Ramadan 2012 begins

All over the world Muslims have begun their holiest month of the year by fasting from dawn until dusk each day, broken each evening by large, communal meals. The start of Ramadan is earlier each year because it is calculated based on the sighting of the new moon, which begins the Muslim lunar month. Muslims use the time to reevaluate their lives through the scope of Islamic doctrine. -- Lloyd Young (41 photos total)

A Palestinian reads from the Koran during the dawn prayer on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a mosque in the West Bank city of Jenin on July 20. Muslims from Morocco to Afghanistan are steeling themselves for the toughest Ramadan in more than three decades with no food or drink, not even a sip of water, for 14 hours a day during the hottest time of the year. (Mohammed Ballas/Associated Press)

LGBT Pride events

Events celebrating and protesting LGBT rights took place in many parts of the world in the last several months. Pride parades were met with violence or intimidation in Russia, Georgia, and Albania while other places saw wild street parties. Three million people celebrated on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil, often considered the biggest Pride event in the world. Activists in Uganda and Chile sought to change laws, while in the United States Barack Obama became the first American president to endorse same-sex marriage. Gathered here are pictures from events related to gay rights issues, LGBT Pride celebrations, and the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. -- Lane Turner (39 photos total)

Mark Wilson carries a rainbow flag during San Francisco's 42nd annual gay pride parade on June 24, 2012. Organizers said more than 200 floats, vehicles and groups of marchers took part in the parade. (Noah Berger/Associated Press)

Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters

Mariah Carey has her Little Sheep. Justin Bieber has his Beliebers and Lady Gaga has her Little Monsters.

1A fan of U.S. singer Lady Gaga writes her name on her skin as she waits for her performance at the gay pride

 parade concert in downtown Rome. Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

London 2012: Olympian Diets

Before the London Olympics hit our screens, we, the spectators, have to get past Euro 2012, the Tour de France and Wimbledon first. The athletes hoping to win a medal at the Games have been working towards hitting their peak physical and mental condition for months even years. To make sure they hit this peak they don’t just train and discuss tactics, they also make sure that the energy going into their bodies is the right kind of energy. This is a little peek into the diets of some Turkish Olympians.

1Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Bahri Tanrikulu, 32, poses in front of his daily meal intake in 

Ankara May 24, 2012. Tanrikulu is a three-time world champion and an Olympic silver medallist. Tanrikulu has

 his heart set on a gold medal at the London Olympics. He supplements his daily diet of 3000 kcal with ergogenic

 aids and multivitamins. Picture taken May 24, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

The New York City Boatel

Images from New York of The Boatel, an artist-run hotel built out of more than a dozen discarded boats at Marina 59 in Far Rockaway, offering a sanctuary from nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport and the buzz of New York City. Since opening last year, the hotel has been booked most weekends in the summer. A one-night stay costs $55 to $100, and profits go to support a small but thriving art community.
I’m still looking for a cool place to stay during my September trip to NYC, but this might just be a little too hipster for me.

1A neon sign hangs at the bait and tackle shop that houses the reception desk of the Boatel in New York. 

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert

An estimated 250.000 people gathered on The Mall, the grand red road leading to Queen Elizabeth’s sumptuous Buckingham Palace on Monday for the pop concert on the third day of her Diamond Jubilee to celebrate her 60 years on the throne. Pop royalty including Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Elton John entertained Queen Elizabeth and 10,000 ticket-holders who watched the performances live on a circular stage.

1The Queen Victoria Memorial is prepared for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee concert as seen from the

 roof of Buckingham Palace in London May 23, 2012. The concert takes place on June 4 to celebrate the 

Queen's 60 year reign. REUTERS/Rebecca Naden/POOL

The Romeria of La Vinuela

A Romeria is a religious pilgrimage wich has it roots in the Catholic faith. It involves a parade of cars, horse drawn carts and people on foot going on a journey that ends in a place considered holy. One of the most famous Romeria’s is that of the Nuestra Senora del Rocio. During the first weekend of June the three Saints (Virgen del Carmen, San Jose en Virgen de La Milagrosa) representing the villages of Los Gomez, La Vinuela en Los romanes are brought together at a large lake in the hills of Vinuela. There the inhabitants of the three villages gather and stay for three days to eat, drink, sing and dance in honour of their Saints.

1 (Photo: Natalia Toret/Hollandse Hoogte)

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee In 66 Pix

Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 60 years. 60 YEARS!!! It’s called a Diamond Jubilee and called for a good old British celebration. Food, drink, street parties, a 1,000 ships strong armada on the Thames, special horse races, an extra day off work and some rain made it the perfect British party. Hip Hip. Hurray.

1 Britain's Prince Charles (L) and Princess Anne play in the sand at Holkham Beach in this handout photograph

 from the summer of 1957 released on May 31, 2012. The photograph is part of a personal tribute to the Queen 

from Prince Charles which will be shown on BBC One on Friday as the curtain raiser for the Jubilee weekend. 

REUTERS/Clarence House Press Office/Buckingham Palace/Handout

Victory Day 2012 Images

Russia and former Soviet republics marked the 67 years since the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II today. Russia's newly inaugurated President Vladimir Putin promised a strong Russia during a speech he delivered during a military parade at Red Square in Moscow. The Soviet Union lost an estimated 26 million people in the war, including 8.5 million soldiers. -- Lloyd Young (31 photos total)

A World War II veteran walks at the Red Square in Moscow, on May 9, 2012, after the Victory Day parade. Thousands of Russian soldiers marched today across Red Square to mark the 67 years since the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Agence/AFP/Getty Images)

Finding community in America's Appalachian region

Getty Images photographer, Mario Tama, spent time in and around Owsley County, Kentucky documenting the life and times of some of it's 5,000 residents. The 2010 U.S. Census listed Owsley County as having the lowest median household income in the country outside of Puerto Rico, with 41.5% of residents living below the poverty line. Familial and community bonds run deep, with a populace that shares a collective historical and cultural legacy uncommon in most parts of the country. The community struggles with a lack of jobs due to the decline in coal, tobacco and lumber industries. It's just a glimpse into their lives, but one we wanted to share. -- Paula Nelson (EDITOR'S NOTE: We will not post on Memorial Day, May 28, 2012.) (46 photos total)

Craig and Cora Adams, married nine years, outside their trailer in Owsley County, April 20, 2012, in Booneville, Kentucky. Daniel Boone once camped in the Appalachian mountain hamlet of Owsley County which remains mostly populated by descendants of settlers to this day. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)