APRIL 30 - BASRA, IRAQ: A woman prepares to cast her vote for the parliamentary elections. Iraq is holding its third poll since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. 21.5 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots. More than 9,000 candidates are vying to fill 328 seats.
AP Photo/ Nabil al-Jurani
Girls rising —
APRIL 29 - SANAA, YEMEN: Yemeni female university students celebrate during their graduation ceremony on April 28. Every year, the United Nations World Food Programme provides schoolgirls with rations of food to take home to encourage families to send their daughters to school. They aim to help 700,000 people in 2014.
AP Photo/Hani Mohammed
From popes to saints —
APRIL 28 - ROME, ITALY: Priests attend the canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on April 27. Huge crowds gathered on Sunday to witness the historical occasion as the two popular former pontiffs were installed as saints.
ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images
Remembering ANZAC Day —
APRIL 25 - GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA: A serviceman takes part in the ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) dawn service at Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club. People marked the 99th anniversary of when allied First World War forces landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Events are held across both countries in remembrance of those who fought and died in all wars.
Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Hope colored yellow —
APRIL 24 - ANSAN, SOUTH KOREA: A woman ties yellow ribbons, symbolizing hope for the safe return of missing passengers on the "Sewol" ferry, onto a main gate of Danwon High School. More than 300 students from the school were on a field trip on the ferry that sank last week off the coast of South Korea.
KIM DOO-HO/AFP/Getty Images
One day, one Earth —
APRIL 23 - NEW DELHI, INDIA: A girl holds a candle during a Greenpeace awareness campaign to save Mahan forest in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on Earth Day, April 22, 2014. Events were held worldwide to help preserve the environment, including demonstrations, planting trees and using minimal electrical power.
AP Photo/Manish Swarup
Keep on running —
APRIL 22 - HOPKINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Runners wait for the starting pistol at the beginning of the 118th Boston Marathon on April 21. Security at the 2014 race was increased a year after two bombs were detonated close to the finish line, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Striding for peace —
APRIL 21 - KAMPONG SPEU PROVINCE, CAMBODIA: Cambodian army soldiers participate in a U.S.-backed peacekeeping exercise dubbed "Angkor Sentinel 2014" at the Cambodian tank command headquarters 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Phnom Penh. The U.S. and Cambodia began the annual military exercise to promote regional peace and security.
AP Photo/Heng Sinith
Haunting Holy Week —
APRIL 18 - ZAMORA, SPAIN: Penitents from the "Las Siete Palabras" -- Seven Words -- brotherhood take part in a procession in the early hours of April 16. Hundreds of processions take place throughout the country during the Easter Holy Week.
AP Photo/Andres Kudacki
Happy Burmese New Year —
APRIL 17 - YANGON, MYANMAR: Young Burmese dancers wearing traditional clothing wait to take part in the closing ceremony on the fourth day of the Burmese new year water-throwing festival called Thingyan on April 16.
Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Did you see it? —
APRIL 16 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES: A "blood moon" crossed the earth's shadow Tuesday, giving a rare glimpse of the total lunar eclipse -- or tetrad -- visible to people in North and South America. J. David Osorio photographed the different phases in Los Angeles, including the image shown. See more of his images here.
Courtesy J. David Osorio
Let's dance! —
APRIL 15 - LONDON, ENGLAND: Competitors perform at the World Irish Dance Championship on April 13. The 44th contest is currently running at the Hilton London Metropole hotel and will host approximately 5,000 dancers competing in solo, Ceili, modern figure choreography and dance drama categories during the week-long event.
APRIL 11 - RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: A model wears a creation from the Salinas collection during Fashion Week. The 25th edition of Rio's fashion show is themed around the spirit of the city, which is trying to establish itself as an emerging capital of fashion.
AP Photo/Felipe Dana
Copa Libertadores —
APRIL 10 - BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: A fan of Argentina's San Lorenzo cheers for his team before a Copa Libertadores soccer match against Brazil's Botafogo. With only two months until the World Cup begins in Brazil, the host country is stepping up the final preparations.
AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko
First engagement —
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND: Britain's Prince George plays during a visit to a parents group, his first ever public engagement. The eight-month-old future king is on a tour of New Zealand and Australia with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
AP Photo/Marty Melville, Pool
The biggest election —
APRIL 8 - DIBRUGARH, INDIA: A woman casts her vote during the Indian election, the world's biggest poll ever. The country's 814 million eligible voters will decide between a controversial but popular Hindu nationalist and a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
AP Photo/Altaf Qadri
Remembering —
APRIL 7 - KIGALI, RWANDA: A young Rwandan girl sits amongst hundreds of people gathered at a ceremony to mark the arrival of the flame of remembrance, a symbolic fire traveling the country, and to hear memories of the 20th anniversary of the genocide.
AP Photo/Ben Curtis
2.5 million —
APRIL 4 - MELILLA, SPAIN: A Syrian refugee shows the victory sign prior to his departure from the Centre for Temporary Stay of Immigrants to make his way to mainland Spain. The U.N. said the total number of registered Syrian refugees is 2.58 million.
Alexander Koerner/Getty Image
Border blessings —
APRIL 2 - NOGALES, ARIZONA: Cardinal Sean O'Malley blesses a family after mass on April 1, along the U.S.-Mexico border wall. O'Malley was among several bishops who served along the border to bring awareness to immigration reform and to remember those who have died trying to cross the border in previous years.
AP Photo/Matt York
Kiss me quick —
APRIL 1 - BALI, INDONESIA : A young Balinese man tries to kiss a woman during the Kissing Festival known as "Omed-Omedan" at Sesetan village in Denpasar. The kissing festival is held annually, one day after Balinese Hindus celebrate the Nyepi Day of Silence. During the festival, Balinese youths gather first to pray, then to kiss and dance as spectators douse the teenagers with water. The festival is intended to fend off bad luck in the year ahead.