World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

$1.5 million paid for world’s most expensive dog




Ghengis Khan had one, legend says. So did the Buddha.
And now, the prized red Tibetan mastiff, thought to be one of the world's oldest and most venerable breeds, has another distinction: One of the massive, fluffy dogs has become the most expensive dog ever sold.

An 11-month old pup named Big Splash ("Hong Dong" in Chinese) recently sold in the Chinese city of Qingdao for 10 million yuan — about $1.5 million in U.S. dollars.

The 3-foot tall, 180-pound dog is one of a breed that has been around since time immemorial. Tibetan mastiffs are said to have guarded nomad camps and monasteries, and are rarely seen outside of Tibet.

[Mr Lick]

The polar bear cub, named Vicks, walks under mother Olinka's legs at the Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam, on Thursday, Mar. 17.



Born Dec. 6, Vicks is the first Polar bear to be born at the Blijdorp Zoo in 14 years.

[OhOh]

were reported missing near lines of Muammar Gaddafi's advancing forces two days ago

That's all the reason the merikans need. War.

[Mr Lick]

Prince William receives a hong, a Maori greeting, from a tribal leader before meeting with officials of the Pike River company in Greymouth, New Zealand on March 17. Prince William is scheduled to hold a private meeting with the grieving families of the miners, whose bodies are still entombed in the sealed-off pit, which remains too dangerous to enter.

[Mr Lick]

A passenger waits for an international flight at Narita international airport, east of Tokyo on March 17.





Chinese nationals arrive at Zhoushuizi International Airport in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China on March 16 after being evacuated from Japan. Thousands of Chinese nationals are being evacuated from earthquake-hit areas of Japan.





A archival photo shows Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan taken in November 01, 2000. Ofunato City was renowned for its natural beauty but devasted by the massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the eastern coast of Japan on Friday March 11.



After the Tsunami struck




Rescue workers look for more bodies in the rubble from a village destroyed by the devastating earthquake, fires and tsunami March 16, in Kesennuma, Miyagi province, Japan

[Mr Lick]

The Chicago River is dyed green Saturday, Mar. 12, 2011 ahead of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Chicago






People take to the streets to enjoy the St Patrick's Day celebrations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Thursday, March, 17, 2011



U.S. President Barack Obama (R) meets with Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on St. Patrick'sDay, March 17, 2011.





















Bejabers, Chicago's Mayor Dick Daley himself, or is it his sister?

[Mr Lick]

Taiwanese soldiers show off their drills

[Mr Lick]

Direct Line accused a critically injured victim of a motorcycle crash of lying about the extent of his injuries, which were worth £3.4m in compensation



In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, Mark Noble of Wareham in Dorset was accused of lying about the extent of his disabilities at an initial trial to determine compensation. Normally, awards are contested on the grounds of who is responsible for an accident rather than whether the resulting disabilities are genuine or not.

Noble sustained an "open book" broken pelvis, a spinal fracture, and injuries to his left leg, both wrists and head after a driver pulled out in front of his motorbike in September 2003. After 11 operations and subsequent associated problems, including MRSA, he continues to suffer chronic pain, incontinence and is essentially wheelchair dependent while outdoors.

He was awarded £3.4m in damages including significant sums to meet the costs of care and assistance, but soon after the initial trial the driver's insurer, Direct Line, was tipped off by one of Noble's neighbours that he was not as seriously disabled as he had claimed in court.

After carrying out undercover surveillance of Noble for a second time, Direct Line obtained an injunction freezing £2.25m of the award pending appeal. The surveillance showed Noble carrying out several activities unaided, including operating a dumper truck while standing on it, driving a mechanical digger and using a chainsaw. Direct Line also said Noble had failed to use the damages to pay for full-time care or make adaptations to his home – the purpose for which they were awarded.

But experts in pelvic injury giving evidence for Noble told the appeal court that although it was unusual for people with such injuries as displayed by Noble at the first court to recover, they had seen previous examples.

Mr Justic Field said he could see how an injured claimant might decide to "forgo some or most of the aids and assistance for which he claimed and spend the money instead on other things, which in his mind compensated him for his loss of amenity".

He also accepted Noble's argument that the fact he had done better than expected following the conclusion of the first trial did not mean he had lied, or that he was able to do more at the time of the first trial. "At the time of the [initial] trial, Mr Noble was determined to try to walk unaided and may have been confident that somehow he would succeed in doing so, but he did not dishonestly conceal from the court or the expert witnesses his then true state of disability, or dishonestly emphasise his disability. The claim that he dishonestly misled the court at the [initial] trial is accordingly dismissed."

David Williams of solicitors RDPS Law, who represented Noble, said he thought the appeal by Direct Line was partly initiated by the size of the damages, but added: "I think it was also an opportunity to take a headline case to court and make an example of someone. It's backfired on them."

Williams was critical of Direct Line's decision to proceed with an appeal without first discussing developments with Noble and his solicitors. "Direct Line chose not to notify us of their concerns. They simply hand-delivered a box to Mr Noble notifying him of the court order and the video surveillance."

[Mr Lick]

Policemen carry the bodies of victims retrieved from the debris in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, March 16, 2011.




A rescue helicopter from the Russian space agency prepares to land near the Soyuz TMA-01M spacecraft, near the town of Arkalyk March 16, 2011.




A Libyan government soldier poses for the camera at the west gate of Ajdabiyah town March 16, 2011. Editor's note: Picture taken on guided government tour.




Smoke rises as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forces move in to Pearl Square to evacuate anti-government protesters in Manama March 16, 2011.



A woman walks away from a message wall after writing a message to the victims of last week's earthquake and tsunami in Japan in central Seoul March 16, 2011.




Protesters launch fireworks towards riot police officers during a demonstration in Mahsoul near Algiers March 16, 2011.






Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forces prepare to move into Pearl Square to clear anti-government protesters blocking a road in Manama March 16, 2011.



Fans reacts as they watch the Novices' Hurdle race at the Cheltenham Festival horse racing meet in Gloucestershire, western England March 16, 2011.




Real Madrid's Marcelo (C) celebrates with teammates Pepe (top L), Sergio Ramos and Sami Khedira (R) after scoring against Olympique Lyon during their second leg round of 16 Champions League match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid March 16, 2011.




A Chadian refugee stands under a street lamp at night at the Libya-Egypt border to African workers who fled fighting in eastern Libya, March 16, 2011



Haitians play soccer in a improvised camp for earthquake victims while a sign of Haitian presidential candidate Michel Martelly is displayed in Port-au-Prince March 16, 2011.



Destined for promotion



A tower at "Solucar" solar park is seen in Sanlucar La Mayor, near Seville, March 16, 2011



A soldier from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forces prays in front of his Armour Personnel Carrier as his fellow solider keeps watch while they guard the Bahrain Financial Harbour in Manama March 16, 2011.



A passenger from Japan passes through a scanner to check radiation levels at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul March 17, 2011.

[Mr Lick]

Europa league - Man City v Dynamo Kiev




Balotelli blasts over in the opening minutes



Not his night as he then receives a straight red for a high challenge in the 36th minute



Moments later, however, City are ahead when Kolarov fires home through a crowded penalty area



The match ends 1-0 to city but they lose 2-1 on aggregate.



Dynamo players naturally displaying their delight



Liverpool v Braga



Andy Carrol receiving some rough treatment, mind you, he is quite capable of dishing it out hmself



Frustration grows for the scousers



Skrtel almost through but his effort is blocked



Owner John Henry (love his shirts) in attendance. Liverpool go out of the competition after a goal draw.

[Mr Lick]

Cricket World Cup - England v West Indies



England decide to bat after winning the toss



Andre Russell displaying his Cantona style delight after dismissing Matt Prior for 21



Chris Gayle smiles after dismissing in form Strauss for 31



Jonathan Trott makes an impressive start by hitting 22 from the first 8 balls before falling for 47 off 38



Whoops, that could be close to out. an Bell bowled for 27 from 48 balls



Morgan out before making double figures



Bopara comprehensively bowled for 4. Engalnd strugglng at 151-6



Tredwell and Wright put on 471before the partnership is broken



Wright justifies his selection in reaching 44



Swann's stumps smashed when on 8 by the impressive Russell who ends with figures of 4-49. England all out for 243 after 48.4 overs



Gayle goes straight on the attack and hits eight 4's and a 6 before being trapped LBW for 43 off 21 deliveries by Tredwell



Tredwell has his second when Devon Smith is stumped for 10



Darren Bravo brilliantly caught by Strauss off Tredwell when Windies on 91-3 off 12 overs



The very dangerous Sammy bowled by Bopara for 41 from 29 deliveries. he then gets wicketkeeper Thomas for 10



Pollard trapped LBW for 24 by Swann



Russell carts the ball around the ground during his 49 run tally (three 6's and two 4's) before being trapped by Tredwell



Tremlett whose 5 overs cost 47 runs takes a brilliant catch to dismiss Roach for a second ball duck and put England on the brink of another dramatic victory



Quite an amazing finish as England once again snatch victory from the jaws of defeat winning the match by 18 runs with 5.2 overs remaining

[Mr Lick]

Jerusalem: Christian clergy and lay people welcome a casket holding the relics of St Therese of Lisieux as it enters the Old City through Jaffa Gate



Sana'a, Yemen: A protester holds up an egg that reads 'Leave Ali' during a demonstration demanding the resignation of the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh



Brasilia, Brazil: Workers clean the windows outside Planalto Palace before a visit by Barack Obama



Port-au-Prince, Haiti: A man sells cookies out of ballot box from the January elections



Wuhan city, China: Supermarket customers queue up to buy sea salt, which is fast selling out, apparently because of rumours future shipments may contain radioactivity from the Japan disaster



Soul, Egypt: An Egyptian man passes a church being rebuilt after it was torched amid tensions over a love affair between a Muslim woman and a Christian man



Nagpur, India: Crime branch officers hold the seized head of a tiger outside a hotel. Police said they arrested two men at the airport who were carrying the tiger's head and skin



Kolkata, India: Indian students apply colour to each other as they celebrate the Holi festival at Rabindra Bharati University



Algiers, Algeria: Youths throw stones at anti-riot police squads from a roof during a demonstration demanding a date for their move from a dilapidated estate



Otsuchi, Japan: Survivors react after collecting their belongings at their destroyed house in a village hit by the earthquake and tsunami



Libya: A Chadian refugee sits at the Libya-Egypt border after fleeing fighting in eastern Libya

[Mr Lick]

St Patrick's Day celebrations




















A group of racegoers dressed as leprechauns at Cheltenham racecourse







Battersea power station is lit green for St Patrick's Day



The London Eye is lit green for St Patrick's Day

[Mr Lick]

Cheltenham Festival day three






Tony McCoy gets proceedings off to a swinging start on Noble Prince, jumping a fence before going on to win the first race







10-11 favourite Big Bucks jumps the last and wins the World Hurdle ...



jockey Ruby Walsh and trainer Paul Nicholls celebrate victory



Former eventing world champion Zara Phillips watches the action









Henry Cecil smiles and waves with a little embarrassment as the crowd chant his name after his horse, Plato, wins the final race

[Mr Lick]

Aerial views of the wrecked reactor in Japan



This handout image released from Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) on March 17, 2011 and received via JIJI Press on March 18, 2011 shows the damage to TEPCO's No.1 Fukushima nuclear power plant's fourth reactor building in the town of Okuma, Fubata district in Fukushima prefecture. The Japanese military has used trucks and helicopters to dump tonnes of water onto the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in a bid to douse fuel rods and prevent a disastrous radiation release.








Kenji Sugawara, with a photo of his missing wife, searches for her through the remains of the devastated city of Otsuchi in Iwate prefecture on March 17, following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami the hit Japan's northeast coast. The official number of dead and missing after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that flattened Japan's northeast coast has hit 14,650, police said, a rise of nearly 1,000 in just a few hours.

[Mr Lick]

Tsunami waters flooding the Sendai airport near Sendai, Japan

[Mr Lick]

World's Tallest Man visits school in Havana



Sultan Kosen, top, of Turkey, who according to the Guinness World Record Association is the world's tallest man, accompanied by members of the newly-created Cuba Amore Foundation, walks among students during a visit to the Cesareo Fernandez school in Havana on Monday.

[Mr Lick]

The world backs air strikes on Gaddafi: RAF could be in action in days after UN votes to protect Libyan rebels








Celebrations: Anti-Gaddafi rebels cheer as the news is announced from the Security Council meeting in New York





What it means: These two men sink to their knees on a Benghazi street as the news to impose the zone spread across the country




Ready to respond: Ambassador Sir Mark Lyall Grant said that the international community had come together in deploring the actions of Gaddafi's regime




Anger: Supporters of Gaddafi chants slogans and show their displeasure at the decision during a protest in Tripoli








Licence to kill: Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim said at a news conference that vote amounted to an agreement for Libyans to kill each other

Sorry, isn't that happening already?

[Mr Lick]

More on Japan



Terrible sorrow: Yoshie Murakami holds the hand of her dead mother in the rubble of her home in Rikuzentakata. Her daughter is still missing



Horrifying: An aerial shot shows the devastated centre of Wakuya. A boat sits on top of a building at the centre of the picture

















Stunned: Survivors Misato Takahashi, 18, and her sister Asana, leave the devastated area with their aunt Kumi Isawa and uncle Masayoshi for a makeshift evacuation centre after seeing what little remains of their home destroyed by the tsunami





Panic buying: Customers crowd to buy salt at a supermarket in Wuhan, Hubei province, China










Mika Sato, 36, left, breaks down after finding the body of her daughter Airi in a charred kindergarten bus in Ishinomaki, northern Japan

[Mr Lick]

Protests in Bahrain











Gassed: An unidentified anti-government protester dumps a bucket of sand on a canister fired by riot police in the Shiite Muslim village of Jidhafs

[Mr Lick]

A CIA contractor has been released by a court in Pakistan after £1.2m in "blood money" was paid to the families of two men shot dead in Lahore.



Under Sharia law, a legal action against a person accused of a crime can be dropped on payment of an agreed sum to the victim's family.
The American was freed on Wednesday after relatives of the dead men came to court to confirm payment had been made.

[Mr Lick]

More pics from Japan



A Japanese soldier prays before removing the body of a tsunami victim from rubble



An army officer instructs his team in the residential area of Otsuchi as heavy snow falls













Japanese soldiers search for bodies in the water in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture





People siphon petrol from an overturned car in Minamisanrikucho, Miyagi prefecture

[Mr Lick]

G20 pathologist Freddy Patel faces being struck off

GMC calls former Home Office pathologist criticised over postmortem on Ian Tomlinson 'irresponsible' and 'dishonest'



The former Home Office pathologist suspended for incompetence in a series of high profile autopsies, has been found guilty of misconduct after failing to spot that a murder victim had been suffocated.
The 63-year-old forensic examiner may now be now struck off the medical register.

[Mr Lick]

Man arrested over fatal shootings at Traveller site

Police investigate links with



A man is being questioned today in connection with the murder of two men shot dead at a Travellers' site in Suffolk.

The 40-year-old attended a police station outside the county on Wednesday night, where he was arrested by officers on suspicion of murder.
Detectives believe the two men who died at the site in Beck Row, near Mildenhall, were embroiled in a dispute linked to an incident when shots were fired at a vehicle on 17 February. No one was hurt but a number of people were arrested and released on bail pending further inquiries.

Police are trying to establish whether there is a link between the two incidents at the site, which is near the US air force base at Lakenheath

[Mr Lick]

Ukrainian Fashion Week




A wee bit sparse in the wardrobe eh luv, when you have to start wearing the fireside rug



Is a white stick included in the price?



Men in skirts? Wouldn't quite work on Uk building sites, would it?



OMG!



Hello? Is there anyone there?



A sure winner at the Cheltenham Race Festival



Love balloons?



That's it luv, shoulders back, chest out



Feeling a wee bit nervous darling?



Ok gear if your off for a posh swim i suppose



You just can't leave that laptop at home, can you dearie?