Pictures of the Week: March 7 – March 14

1 minute read

From the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 and a deadly explosion in New York, to a feline beauty show in Romania and high heeled, pole dancing robots in Germany, TIME presents the best pictures of the week.

The national guard disperses water cannons on anti-government protesters during a protest at Altamira square in Caracas
Mar. 14, 2014. The national guard disperses water cannons on anti-government protesters during a protest at Altamira square in Caracas Venezuela.Tomas Bravo—Reuters
Engadin Skiing Marathon
Mar. 9, 2014. Thousands of sportsmen and women on their way from Maloya to S-Chanf as they participate in the Engadin cross country skiing marathon in southeastern Switzerland.Nicola Pitaro—EPA
A Hindu woman is seen covered with coloured powder at a temple during "Lathmar Holi" at Nandgaon village
Mar. 10, 2014. A Hindu woman is seen covered with colored powder at a temple during "Lathmar Holi," a Holi tradition unique to Nandgaon and Barsana villages in the northern Indian state of Uttar.Adnan Abidi—Reuters
APTOPIX Ukraine Tatars
Mar. 10, 2014. A Crimean Tatar man prays at a mosque in Bakhchysarai, Ukraine. The arrival of Russian troops in Crimea has opened old wounds among the Crimean Tatars, who once again fear they will be unwelcome in their homeland.Vadim Ghirda—AP
IAAF World Indoor Championships - Day Three
Mar. 9, 2014. Athletes prepare for the start of the Women's 60m semi finale on day three of the IAAF World Indoor Championships at Ergo Arena in Sopot, Poland. Alexander Hassenstein—Getty Images
Afghans pray over the grave of Afghan Vice-President Marshal Fahim after he was buried in Kabul
Mar. 11, 2014. Afghans pray over the grave of Afghan Vice-President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim after he was buried in Kabul.Mohammad Ismail —Reuters
*** BESTPIX *** AON North Island Secondary School Championships
Mar. 9, 2014. A rower on a training run during the AON North Island Secondary School Championships at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge, New Zealand. Joel Ford—Getty Images
A Canadian Sphynx cat is evaluated during an international feline beauty show in Bucharest
Mar. 9, 2014. A Canadian Sphynx cat is evaluated during an international feline beauty show in Bucharest Bogdan Cristel—Reuters
Rogers Speaks on Future of NSA Surveillance
Mar.11, 2014. Vice Admiral Michael Rogers (R), tapped by US President Barack Obama to lead the National Security Agency (NSA) and the US Cyber Command, is seen before speaking about his vision of the future of the NSA in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA
TOPSHOTS-PAKISTAN-WEATHER
Mar. 10, 2014. Pakistani children play during a dust storm on the banks of the Ravi River on the outskirts of Lahore. Heavy rain and stormy weather has hit parts of northern Pakistan.Arif Ali—AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX Portugal Fashion
Mar. 7, 2014. A model gets her make-up done backstage before a show during the ModaLisboa fashion week, in Lisbon, Portugal.Francisco Seco—AP
Firefighters scale a vast pile of debris that remained after a gas leak explosion destroyed two buildings on Park Avenue in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York.
Mar. 12, 2014. Firefighters scale a vast pile of debris that remained after a gas leak explosion destroyed two buildings on Park Avenue in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York. Ashley Gilbertson—The New York Times
Mall in Malasya sets up tribute memorial for missing MH 370 passengers
Mar. 12, 2014. A tourist ties her hopes and prayers for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 to other messages hung outside of the pavilion at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. Asyraf Rasid—Demotix/Corbis
Calista Gingrich waits backstage while her husband, Newt Gingrich speaks during the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., March 8, 2014.
Mar. 8, 2014. Calista Gingrich waits backstage while her husband, Newt Gingrich speaks during the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.Lexey Swall—GRAIN for TIME
Pakistan Daily Life
Mar. 7, 2014. An Afghan refugee boy reads from the board while he and other schoolchildren attend their classes at their makeshift school on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan.Muhammed Muheisen—AP
Flowers are placed on a Russian navy monument during a pro-Russia rally in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol
Mar. 8, 2014. Flowers are placed on a Russian navy monument during a pro-Russia rally in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol.Baz Ratner—Reuters
Men try to pull a body from under the rubble at a site hit by what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President al-Assad in Aleppo's district of al-Sukari
Mar. 8, 2014. Men try to pull a body from under the rubble at a site hit by what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's district of al-Sukari.Reuters
Ukrainian servicemen look out of the gate of their military base near Sevastopol
Mar. 8, 2014. Ukrainian servicemen look out of the gate of their military base near Sevastopol, Ukraine. Baz Ratner—Reuters
*** BESTPIX *** U.S. Soldiers Provide Security Around Kandahar Airfield
Mar. 9, 2014. Children watch as SPC Wilmer Bolivar with the U.S. Army's 4th squadron 2d Cavalry Regiment keeps watch during a patrol through a village near Kandahar, Afghanistan. President Obama recently ordered the Pentagon to begin contingency planning for a pullout from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.Scott Olson—Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-US-FEATURE-BIRDS
Mar. 9, 2014. A flock of birds fly in the morning light over the Chapman Park Studio Building in Los Angeles,California.Joe Klamar—AFP/Getty Images
Syrian Refugees; Lebanon; North Lebanon; refugees
Mar. 9, 2014. Feryal Delly, a Syrian refugee, gives water to her 4-year-old son Zacharia. Zacharia, who has a brain tumor, lives with his family in a rented apartment in Halat, north of Beirut.Lynsey Addario—UNHCR
TURKEY-WOMEN-RIGHTS
Mar. 9, 2014. Turkish women march during a rally to mark International Women's Day at Kadikoy in Istanbul.Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-GERMANY-IT-TELECOM-INTERNET
Mar. 9, 2014. Robots perform a pole dance at the booth of the Tobit Software company on the eve of the start of the 2014 CeBIT technology trade fair in Hanover, central Germany.John Macdougall—AFP/Getty Images
Senators Speak Through Night on Climate Change in DC
Mar. 10, 2014. The dome of the US Capitol is seen behind a smokestack from the Capitol Power Plant, the only coal-burning power plant in the nation's capitol, in Washington, DC. Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA
Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip
Mar. 9, 2014. A Palestinian girl waits for relatives to return to Gaza at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip.Majdi Fathi—NurPhoto
TOPSHOTS-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-UNREST
Mar. 9, 2014. A man waves the Ukrainian national flag during a rally commemorating the 200th anniversary of poet and national icon Taras Shevchenko at Independence square in central Kiev.Dimitar Dilkoff—AFP/Getty Images
Heavy Rain in Gaza
Mar. 9, 2014. A child looks from the window during heavy rain on a windy day in the Shati refugee camp; in Gaza, Palestinian Territories.Momen Faiz—NurPhotos
2014 Iditarod White Mountain
Mar. 10, 2014. Iditarod musher Jeff King, from Denali, Alaska, mushes between the checkpoints of White Mountain and Safety, the last checkpoint before the finish line in Nome. Bob Hallinen—The Anchorage Daily News/AP
Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games
Mar. 10, 2014. An Alpine skier during a training session at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games, Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.Ennio Lenaza—EPA
TOPSHOTS-SAFRICA-TRIAL-PISTORIUS
Mar. 10, 2014. Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius reacts during his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa. An overcome Oscar Pistorius vomited in court as he listened to harrowing expert testimony about the autopsy of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, whom he is accused of murdering. Bongiwe Mchunu—AFP/Getty Images
A girl jumps rope in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus
Mar. 10, 2014. A girl jumps rope in the Duma neighborhood of Damascus. Bassam Khabieh—Reuters
Search underway for Malaysia Airlines jet
Mar. 10, 2014. The mother of missing Firman Chandra Siregar (R) is comforted by a relative as they wait for news of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at their house in Medan, Indonesia.Dedi Sahputra—EPA
SINGAPORE-MALAYSIAAIRLINES-CHINA-TRANSPORT-ACCIDENT
Mar. 10, 2014. Personnel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) scanning the seas about 140 nautical miles north-east of Kota Baru, Malaysia, for any signs of the Malaysia Airlines plane which went missing. Desmond Lim—AFP/Getty Images
A woman prays for the deceased of March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami at a place where she was employed at a photo studio at the time, in Rikuzentakata, Iwate prefecture
Mar. 11, 2011. A woman prays in the snow fall for the deceased in Rikuzentakata, Iwate. Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the devestating earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and set off a nuclear crisis in Japan. Kyodo—Reuters
Kindergarten students sit in a playground during an earthquake simulation exercise at an elementary school in Tokyo
Mar. 11, 2014. Kindergarten students sit in a playground during an earthquake simulation exercise at an elementary school in Tokyo.Yuya Shino—Reuters
A police officer searches for missing people of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami along the coast side in Namie town, Fukushima prefectur
Mar. 11, 2014. A police officer searches for missing victims of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami along the coast of the Tokyo Electric Power Co's (TEPCO) tsunami-crippled nuclear power plant.Toru Hanai—Reuters
Sam Twiston-Davies on The New One jumps the final fence of the Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy in Gloucestershire
Mar. 11, 2014. Sam Twiston-Davies on The New One jumps the final fence of the Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival horse racing meet in Gloucestershire, western England.Eddie Keogh—Reuters
2014 Paralympic Winter Games - Day 4
Mar 11, 2014. United States goalkeepers Jen Lee (top) and Steve Cash warm up prior to the Ice Sledge Hockey Preliminary Round Group B match between the United States of America and Russia during day four of Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games at Shayba Arena on in Sochi, Russia. Dennis Grombkowski—Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-TURKEY-UNREST
Mar. 11, 2014. Relatives of Berkin Elvan cry as his coffin of is carried in Istanbul. Berkin Elvan died March 11 after being in a coma since June 2013 after being struck in the head by a gas canister during a police crackdown on protesters.Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-TURKEY-POLITICS-UNREST
Mar. 11, 2014. A protester waves a black flag during clashes with riot police in Kadikoy, on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. Turkish riot police fired tear gas on at protesters massed outside a hospital after the death of a teenage boy wounded during anti-government protests last year and left comatose.Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images
TOPSHOTS-UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA
Mar. 11, 2014. Soldiers patrol on board the Slavutich Ukrainian navy ship anchored at the harbor of Sevastopol. Lawmakers on the flashpoint Crimean peninsula voted for independence from Ukraine ahead of a referendum on joining Russia while Washington rebuffed talks with Moscow in one of their fiercest clashes since the Cold War. Filippo Monteforte—AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX Mideast Israel Fashion Week
Mar. 11, 2014. An Israeli model, who serves in the military, wears her uniform in the makeup chair before her turn on the catwalk at a show by Israeli designer Dorin Frankfurt during Tel Aviv fashion week.Ariel Schalit—AP
China Malaysia Plane
Mar. 12, 2014. Hotel security officers guard the entrance to a hotel room set aside for relatives or friends of passengers aboard a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, in Beijing, China. Andy Wong—AP
NY:  Harlem Building Explosion And Collapse
Mar. 12, 2014. Firefighters battle a blaze at the site of an explosion and building collapse on corner of 116th Street and Park Avenue, in the Harlem section of New York, NY.Anthony Behar—Sipa USA
Explosion Causes Two Buildings To Collapse In Manhattan's East Harlem Neighborhood
Mar. 12, 2014. Heavy smoke pours from the debris as the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) responds to a 5-alarm fire and building collapse at 1646 Park Ave in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Andrew Burton—Getty Images
Explosion Causes Two Buildings To Collapse In Manhattan's East Harlem Neighborhood
Mar. 12, 2014. Firefighters from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) respond to a five-alarm fire and building collapse at 1646 Park Ave as a drone flies overheard in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Justin Heiman—Getty Images
An anti-government protester runs amidst tear gas launched by the police during a protest in Caracas
Mar. 12, 2014. An anti-government protester runs amidst tear gas launched by the police during a protest in Caracas. Supporters and foes of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro took to the streets again on Wednesday, one month after similar rival rallies brought the first bloodshed in a wave of unrest. Tomas Bravo—Reuters
TOPSHOTS-TURKEY-UNREST-POLITICS
Mar. 12, 2014. A young girl is pictured after she was wounded during clashes between riot-police and prostestors after the funeral of Berkin Elvan, the 15-year-old boy who died from injuries suffered during last year's anti-government protests, in Istanbul.Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX Afghanistan
Mar. 12, 2014. Pakistani bank notes covered in blood are displayed on the body of a dead suicide bomber after police found them in his pocket in the center of Kandahar, Afghanistan after an attack on the former Afghan intelligence headquarters.Anja Niedringhaus—AP
Fire at paint factory in India
Mar. 12, 2014. Indian firefighters battle to extinguish a huge fire in a paint factory in Howrah, west of Calcutta, Eastern India. A major fire broke out at a factory of Shalimar Paints Limited in Howrah early morning. According to police and media reports, 25 fire engines fought for close to six hours to extinguish the blaze. Noboby was injured. Piyal Adhikary—EPA
Samira attempts to open a door before learning that the eviction of her family has been temporarily suspended in Madrid
Mar. 12, 2014. Samira, 2, attempts to open a door before learning that the eviction of her family has been temporarily suspended in Madrid, Spain.Andrea Comas—Reuters
APTOPIX China Politics
Mar. 12, 2014. A television presenter adjusts her hair near a security person guarding the entrance to the Great Hall of the People where the closing ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held in Beijing, China.Ng Han Guan—AP
Pakistan Daily Life
Mar. 12, 2014. Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, learn how to read verses of the Quran, during their daily classes in a Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan.Muhammed Muheisen—AP
An attendant puts clamps on a curtain inside the Great Hall of the People during the closing ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing
Mar. 12, 2014. An attendant puts clamps on a curtain inside the Great Hall of the People during the closing ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing.Kim Kyung-Hoon—Reuters
Syrian President Assad visits displaced Syrians
Mar. 12, 2014. Syrian President Bashar Assad (L) inspecting the conditions of displaced Syrians at al-Dweir shelter center, Adra, Damascus countryside. Sana Handout—EPA
Satellite Image Of Floating Debris Provides Hope In Search of Missing Malaysian Airliner
Mar. 13, 2014. Sgt. Zulhelmi Hassan of the Malaysian Air Forces searches the water for signs of debris from the Malaysian airliner during a search and rescue mission flight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Rahman Roslan—Getty Images
Small dam containing water is seen in a dry paddock next to another that has been affected by a recent fire on the outskirts of Melbourne
Mar. 12, 2014. A small dam (L) containing water is seen in a dry paddock next to another that has been affected by a recent fire on the outskirts of Melbourne. Australia endured its hottest year on record in 2013, the Bureau of Meteorology said earlier this year. David Gray—Reuters
A girl, whose family moved to Islamabad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, collects grass in Islamabad
Mar. 12, 2014. A girl, whose family moved to Islamabad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, collects grass in Islamabad. Zohra Bensemra—Reuters
TOPSHOTS-SPACE-MARS-SAND DUNES
Mar. 13, 2014. A sand dune field in a Southern highlands crater on Mars, when the Sun was just 5 degrees above the horizon. As a result, the image is mostly shadows, with sharply-delineated dune crests sticking up into the sunlight. The especially bright patches -—bluish in enhanced color—are due to seasonal frost that is accumulating as this hemisphere approaches winter. NASA/JPL Caltech/University of Arizona/AFP/Getty Images
China Politics
Mar. 13, 2014. A Chinese military band conductor rehearses before the closing ceremony for the annual National People's Congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, China.Vincent Thian—AP
Germany Ukraine
Mar. 13, 2014. The hands of German Chancellor Angela Merkel are seen in bright sun light as she delivers her speech, on the Ukrainian crisis at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany. Markus Schreiber—AP
India Daily Life
Mar. 13, 2014. A village boy holds a handmade traditional umbrella while running on the embankment of an irrigation canal on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, India.Biswaranjan Rout—AP
A Hindu priest throws coloured powder at the devotees during Holi celebrations at Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan
Mar. 13, 2014. A Hindu priest throws colored powder at the devotees during Holi celebrations at Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India. Ahmad Masood—Reuters
Aftermath of exposion in New York City
Mar. 13, 2014. Firefighters continue to try and extinguish the fire at the scene of an explosion, the previous day, that destroyed two buildings and killed seven people in New York, New York, USA.Justin Lane—EPA
APTOPIX Mideast Jordan Syrian Refugees
Mar. 13, 2014. A Syrian refugee boy stands behind a fence near his family makeshift home tent, as the rainbow shines in background, at Zaatari refugee camp, near the Syrian border, in Mafraq, Jordan.Mohammad Hannon—AP
BESTPIX Cheltenham Festival - St Patrick's Thursday
Mar. 13, 2014. Runners and riders jump the third last in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, England. Mike Hewitt—Getty Images
APTOPIX India Holi Festival Widows
Mar. 14, 2014. Indian Hindu widows play with colored water for the first time as a part of Holi celebrations organized by the NGO Sulabh at the Meera Sahbhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, India.Manish Swarup—AP
TOPSHOTS-FRANCE-ENVIRONMENT-POLLUTION
Mar. 14, 2014. A view of the Eiffel Tower seen through thick smog, in Paris, France. Patrick Kovarik—AFP/Getty Images
Members of a "Maidan" self-defense battalion take part in weapons training at a Ukrainian Interior Ministry base near Kiev
Mar. 14, 2014. Members of a "Maidan" self-defense battalion take part in weapons training at a Ukrainian Interior Ministry base near Kiev.The first 500 volunteers arrived at the base for training to qualify for service in the newly-created National Guard. Maks Levin—Reuters
APTOPIX Indonesia Forest Fires
Mar. 14, 2014. A man rows his boat on the Siak River amid haze from forest fires in Pekanbaru, Riau province, Indonesia.Rony Muharrman—AP
Miley Cyrus With Icona Pop In Concert - St Paul, Minnesota
Mar. 10, 2014. Miley Cyrus performs at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Adam Bettcher—Getty Images
Shazia, a six year-old-girl, plays with street dogs on bamboo sticks at a timber market in Mumbai
Mar. 13, 2014. Shazia, a six year-old-girl, plays with street dogs on bamboo sticks at a timber market in Mumbai.Danish Siddiqui—Reuters

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com