World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Maserati stuns in Geneva with Alfieri































Maserati has clocked one of the early surprises of this year's Geneva show, whipping the covers from this, the not-at-all-ugly Alfieri concept

We don't think we'll hear much on a production Alfieri till at least 2015, largely because the company's busy working on the Kubang SUV. We don't mind if you push this one to the front of the queue

[Mr Lick]

Geneva Auto Show




The exhaust pipes of the Pagani Huayra



Zenvo ST1






Citroen C4 Cactus Aventure

[Mr Lick]

Koenigsegg Agera One:1



A woman touches the display inside a Volvo car. Apple makes its next move in hands-free smartphone technology for car drivers when it unveils a new, integrated iPhone voice-control system at the Geneva Motor Show. The U.S. company's CarPlay makes its debut in Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo vehicles at the show, demonstrating the software system that allows drivers to control their iPhones via touch and voice, Apple said



The engine of the Ferrari 458 Speciale

[Mr Lick]

Pagani Huayra

[Mr Lick]

Porsche 911 RSR.



The cockpit and steering wheel of the Ferrari California T convertible



Subaru Viziv 2 concept car

[Mr Lick]

Ferrari California T.



Volkswagen T-ROC concept car



Ermini Seiottosei.



The charging plug of the Renault Kangoo Z.E. electric car

[Mr Lick]

A Russian soldier lies with his back to Ukrainian fighter jets as he watches Ukrainian serviceman at the Belbek airport in the Crimea region, Ukraine March 4, 2014.



An aerial view of a building shaped like a clay teapot is seen in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China March 4, 2014. Located in a suburban area, the teapot shaped building will be a cultural exhibition hall when completed



China's President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang pay a silent tribute to victims killed in Saturday's knife attack at Kunming railway station, at the beginning of the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing March 5, 2014

[Mr Lick]

A crocodile's snout is the unlikely resting place for this frog photographed in a pool in Jakarta, Indonesia by Fahmi Bhs



A feisty fish left a hungry eagle in a real flap - after almost drowning the giant bird while putting up a fight in true David vs Goliath style. The eagle swooped down, talons outstretched to calmly pluck the fish out of the water but the big fish had other ideas and tried to fight back. The battle was captured by keen photographer Chad Wright during a trip this year to Mabalingwe Nature Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa

[Mr Lick]

Bekily, a 12-year-old male ring tail lemur, takes a 'selfie' photograph in its enclosure at ZSL London Zoo. The primate grabbed the camera from keeper Tegan McPhail during feeding time and made sure the focus was all on him



U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, touches his face during the Conference on International Support to Libya in Rome. Kerry will discuss the Ukraine crisis with foreign ministers of Italy, Britain, Germany and France ahead of an EU emergency summit in Brussels, a senior State Department official said on Thursday

[Mr Lick]

Baby gorilla Jengo relaxes on the back of his grandmother Viringika at the zoo in Leipzig, Germany. The baby gorilla weighs three kilograms and was born on Dec. 2, 2013



Filipino soldiers wearing chemical suits participate in an exercise inside a miltary base in Quezon city, north-east of Manila, Philippines. The Philippines is hosting its first Global Terrorism and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Explosives (CBRNE) Conference to counter threats posed by international terror groups and chemical and biological attacks

[Mr Lick]

People stand around a pit to rescue a horse that fell in, near Jalandhar in the northern Indian state of Punjab. The horse was rescued from the pit, dug to erect electric poles, after a two-hour rescue operation, according to local reports



This giant apple is for sale at a Chinese supermarket in Nanjing for 6,800 Yuan (£664). According to supermarket staff, the apple weighs 2.5 lb (1.2kg) and is from Japan. The apple also has a Buddha picture on the front. This was formed by wrapping the growing apple in a bag with a Buddha picture on and over time sunlight caused the image to transfer onto the apple. However, it would appear that there aren't many takers for a £664 apple as this particular specimen has apparently been on sale for the past two months

[Mr Lick]

A rarely seen hadal snail fish is pictured after it was caught in a trap 4.3 miles (7,000 m) below the waves in the Kermadec Trench off New Zealand. The fish, caught by a collaborative venture between New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Scotland's University of Aberdeen, are known to be the second deepest fish ever seen alive



Former US President George W. Bush gets a hug from SMU mascot Peruna during a break in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between SMU and Louisville in Dallas, Texas

[Mr Lick]

People train in sail boats in the waters of the Saronic Gulf, outside Piraeus port, near Athens, Greece, back dropped by the U.S. nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. The 1,092 foot (333 metre) carrier which can carry 6,000 personnel, one of the world's largest warships, will be deployed in the U.S. 6th Fleet's area of responsibility



Members of the IUNA Ballet perform during a rehearsal of their show 'Dressed by grace' at a public square, ahead of the Ciudanza Dance Festival, in Buenos Aires, Argentina

[Mr Lick]

A National Police member shoots tear gas at opposition activists during a protest against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas. Venezuela marked the anniversary of the late President Hugo Chavez's death with a blend of solemn ceremonies, clashes and a break in relations with Panama over protests dogging his successor's presidency



South Korean new military officers attend the military commissioning ceremony at Gyeryongdae, South Korea's main military compound

[Mr Lick]

Crufts dog show 2014

Dogs on parade. Crufts is said to be the largest show of its kind in the world. The annual four-day event, held in Birmingham, features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part, all vying for the coveted title of ‘Best in Show’

[Mr Lick]

[Mr Lick]

[Mr Lick]

People walk underneath a hanging effigy depicting a Cuban doctor in a protest against Venezuelan government in Caracas



The son of a shop owner walks past air rifles on display in Cipacing, Indonesia. The small village is known for its gunsmiths make thousands of air rifles annually with most of them made in small back garden operations



Pro-Russian activists detain a member of the feminist group FEMEN protesting against Putin's policy concerning Ukraine near the Crimean parliament in Simferopol, Ukraine.

[Mr Lick]

Egypt's state news agency says that the trial of three Al-Jazeera English journalists and 17 other defendants on terrorism charges has been adjourned until March 24.

The agency reported that one Egyptian defendant, Mohamed Fahmy, told the judge in Wednesday's hearing he could "never possibly betray his country."






The Al-Jazeera journalists face charges accusing them of joining a terrorist group, aiding a terrorist group, and endangering national security. Authorities accuse Al-Jazeera of being a platform for ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's supporters. The network denies that, saying its journalists were only doing their jobs.

Those arrested include Fahmy, Al-Jazeera English's acting bureau chief who is an Egyptian-Canadian; Australian award-winning correspondent Peter Greste and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed. All have pleaded not guilty

[Mr Lick]

A fireman walks away from an apartment building after it was destroyed by a four-alarm blaze on Detroit's west side early Wednesday. There were no immediate reports of any deaths caused by the fire at the Jason Manor Apartments, which broke out at about 6 a.m., but at least four people were hospitalized for injuries suffered while jumping from windows to escape the flames. About 25 people were rescued, many wearing only pajamas as they were kept warm on school buses in the early-morning cold

[Mr Lick]

French President Francios Hollande and U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry gesture toward one another as French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stands between them at the joint Declaration and Meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon at the Elysee Palace in Paris, March 5, 2014



Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius sits next to the dock during lunch break at his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria March 5, 2014



A woman wearing a pro-Russian ribbon stands near Ukrainian police officers outside the regional administration building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk March 5, 2014

[Mr Lick]

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Russian government meeting in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow March 5, 2014.



An anti-government protester stands in front of riot police during a protest against the government of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at Altamira Square in Caracas March 5, 2014.



Elena Frias, mother of Venezuela's late president Hugo Chavez, puts flowers over his tomb during the first anniversary of his death in Caracas March 5, 2014.

[Mr Lick]

Unidos da Tijuca samba school wins parade with speed theme







A 40-member jury crowned Unidos da Tijuca, whose parade honoured Brazilian Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna, winner of the elite Grupo Especial category.











It is the third title for the 3,600-strong troupe in the past five years.

[Mr Lick]

Unidos da Tijuca said it wanted to honour Senna 20 years after his death in a high-speed crash during the San Marino Grand Prix.



Keeping in tune with its speed theme, some of its dancers dressed up as cheetahs.



Other costumes represented electricity and the speed of light.

[Mr Lick]

Crimea: tensions mount as parliament votes to join Russia

Crimean parliament votes to secede from Ukraine, but Ukraine’s prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, dubs the request ‘illegitimate’









Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, President Francois Hollande, Prime Minister David Cameron, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italy's prime minister, Matteo Renzi, meet in Brussels before a European emergency summit on Ukraine



Cossacks detain a women's rights activist from Femen, during a protest in front of the regional Crimean parliament building in Simferopol