead of Orthodox Easter in Lalibela.Goran Tomasevic—Reuters
Pakistan Prepares For General Election
May 5, 2013. Supporters wave flags and cheer as they watch Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf (PTI) party, arrive during an election campaign rally in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Daniel Berehulak—Getty Images
Pakistan Prepares For General Election
May 5, 2013. Punjab police commandos stand guard in front of stage prior to Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf (PTI) party, addressing supporters during an election campaign rally in Faisalabad, Pakistan.Daniel Berehulak—Getty Images
Tungurahua volcano continues moderated seismic activity and generates seven explosions
May 5, 2013. A general view of the Tungurahua volcano located in the middle of the Ecuadorean Andes, that nine days ago registered the beginning of an activity, seen from Pillaro, Ecuador.Carlos Campana—EPA
A female prisoner holds her child in the maternity ward at the Ilopango prison in Ilopango
May 9, 2013. A female prisoner holds her child in the maternity ward at the Ilopango prison in El Salvador. Some 1,700 women are serving time at the prison, 300 of whom are mothers who live with their children until they turn five years old, after which they will be released to their relatives or handed over to the state. Ulises Rodriguez—Reuters
A student in flip flops and shorts attends commencement at Ohio State University
May 5, 2013. A student in flip flops and shorts (C) watches as U.S. President Barack Obama (not pictured) receives an honorary degree during the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio State University in Columbus.Jason Reed—Reuters
Lucha libre wrestler Cassandro leaps into the audience during the Lucha VaVOOM show as part of a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Mayan theatre in Los Angeles
May 5, 2013. Lucha libre wrestler Cassandro leaps into the audience during the Lucha VaVOOM show as part of a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Mayan theatre in Los Angeles. Cinco de Mayo, Spanish for the fifth of May, commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla.Mario Anzuoni—Reuters
Hazardous situation in dhaka
May 5, 2013. Police beat a supporter of Hefajat-e Islam following clashes at Paltan in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thousands of Islamists brought Dhaka to a standstill as they demanded an anti-blasphemy law that carries the death penalty. Two more people have died of their injuries in the ongoing clashes in Dhaka between the activists of Hifazat-e Islam and law keepers, pushing the toll to three so far.Zakir Hossain Chowdhury—Demotix/Corbis
Bangladesh Blasphemy Protest
May 6, 2013. Bangladeshi people search for their belongings after the clashes between police and Islamic hardliners during a protest in Savar near Dhaka, Bangladesh.Ismail Ferdous—AP
Hifazat-e Islam chief Ahmad Shafi returns home
May 6, 2013. Hifazat-e Islam chief Ahmad Shafi returns to home from his Lalbagh office today. He was expected to leave Dhaka by air at 05.00 PM. Police were there at his Lalbagh office when Ahmad Shafi was leaving.Suvra Kanti Das—Demotix/Corbis
Pakistan Prepares For General Election
May 6, 2013. Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf (PTI) party, departs after his addressing supporters during an election campaign rally in Multan, Pakistan.Daniel Berehulak—Getty Images
US-ECONOMY-UNEMPLOYMENT
May 6, 2013. A man rests on the floor at a metro station in downtown Washington. Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images
Mideast Israel Syria
May 6, 2013. Israeli soldiers of the Golani brigade during an exercise in the Golan Heights.Ariel Schalit—AP
KOSOVO-RELIGION
May 6, 2013. A woman stands next to a wall where sheep were slaughtered in the village of Babaj Bokes, Kosovo, during the celebration of the traditional feast of Saint George's Day, which is observed by several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint.Armend Nimani—AFP/Getty Images
KOSOVO-RELIGION
May 6, 2013. A child stands next to slaughtered sheep in the village of Babaj Bokes, Kosovo, during the celebration of the traditional feast of Saint George's Day, which is observed by several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint.Armend Nimani—AFP/Getty Images
Mideast Iraq
May 6, 2013. Family members of Diaa Mutashar al-Issawi chant anti-Jabhat al-Nusra and Free Syrian Army slogans during his funeral in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad. The Iraqi Shiite fighter's body was collected Monday morning at a border crossing with Iran, then carried through the streets of this southern Iraqi city as mourners vowed a similar sacrifice to protect a revered shrine in Syria.Nabil al-Jurani—AP
BAHRAIN-POLITICS-UNREST-DEMO
May 6, 2013. Bahraini women hide from riot police outside the entrance of a house before the start of a demonstration in solidarity with jailed political activists in the village of Diraz, west of Manama.Mohammed Al-Shaikh—AFP/Getty Images
ETA AQUARID METEOR SHOWER IN FUERTEVENTURA
May 6, 2013. A view of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, as a result of Earth passing through dust released by Halley's Comet, seen from Barranco de Ajuy on Fuerteventura, the Canary Islands, Spain.Carlos de Saa—EPA
A musician from a military band rests before an official ceremony at a military base in the Russian southern city of Stavropol
May 6, 2013. A musician from a military band rests before an official ceremony at a military base in the Russian southern city of Stavropol. Eduardo Korniyenko—Reuters
One World Trade Center rises above the World Trade Center transportation hub in New York
May 6, 2013. One World Trade Center rises above the World Trade Center transportation hub in New York. Not due to open until 2015, the 800,000-square-foot (74,322-square-meter) transit hub will eventually link numerous New York City subway lines with commuter trains and ferry services to neighboring New Jersey.Eric Thayer—Reuters
Supporters wave towards a helicopter transporting Sharif, leader of political party PML-N, as he leaves after his election campaign rally in Peshawar
May 7, 2013. Supporters wave towards a helicopter transporting Nawaz Sharif, leader of political party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as he leaves after his election campaign rally in Peshawar.Fayaz Aziz—Reuters
Argentina Underwater Town
May 7, 2013. Birds fly over the village of Epecuen, Argentina. Epecuen village was once home to 1,500 residents before it started flooding on November 10, 1985. After heavy rains the lake Epecuen burst its banks. It only took 20 days for the town to submerge beneath almost 30 feet of water, forcing everybody to leave. Natacha Pisarenko—AP
Missing Cleveland women found after decade
May 7, 2013. Bystanders outside the house of the DeJesus's home in Cleveland, Ohio. Their daughter, Gina, went missing in 2004 and was alive in a home in Cleveland on May 6.Dustin Franz—Polaris
India Kashmir Daily Life
May 7, 2013. A Kashmiri farmer crosses a barbed wire fence to check his crop on a foggy morning on the outskirts of Srinagar, India.Dar Yasin—AP
A farmer harvests wheat at the fields in Bhaktapur
May 7, 2013. A farmer harvests wheat at the fields in Bhaktapur, near the capital Kathmandu. Navesh Chitrakar—Reuters
TOPSHOTS-AFGHANISTAN-POVERTY
May 7, 2013. An Afghan boy holds a stick as he stands in a wheat field in Qara Zaghan village in Baghlan province.Shah Marai—AFP/Getty Images
BANGLADESH-POLITICS-STRIKE
May 8, 2013. A Bangladeshi rickshaw puller sleeps during a nationwide strike called by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Dhaka.Munir Uz Zaman—AFP/Getty Images
Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives for the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London
May 8, 2013. Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives for the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London.Dan Kitwood—Pool/Reuters
Bangladesh Building Collapse
May, 8 2013. A Bangladeshi woman holds a photograph of her missing daughter at a makeshift morgue near a garment factory building that collapsed in Savar near Dhaka, Bangladesh.Ismail Ferdous—AP
Charite Hospital Hosts Annual Teddy Bear Clinic
May 8, 2013. Visiting children hold high the intestine pulled from the belly of a giant teddy bear at the Teddy Bear Clinic at Charite Hospital in Berlin. Charite Hospital hosts the annual Teddy Bear Clinic days and invites children from Berlin day care centers to bring their injured teddy bears for fictitious examinations, x-rays, surgery and healing as a way for small children to become acquainted with a medical environment.Sean Gallup—Getty Images
Mosquito nets for sale on a street in Bhopal
May 8, 2013. A woman with a baby on her arm sells mosquito nets on a hot summer day, at a roadside in Bhopal, India.Sanjeev Gupta—EPA
Ariel Castro Arraigned On Kidnapping And Rape Charges
May 9, 2013. Balloons and presents sit outside the home of kidnap victim Amanda Berry in Cleveland, Ohio. Ariel Castro was arraigned on rape and kidnapping charges for abducting Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight and holding them for about 10 years. Matt Sullivan—Getty Images
Afghanistan
May 8, 2013. An Afghan Army soldier adjusts his helmet at a training facility on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan.Anja Niedringhaus—AP
Molalieva chats with friends before heading for their training course at a sewing factory in Ribnovo
May 8, 2013. Bulgarian Nevse Molalieva (R) chats with friends before heading for their training course at a sewing factory in the village of Ribnovo, some 190km (118 miles) south of Sofia. Stoyan Nenov—Reuters
Afghanistan
May 9, 2013. Afghan border policemen take their positions on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Goshta district of Jalalabad province east of Kabul, Afghanistan.Rahmat Gul—AP
BESTPIX Pakistan Prepares For General Election
May 9, 2013.Supporters wait for the arrival of Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML) party, during the final day of campaigning at an election rally in Lahore, Pakistan. Daniel Berehulak—Getty Images
Pakistan Election
May 9, 2013. A Pakistani supporter of former cricket star-turned-politician, and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Imran Khan, takes part during a rally in Khan's support in Islamabad, Pakistan.Muhammed Muheisen—AP
Lahore building fire out of control as people jump to their deaths
May 9, 2013. People look up to the sky as fire-fighters battle the inferno after a high rise building caught fire due to short-circuiting in Lahore, Pakistan.Saad Sarfraz Sheikh—Demotix/Corbis
A man falls from a high floor of a burning building in central Lahore
May 9, 2013. A man falls from a high floor of a burning building in central Lahore. Damir Sagolj—Reuters
People Trapped As Fire Erupts At Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Plaza In Lahore
May 9, 2013 A policeman watches as rescue workers attempt to reach people trapped as a fire takes hold at the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Plaza in Lahore, Pakistan. Daniel Berehulak—Getty Images
An Israeli policewoman holds back ultra-Orthodox Jewish men as they protest against the "Women of the Wall" group at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City
May 10, 2013. An Israeli policewoman (R) holds back ultra-Orthodox Jewish men as they protest against the "Women of the Wall" group during a monthly prayer session at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City.Amir Cohen—Reuters
Woman trapped 16 days under collapsed building rescued
May 10, 2013. Rescuers pull out a female survivor, Reshma, alive on the 17th day after the Rana Plaza building collapsed, in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.EPA

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