Keeping with recent tradition, former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicated the throne today in favor of her son, Willem-Alexander, who has now become the first Dutch king in more than a century. Though the position has little political power, the Royal Family enjoys broad popularity and symbolic significance. Tuesday, tens of thousands dressed in orange and gathered in Amsterdam's Dam Square next to the Royal Palace to view the accession of King Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand of the Netherlands. [29 photos total]

Last Saturday, a destructive earthquake struck China's Sichuan province, near the epicenter of the devastating 2008 earthquake, damaging thousands of structures and triggering landslides in the mountainous region. As of yesterday, the death toll stood at more than 200, with nearly 12,000 injured, 23 still missing, and tens of thousands made homeless. The quake was measured at magnitude 7.0 by China's earthquake administration and magnitude of 6.6 by the U.S. Geological Survey. Rescue teams and government aid personnel have struggled to reach the affected area, as many roads were damaged. [39 photos total]

Hours after the FBI released images of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, a response to a robbery in nearby Cambridge led to the fatal shooting of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer. The shooting became a carjacking, then later a dangerous chase reportedly involving dozens of gunshots and explosive devices, ending up in neighboring Watertown. Authorities reported the shooting suspects were indeed the same men sought in the Boston Marathon bombing, identifying them as brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev "Suspect #1" and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev "Suspect #2", both Kyrgyz nationals living in Cambridge. They later stated that Tamerlan, age 26, had been shot and killed, but younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was still at large. The manhunt intensified as the night went on, and the entire Boston area woke to find itself on lockdown, with public transportation shut down and citizens advised to stay indoors. I will update throughout the day, as the massive house-to-house search for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev continues. [21 photos total]

While investigators work to discover who placed the bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, people in Boston and around the world are paying tribute to the victims. Mourners have come together for candlelight vigils, running groups have staged memorial runs, and individuals have spent time in prayer or reflection. Collected here are images of some of these memorials, from Boston to Belgrade to Beijing. [26 photos total]

With thousands of runners still on the course at the Boston Marathon, two explosions rocked Boylston Street just yards from the finish line. The blasts ripped through crowded spectator viewing stands. The death toll as we publish stands at three and is expected to rise, with over 140 others injured and transported to local hospitals. No arrests have been made. Pleased follow Boston.com for further updates. [32 photos total]

Here we are again at the end of another week, number 13 already, of 2013. Have a happy Easter or any other religious holiday and see you all in week 14. Unless North Korea has blown us all up. [82 photos total]

These are this week’s prize photos when it comes to coolness or news value. have a smashing weekend. [71 photos total]

While researching a photo entry about North Korea's recent threats of war, I discovered an image released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that appears to have been digitally manipulated -- at least two, possibly three hovercraft appear to have been pasted into the scene of a military exercise, reportedly taking place on North Korea's east coast on March 25, 2013. Two hovercraft crashing through the surf, nearest to the photographer, appear to be just a single hovercraft, with a digital twin copied and pasted nearby. Two of the more distant craft appear to be digital twins as well. A third vehicle in the scene has some of the hallmarks of digital pasting, including color mismatch, a slight halo, and soft edges. We have contacted Getty Images, which distributed this image from KCNA, and are awaiting their response. [5 photos total]

Sometimes it is really tough calling the images you see on this site as totally cool. Week 50 was going rather well until some lunatic with an assault rifle walked into an elementary school in Newtown Connecticut and shot dead 20 6 and 7-year-old children and 6 teachers. May they all rest in peace and may the US gun lobby finally see sense and positively work towards gun control which works for all parties. [72 photos total]

No change from week 47. The world is still burning in Congo, Egypt and Syria. Let’s hope things change soon. [72 photos total]