March 15, 2013

Israeli policemen stand guard at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. Israeli police declared an age limit on Friday for Palestinians wanting to enter the Old City, only allowing males above the age of 50 and all females to enter.

Guards run next to the hearse holding the body of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez during his funeral parade in Caracas. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans were on the streets for parade amid opposition protests that the government was exploiting president's death for election purposes.

South Korean army soldiers patrol along a barbed-wire fence at sunset near the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, north of Seoul. Busloads of tourists still show up to gawk at the world's most heavily fortified border.

Tourists view newly-printed pictures of the newly-elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, at a souvenir shop near the Vatican in Rome.

A man looks at his wallet in the Andalusian capital of Seville. Spain is deep in its second recession since 2009, and the economy is expected to continue to shrink through 2013.

Police block the traffic at M1-M7 highway outside of Budapest, as heavy snow hits Hungary.

Anti-government protesters confront riot police during clashes in the village of Sanabis, west of Manama, Bahrain.

Civilian passengers of the Airbus A330 Zero-G, who are not astronauts nor scientists, enjoy the weightlessness during the first zero-gravity flight for paying passengers in Europe. All boarding cards, costing 6,000 euros, were sold for the years 2013 and 2014.

A trainer prepares an Afghan Hound before competing at the Shanghai International Dog Show.  Dog shows got their start about 15 years ago in China and are gaining popularity among a fast-growing sector of the upper class.

A delegate wearing an ethnic minority costume arrives at the Great Hall of the People where a plenary session of the National People's Congress is being held in Beijing, China.

Indian army soldiers spit fire as they perform the mallakhamb, a traditional Indian gymnastic sport, during a display of skills at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.

Visitors take pictures at the flower show in Hong Kong. Organizers expect around 500,000 visitors for the annual event that includes pristine show gardens from competing local districts, lavish international flower displays, and more than a dash of kitsch.

Visitors walk around inside the installation 'Big Air Package' during the unveiling at the Gasometer in Oberhausen, Germany.  Bulgarian aritst Christo's latest monumental sculpture is in the interior of the industrial monument.

Early morning joggers (R) run next to the Reflecting Pool in Washington D.C.  The Washington Monument (L), which is undergoing repair and scaffolding being installed, and the U.S. Capitol (C), are seen in the water of the Reflecting Pool.