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Pictures of the Week: February 8 – February 15

From The Pope's resignation and murder charges for Oscar Pistorius to carnival celebrations in Rio and a meteorite hitting Earth, TIME presents the best images of the week.

From The Pope’s resignation and murder charges for Oscar Pistorius to carnival celebrations in Rio and a meteorite hitting Earth, TIME presents the best images of the week.

TOPSHOTS-SYRIA-CONFLICT Revellers dance atop a float of the Inocentes de Belford Roxo samba school on the first night of the annual carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome TOPSHOTS-TUNISIA-POLITICS-UNREST-OPPOSITION-FUNERAL TOPSHOTS-PALESTINIAN-POLITICS-GAZA-VOTE FASHION-US-DELPOZO Worshippers gather around candles stuck to jars with honey, during a religious mass in the church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin in the city of Blagoevgrad VATICAN-POPE-MASS-ASH WEDNESDAY China Lunar New Year Mali Fighting TOPSHOTS-INDIA-RELIGION-HINDU-KUMBH Hindu Devotees Gather For The Maha Kumbh File photo of Pope Benedict XVI arriving for a meeting at the Romano Maggiore seminary in Rome TOPSHOTS-SYRIA-CONFLICT APTOPIX Mexico Human Sacrifices Bratislav Stojanovic, a homeless man, hold candles as sits in a tomb where he lives in southern Serbian town of Nis TOPSHOTS-INDIA-RELIGION-HINDU-KUMBH APTOPIX Spain Carnival TOPSHOTS-CHILE-PRISON-UPRISING *** BESTPIX *** Major Snowstorm Bears Down On New York City APTOPIX Spain Festival Carnival India Maha Kumbh Hungarians attend the traditional Buso Carnival in Mohacs People dance with dragon lanterns on the first day of the Lunar New Year in Wuhu Dancers perform a fire dragon dance during a folk art performance to celebrate traditional Chinese Spring Festival at an amusement park in Beijing Chinese Lunar New Year COLOMBIA-CARNIVAL-BARRANQUILLA TOPSHOTS-INDIA-RELIGION-HINDU-KUMBH APTOPIX India Maha Kumbh Stampede A soccer fan takes a photograph with his mobile phone at an open soccer viewing centre before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations final match between Nigeria and Burkina Faso in Lagos BRAZIL-CARNIVAL-SAO PAULO-PARADE APTOPIX Brazil Carnival Hand of reveller is seen as she dresses outside the Sambadrome for the first night of the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro TOPSHOTS-COLOMBIA-CARNIVAL-BARRANQUILLA Devotees offer prayers while taking a holy bath at the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple during the Swasthani Bratakatha festival in Kathmandu India Maha Kumbh Participants relax after a sauna bath during the European Sauna Marathon in Otepaa A flash of lighting is seen over St.Peter's Basilica during a rainstorm at Vatican TOPSHOTS-VATICAN-POPE-CONSISTORY Brazil: First Day of Parades at Rio de Janeiro's Sambodromo TOPSHOTS-PORTUGAL-CARNIVAL-CLOWN PARADE Pakistan Daily Life A woman stands behind a metal screen at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City APTOPIX Fashion Week Behind the Scenes Mali Fighting ROMANIA-BRITAIN-FRANCE-FOOD-MEAT SPAIN-BASQUE-CARNIVAL HONG KONG-LUNAR-CULTURE-OPERA-BAMBOO APTOPIX Brazil Carnival Burning of the Hoppeditz in Duesseldorf A girl looks at a man dressed up as the devil during the Congos and Devils celebration in Nombre de Dios BESTPIX Valentine's Day Celebrated At California Of Sciences BESTPIX Enthusiasts Participate In The Royal Shrovetide Football TOPSHOTS-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-SETTLER India Daily Life APTOPIX India Maha Kumbh Mali Fighting OLY-2020-IOC-WRESTLING-IND A model presents a creation from Ralph Lauren Autumn/Winter 2013 collection during New York Fashion Week ISPS Handa Australian Open - Day 1 India Maha Kumbh A model poses nude while people attend a drawing workshop on Valentine's Day in Mexico City Members of the Druze community take part in a rally in the Druze village of Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights Mideast Bahrain APTOPIX Mideast Bahrain Trail of a falling object is seen above the Urals city of Chelyabinsk TOPSHOTS-SKOREA-NKOREA-MILITARY-NUCLEEAR A school boy in the company of two men cover their faces as a commuter train races past during the early morning in the Kibera slums South African 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius breaks down during his court appearance in Pretoria VATICAN-POPE-PARISH PRIESTS-AUDIENCE

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