It was a week of mourning and upheaval around the world, beginning with the mass shooting that killed six and injured 13 at University of California, Santa Barbara. A few days later, the nation said farewell to poet Maya Angelou, and at week’s end, VA head Eric Shinseki resigned amid outrage over his agency’s secret healthcare backlogs. Half a world away, turbulent elections in Ukraine fueled political uncertainty and renewed fighting, while in the European Union’s parliamentary elections, far-right parties made unprecedented gains. Here are 15 of the most remarkable photos that captured the week’s events.
The Soyuz TMA-13M spaceship takes off at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday, carrying a new crew to the International Space Station. Dmitry Lovetsky/AP Photo
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki speaks to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans on Friday, a few hours before tendering his resignation. Charles Dharapak/AP Photo
President Barack Obama hugs White House press secretary Jay Carney after announcing that Carney will step down next month. Susan Walsh/AP Photo
Ansun Sujoe, 13, of Fort Worth, Texas, left, and Sriram Hathwar, 14, of Painted Post, New York, celebrate after being named co-champions of the National Spelling Bee on Thursday. Evan Vucci/AP Photo
Tara Cowan demonstrates with other members of Open Carry Texas on Thursday; gun rights advocates are suing the city of Arlington over a ban on distributing leaflets at high-traffic intersections and roads. Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo
Coffins for members of the Vostok Batallion, a pro-Russian militia, who died in clashes at Ukraine’s Donetsk airport. At least 30 bodies were sent to Russia for burial, raising further suspicions of Russia’s involvement in the conflict. Sandro Maddalena/NurPhoto/Sipa USA/AP Photo
