A series of celebrations kick off in April to welcome the coming year of 1376 in the Dai ethnic group calendar, with people dancing and parading on the streets of Jinghong

The festival has many different names specific to each country, such as Songkran in Laos and Thailand, Chaul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia, and Thingyan in Myanmar 

The city of Liverpool comes to a standstill as church bells across Merseyside ring 96 times to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster 

Memorial ceremonies are held in Boston to mark the anniversary of the deadly bombing at last year's marathon 

A total lunar eclipse was visible from North and South America, but sky watchers in northern and and eastern Europe, eastern Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia were out of luck, according to US space agency NASA 

The explosions rocked the Nyanya station roughly five kilometres south of Abuja at 6:45 am (0545 GMT) and destroyed some 30 vehicles, mostly large passenger buses 

Zac Efron was one of the biggest talking points of the evening. He was stripped down to his bare chest by Rita Ora when he took to the stage to collect his award

Follow Peter on Twitter Email Peter Coachella has grown into one of the world's best-known music festivals, famous for some iconic comeback performances

Authorities decreed a red alert for the area of Valparaiso after the fire consumed more than 100 houses 

Founded by Belgian expats Goedele Matthyssen and Peter Bientsman the company will soon celebrate its 21st year 

Manila Ocean Park offers a swimming instruction for those who want to fulfill their dream to become mermaids

A special selection of Marks’s prints will be shown as part of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House from 1 - 18 May

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a state reception held in their honour as they continue their tour

Prince George was described by some parents as a "bubbly" and "feisty" baby who 'took control'

Peaches Geldof dead: 'She was the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us' – father Bob leads tributes to 25-year-old 

Ukraine crisis: Donetsk officials ‘proclaim independence from Kiev’ and set date for referendum on joining Russia 

In the next three weeks the Royal trio will visit 12 cities in New Zealand and Australia taking part in various activities 

Ladies' Day at Aintree: 7,000 tickets remain unsold but glamorous racegoers still line up to win the fashion stakes 

The exhibition 'Into View' collectively explores the concepts of space, architecture, alienation and identity through photographic archival found footage, staged domestic settings and video 

Smog expert: Worsening Saharan dust storms to become an annual Spring fixture as climate changes

Once a five-star hotel, the 45-storey so-called “Tower of David” skyscraper that looms over the Venezuelan capital of Caracas is now home to 3,000 people

'Trash People' exhibit of 500 life-sized figures made from 20 tons of recycled iron, glass, computer parts, cans and industrial waste, stands on Israel’s Hiriya landfill

A powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Chile claiming five lives, triggering small landslides and generating a tsunami 

There’s no need to suspend your disbelief when viewing these stunning photographs – the exquisite images are the real-life interactions between humans and animals 

North Korean drills come after an increase in threatening rhetoric from Pyongyang and a series of ballistic missile launches in a protest against the military exercises 

While most women in conservative Afghanistan may still wear the burqa, today's Afghan women have choices they never had before, like running for parliament 

The Melasti ritual is held annually ahead of the Nyepi Day of Silence, a ceremony intended to cleanse and purify the souls of the Balinese Hindu participants 

A new book 'The World's Great Wonders' sets out to explain how the great wonders of the world were formed, their history and the remarkable stories behind their existence 

Workers are able to make an average around $15 per day, however two years ago they reached $200 in one day due to the river level dropping so much 

Kate Moss’s favourite app, a floating school in a Nigerian lagoon, friendly lamp posts, virtual mountain rescue teams, a recoiling mudguard for the discerning cyclist - just some of the nominations for Designs of the Year 2014 

Rooftopping photography is a dangerous new fad in which daredevils climb to extremely high urban locations in order to shoot vertigo-inducing photographs 

The ten remarkable people, all born 100 years ago, have been chosen by Royal Mail to appear on first-class stamps

The Pasola Festival is an annual event to welcome the new harvest season, which coincides with the arrival of 'Nyale' sea worms during February or March each year