April 4, 2014 11:00 AM EDT
F rom the shootings at Fort Hood to the Afghan elections, to Queen Elizabeth’s visit with Pope Francis and a camera savvy koala bear, TIME presents the best photos of the week.
Mar. 31, 2014. A woman and a man look at cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo. Toru Hanai—Reuters Mar. 30, 2014. A flag flies at half-staff on a log with the slope of the massive mudslide that struck Oso in the background near Darrington, Washington. Ted S. Warren—Reuters Mar. 29, 2014. Relatives of 22 year-old journalist Mayada Ashraf, who was killed during clashes between Egyptian police and Muslim Brotherhood supporters, mourn during her funeral in El-Monofiya, north of Cairo, Egypt. Ahmed Gomaa—AP Mar. 28, 2014.
A would-be immigrant waits on a mast on the other side of fences near Beni Enza, into the north African Spanish enclave of Melilla. Several hundreds people launched a dawn assault to cross into the Spanish city, which lies on the northern tip of Morocco. Jose Colon—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 28, 2014. Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu competes during the men's free program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo. Toru Hanai—Reuters Mar. 31, 2014.
A Papilio memmon butterfly sits on a womans head during a photocall in the Natural History Museum's 'Sensational Butterflies' outdoor butterfly house in London. Ben Stansall—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 30, 2014. Balinese men hit each other during the "Mesabatan Api" ritual ahead of Nyepi Day in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. Mesabatan Api is held annually a day before the Nyepi Day of Silence, and symbolizes the purification of universe and human body through fire. Agung Parameswara—Getty Images Mar. 31, 2014.
This shadow of a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion aircraft is seen on low cloud cover while it searches for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, over the Indian Ocean. Rob Griffith—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 1, 2014. Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) group companies' new employees bow during a welcoming ceremony at the company's hangar near Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. Yuriko Nakao—Bloomberg via Getty Images Mar. 30, 2014. A model showcases designs on the runway at SECCRY Hu Sheguang Collection 2014 Show during Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014/2015 at the 751D-PARK Central Hall on in Beijing, China. Lintao Zhang—Getty Images Mar. 30, 2014. A sniper of Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) takes position at the Mare slums complex in Rio de Janeiro. Sergio Moraes—Reuters Mar. 28, 2014. A woman kisses a baby in the Cantagalo shantytown community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ahead of the World Cup, some of Rio's pacified favelas have seen an increase in violence, including a number of shootings in Pavao-Pavaozinho. Around 10,000 people. Mario Tama—Getty Images Mar. 28, 2014. People play with soccer balls at Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, one of the host cities for the 2014 soccer World Cup in Brazil. © Ricardo Moraes / Reuters—REUTERS Mar. 28, 2014. A Balinese woman cries while in a state of trance during Melasti Ceremony in Badung, Bali, Indonesia.The ritual is held annually ahead of the Nyepi Day of Silence, a ceremony intended to cleanse and purify the soul. Agung Parameswara—Getty Images Mar. 29, 2014.
Phil Robathan (L) and James Preston (R) hold hands during their wedding ceremony in Brighton, southern England. Gay couples across England and Wales said "I do" as a law legalizing same-sex marriage came into effect at midnight, the final stage in a long fight for equality. Leon Neal—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 29, 2014. David Blaine gets slimed on stage at the 27th Annual Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters Mar. 29, 2014. A rugby fan adjusts his latex mask at the rugby sevens tournament in Hong Kong. Philippe Lopez—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 29, 2014. A Palestinian carries an olive tree as she walks through rows of greenhouses on "Land Day" during which people traditionally plant olive trees near the Israeli border in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip. Mohammed Abed—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 29, 2014. Shanghai's skyscrapers Shanghai World Financial Center (L), Shanghai Tower (R) and Jin Mao Tower (top) are seen at the financial district of Pudong during Earth Hour in Shanghai. Carlos Barria—Reuters Mar. 29, 2014.
New World Champion of the Men's ski event at the Freeride World Tour, France's Loic Collomb-Patton competes on the Bec de Rosses mountain during the Xtreme Freeride World Tour final on above the Swiss Alps resort of Verbier. Fabrice Coffrini—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 29, 2014. A Pakistani devotee dances at the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Hussain, popularly known as Madhu Lal Hussain, in Lahore. The annual festival was held at Madhu Lal's shrine on his 425th birth anniversary. Arif Ali—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 30, 2014. A horse eats trash from a dustbin during the occupation of the Favela da Mare shantytown complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 30, 2014. Yemeni mourners stand over a grave at a cemetery ahead of burying one of the soldiers who were killed by gunmen at a checkpoint a week ago during a funeral procession in Sanaía, Yemen. Yahya Arhab—EPA Mar. 30, 2014. A young resident looks through a small bullet proof window as he sits inside a police armored vehicle after a police operation to occupy the Vila Pinheiro, part of the Mare slum complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Felipe Dana—AP Mar. 30, 2014.
A member of the Israeli security force keeps watch during clashes with Palestinian protestors following a demonstration to mark Land Day, in the West Bank village of Silwad, north of Ramallah. Abbas Momani—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 30, 2014. New Zealand players perform the "haka" in the rain after their victory over England in the final match on the final day of the three-day rugby sevens tournament at Hong Kong Stadium. Philippe Lopez—AFP/Getty Images Mar. 31, 2014. US and South Korean marines participate in an annual Combined Joint Logistics over the Shore (CJLOTS) exercise during the Ssang Yong (Double Dragon) exercises against a possible attack from North Korea, in Pohang, southeast of Seoul, South Korea. Jeon Heon-Kyun—EPA Mar. 31, 2014. People rowing a boat enjoy viewing night cherry blossoms in full bloom on Chidorigafuchi moat, outer of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. Kimimasa Mayama—EPA Mar. 30, 2014. Young ultra-Orthodox Jews look at a Persian leopard at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, Israel. Abir Sultan—EPA Mar. 30, 2014. SGT Martyn Piggott from Pittstown, New Jersey with the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division patrols across barren foothills looking for positions the enemy has used to send rockets onto the FOB near Pul-e Alam, Afghanistan. Scott Olson—Getty Images Mar. 31, 2014. A giant American flag is unfurled on the field during ceremonies before the start of the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows, New York. Justin Lane—EPA Apr. 1, 2014. South Korean soldiers patrol through the military wire fences with hanging national flags at the Imjingak Pavilion near the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, north of Seoul. Lee Jin-man—;AP Apr. 1, 2014. A student stands while answering his teacher's question as he and his new classmates participate in their first lesson at the Pyongyang Primary School No.4 while their parents watch in Pyongyang, North Korea. Jon Chol Jin—AP Apr. 1, 2014. Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (3rd L) poses for a "selfie" with U.S. President Barack Obama during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House to honor the 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox in Washington, DC. Win McNamee—Getty Images Apr. 1, 2014. US President Barack Obama walks back to the Oval Office with Vice President Joe Biden after he delivered a statement on the Affordable Care Act at the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC. Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 1, 2014. A young Balinese couple kiss during the Kissing Festival known as 'Omed-Omedan' at Sesetan village in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. The kissing festival is held annually, one day after Balinese Hindus celebrate the Nyepi Day of Silence. Agung Parameswara—Getty Images Apr. 1, 2014. A view of gloves and boots used by medical staff, drying in the sun, at a center for victims of the Ebola virus in Guekedou. Seyllou—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 1, 2014. Grieving mother Rosie Cortinas (C) holds a picture of her deceased son Amador Cortinas as she and fellow families of victims of the GM recall failure hold a news conference on the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters Apr. 1, 2014. Russian navy sailors stand still during a flag-raising ceremony at the deck of the 'Alexandrovets' ASW corvette moored in the bay of the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Sergei Ilnitsky—EPA Apr. 1, 2014. An Afghan soldier, left, and a police man peek through a window as they queue with others to get their registration card on the last day of voter registration for the upcoming presidential elections outside a school in Kabul, Afghanistan. Anja Niedringhaus—AP Apr. 2, 2014.
Afghan residents watch a man fishing during "Sizdeh Bedar" celebrations on the 13th day of Nowruz. Nowruz is the new year according to the Persian solar calendar and is a Zoroastrian tradition, still celebrated by Iranians. Aref Karima—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 2, 2014. US service personnel cover a coffin with a US flag during a repatriation ceremony at Phnom Penh International airport, Cambodia. Cambodia and the US conducted a repatriation ceremony to honor the recovery of possible remains believed to belong to missing US military service members found. Mak Remissa—EPA Apr. 2, 2014. A pair of Parisian dolls belonging to Britain's Queen Elizabeth (left doll) and her sister Princess Margaret, are seen at Buckingham Palace in London. Luke MacGregor—Reuters Apr. 2, 2014.
An injured man is seen on the ground following a reported air strike by government forces in the Sakhur neighborhood in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. Mohammed Al-Khatieb—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 2, 2014. Sunken fishing boats are seen on at the Riquelme Cove, in Iquique, northern Chile, after a powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit off Chile's Pacific coast. Aldo Solimano—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 2, 2014. Morning fog lifts at the Chorrillo dock in the Pacific Ocean, revealing small scale fishing boats in Lima, Peru. Rodrigo Abd—AP Apr. 2, 2014. A general view of the 'Trash People' exhibition of German conceptual artist HA Schult in the Ariel Sharon Park, outside Tel Aviv, Israel. Oliver Weiken—EPA Apr. 2, 2014. Young Israeli boys look at the 'Trash People' exhibition of German conceptual artist HA Schult in the Ariel Sharon Park, a former dump site, outside Tel Aviv, Israel. Oliver Weiken—EPA Apr. 2, 2014.
A child looks at a polar bear during the opening day of the new polar area at the zoo of Mulhouse. Sebastien Bozon—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 2, 2014. Ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is reflected in a mirror as he arrives for an interview with The Associated Press, in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Yanukovych said the annexation of Crimea was a tragedy and he would have done everything possible to prevent it, had he remained in power. Ivan Sekretarev—AP Apr. 2, 2014 A young orphaned Chinese girl stands in a crib at a foster care center in Beijing, China. China's orphanages and foster homes used to be filled with healthy girls, reflecting the country's one-child policy and its preference for sons. Now the vast majority of orphans are sick or disabled. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images Apr. 2, 2014. Pope Francis kisses a child as he arrives to lead his Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. Alessandro Bianchi—Reuters Apr. 2, 2014. The cupola of the Hungarian parliament building is lit up in blue to mark the seventh annual World Autism Awareness Day. Attila Kisbenedek—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 2, 2014. A woman reacts as she listens to a fortune telling machine at a beach along the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. Danish Siddiqui—Reuters Apr. 2, 2014. Teodocio Perez, 71, covered with a thin layer of wet sand, looks out at the Pacific Ocean during his morning exercises on the Playa de Pescadores shore in Lima, Peru. Rodrigo Abd—AP Apr. 2, 2014. Palestinian female Hamas security officers demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony in the northern Gaza Strip. 1200 officers graduated from advanced training courses that lasted one year in Gaza police academy of Hamas. Adel Hana—AP Apr. 2, 2014. Palestinians stand behind a fence as they watch members of Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas during a military graduation ceremony in Gaza City. Mohammed Salem—Reuters Apr. 3, 2014. Empty luggage carts stand on the movement area of an airfield at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. German airline Lufthansa, which is currently battling the biggest strike in its history, expects normal services to be up and running on Saturday, April 5. Fredrik Von Erichsen—AFP/Getty Images Apr. 3, 2014. A girl reads a book on her balcony as smoke rises from chimneys of a steel plant, on a hazy day in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, China. William Hong—Reuters Apr. 3, 2014. An Australian Koala, that was born with a damaged eye, looks at a camera as it sits atop a branch in its enclosure at Wild Life Sydney Zoo. David Gray—Reuters Apr. 3, 2014. A racegoer rests her feet on a newspaper on the opening day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, England. Christopher Furlong—Getty Images Apr. 3, 2014. A general view as runners clear the 'Chair' at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, England. Alan Crowhurst—Getty Images Apr. 3, 2014. An Afghan girl sits on the ground dressing her doll while playing in an alley in Kabul, Afghanistan. Muhammed Muheisen—AP Apr. 3, 2014. Iranian women gather at the shrine of the Shiite Saint Imam Abdulazim, in Shahr-e-Ray, south of Tehran, Iran, on the occasion of the death anniversary of Fatima, the daughter of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Ebrahim Noroozi—AP Apr. 3, 2014. U.S. flags are pictured in front of the Central Christian Church in Killeen, Texas where the Fort Hood Army Base is located. The commander of the base on Thursday identified the soldier suspected of shooting dead three people and wounding 16 on Wednesday as Ivan Lopez, 34. Erich Schlegel—Reuters Apr. 2, 2014. Lucy Hamlin and her husband Specialist Timothy Hamlin wait to get back to their home on base at Fort Hood, Texas, Several people were killed and at least 14 injured on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, the site of another rampage in 2009, U.S. officials said. Deborah Cannon—Reuters Apr. 3, 2014. H.M Queen Elisabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh meet Pope Francis at the Vatican. Alessandra Benedetti—Vatican/Corbis Apr. 3, 2014. Heavy machinery is used in the clearing of debris on the road leading to the town of Camarones, in Arica. The road was cut off due to the magnitude-8.2 quake that struck Chile's Northern coast on Tuesday. Luis Hidalgo—AP Apr. 4, 2014. Fifth grade student at the Enrique Villuendas Primary School, Erika Kina, 10, poses in her princess costume as her school celebrates the 52nd anniversary of the Young Communist League (UJC) and the 53rd anniversary of the Jose Marti Pioneers Organization (OPJM) in Havana, Cuba. Enrique de la Osa—Reuters Apr. 3, 2014. Rwandan children walk to watch a torch ceremony as hundreds gather to await the arrival of a small flame of remembrance, symbolic fire traveling the country, and hear genocide memories, at the Petit Seminaire school in Ndera, east of the capital Kigali, in Rwanda. Ben Curtis—AP Apr. 4, 2014. The skulls and bones of some of those who were slaughtered as they sought refuge inside the church, are laid out on shelves in an underground vault as a memorial to the thousands who were killed in and around the Catholic church during the 1994 genocide in Nyamata, Rwanda, The country will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the genocide on April 7, 2014. Ben Curtis&—AP Apr. 3, 2014. Thug, a 17-year-old pygmy hippo, moves around in a new enclosure equipped with solar panels at London Zoo. Adrian Dennis—AFP/Getty Images More Must-Reads from TIME Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You? The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024 The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision 
