Lunar New Year —
JANUARY 31 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES: A woman prays for good luck at the Seng Guan Temple in Manila to mark the start of the Lunar New Year. Millions in China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan and other countries welcomed the year of the horse. The 15-day festival is traditionally a time of family reunions and the Chinese government expects 3.62 billion people to travel during the coming fortnight.
Felicitous festival —
JANUARY 30 - KATHMANDU, NEPAL: Nepalese Hindus take a bath in the holy Bagmati River during the Madhav Narayan festival. During this month-long festival, devotees recite Holy Scriptures dedicated to Hindu goddess Shree Swasthani and Hindu god Lord Shiva. Unmarried women pray for good marital prospects while married women pray for the longevity of their husbands by observing a fast for the duration of the festival.
A year of change? —
JANUARY 29 - WASHINGTON, U.S.: President Barack Obama waves as he leave the House chamber after giving his State of the Union address. Obama signaled a "year of change" in his annual speech and issued a call to close Guantanamo, impose limits on drones and reform surveillance.
Sochi highlight —
JANUARY 28 - SOCHI, RUSSIA: The Olympic torch is tested before the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The torch has wound its way through more than 100 cities in the relay leading up to next month's games. Despite recent threats from militants, the event went off without a hitch. The Bolshoi Ice Dome is pictured in the background.
Holocaust Remembrance Day —
JANUARY 27 - JERUSALEM: An ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple visits the Hall of Names at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. Monday marks the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.
Prayers amid protests —
JANUARY 24 - KIEV, UKRAINE: Orthodox priests pray as they stand between pro-European Union activists and police in the early hours. A top Ukrainian opposition leader on Thursday urged protesters to maintain a shaky cease-fire with police after days of clashes. A senior European Union official is due in Ukraine on Friday amid a stalemate between the president and the opposition.
Flagging patriotism —
JANUARY 23 - TRIPURA, INDIA: An Indian youth runs with his country's national flag ahead of India's Republic Day in the capital of the northeastern state of Tripura, on January 22. India will celebrate its 65th Republic Day on January 26.
Snowed in —
JANUARY 22 - WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES: A woman walks along the National Mall in Washington, DC, January 21, 2014, as snow falls during a storm. The heaviest snowfall of the season so far has blanketed the Northeast, with more than a foot falling in some places, leaving many schools, offices and government buildings closed.
High hopes —
JANUARY 21 - MAFRAQ, JORDAN: A Syrian refugee boy, Abdullah Jundi, originally from Daraa, flies his kite in front of his family's tent at Zaatari refugee camp near the Jordan-Syria border. Preliminary peace talks aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict are due to begin Wednesday in Montreux, Switzerland, with talks between the Syrian government and opposition delegations slated to begin Friday in Geneva.
Ethiopia's Timkat festival —
JANUARY 19 - GONDAR, ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Orthodox pilgrims attend a ceremony at the Fasilides baths during the Timkat festival on January 19. Timkat is the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian festival which celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. The Tabot, a model of the Ark of the Covenant, is carried by a priest in a procession to the bath, where the water is blessed.
Purifying flames —
JANUARY 17 - SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES, SPAIN: A man rides a horse through a bonfire as part of a ritual in honor of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals, about 100km (62 miles) west of Madrid on January 16. The 'Luminarias' tradition dates back 500 years and is meant to purify the animals and protect them for the year.
Holy dip —
JANUARY 16 - ALLAHABAD, INDIA: Hindu pilgrims offer prayers after taking a holy dip in the Sangam -- the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers. The occasion is the auspicious Paush Purnima -- a full moon day on the Hindu calendar which falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela.
Celebrating Prophet Muhammad —
JANUARY 15 - RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN: Girls wait in line to receive free food during a rally marking the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad on January 14, 2014. Thousands of Pakistanis celebrated by participating in religious processions, ceremonies and distributing free meals among the poor.
Reshaping Egypt —
JANUARY 14 - CAIRO, EGYPT: Egyptian women show their inked fingers after casting their votes on a new constitution. For the second time in 13 months, Egyptians are trying to reshape their country's future after three years of political upheaval. It's also the first national vote since the army removed former President Mohamed Morsy from power in July.
In the fast lane —
JANUARY 13 - UYUNI, BOLIVIA: The sky is reflected on the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, as a car participates in the Dakar Rally on January 11. The dangerous marathon rally is an annual off-road race for motorcycles, ATVs, cars and trucks that takes place in South America, principally Argentina and Chile.
Remembering —
JANUARY 10 - TEL AVIV, ISRAEL: A monument honoring homosexuals persecuted by the Nazis during World War II opens to the public in Tel Aviv. An estimated 100,000 men were arrested for their sexual orientation and gender identity during the war. While Israel has scores of Holocaust memorials, the Tel Aviv monument is the first that deals universally with Jewish and non-Jewish victims alike.
A touch of miracle —
JANUARY 9 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES: Hundreds of thousands of barefoot Catholic devotees attend the annual Black Nazarene parade in Manila. Many climb over one another as the slow-moving procession takes over the streets, trying to touch a life-sized ebony statue of Jesus Christ, known as the Black Nazarene, which they believe has miraculous powers.
Spewing lava —
JANUARY 8 - JERAYA, INDONESIA: Mount Sinabung spews hot lava late on January 5. The 2,600-meter (8,530-feett) volcano has sporadically erupted since September. Authorities extended the danger zone around a rumbling volcano in western Indonesia on Sunday after it spewed blistering gas further than expected.
Baby giant panda —
JANUARY 7 - WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES: Bao Bao, the four-and-a-half month old giant panda, makes her public debut at the National Zoo in Washington on January 6. Bao Bao, who now weighs 16.9 pounds (7.65 kilograms), was born to the zoo's male and female giant pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang. A giant blizzard is currently plunging temperatures across the United States. Even animals such as polar bears and penguins are being kept inside, out of the cold, at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.
Icy dip —
JANUARY 6 - KALOFER, BULGARIA : Men perform a traditional Epiphany Day dance in the icy winter waters of the Tundzha river. As part of the Epiphany celebrations, an Eastern Orthodox priest traditionally casts a crucifix into a lake or river. It is believed that the one who retrieves the cross will be healthy and freed from evil spirits throughout the year.
Oh snow! —
JANUARY 3 - NEW YORK, U.S.: People cross the street as heavy snow falls on Herald Square. 100 million people across 22 states are in the path of a giant blizzard that is expected to bring a foot of snow and subzero wind chills to the U.S. Northeast. Thousands of flights were cancelled and schools remained closed across the area.
Rescued —
JANUARY 2 - ANTARCTIC ICE: Passengers from the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy stamp out a helicopter landing site on the ice near their trapped ship, 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Australia. Their saga, which became a viral sensation, began Christmas Eve after the vessel got stuck in unusually thick ice. It ended today, with all 52 passengers rescued.
Happy New Year! —
JANUARY 1 - SAO PAULO, BRAZIL: Revellers in Sao Paulo's Patio do Colegio release thousands of biodegradable balloons, joining millions of people around the world in welcoming 2014. Floating Brazilian colors high above the city, the balloons have been an essential part of New Year's celebrations for more than two decades.
