World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

A young visitor inspects a gun during the Abu Dhabi 2014 International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates



Two Royal Australian Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft fly above the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge during a display. Australia raised its terror threat level to 'high' from 'medium' on September 12, 2014, saying there was an increased likelihood of a terrorist attack at home but stressed it had no knowledge of a specific attack plan

[Mr Lick]

A man holds a child after he was rescued from under the rubble after, what activists claim, were five air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus



Steam and snow surrounds Mike Grimm as he waits for the engine of a vintage 1880 train to back into position in Hill City, South Dakota. Riders on the popular summertime tourist attraction got a view of winter as a storm brought as much as 8 inches of snow to parts of the Black Hills. Snowfall in downtown Rapid City marked the earliest such event since 1888; that was before South Dakota was even a state

[Mr Lick]

An aerial view taken from an Indian Air Force helicopter shows the flooded city of Srinagar



A digital model of an anatomically precise 3-D replica of a Spinosaurus skeleton, a cross between a Tyrannosaurus rex, a crocodile and a whale that was the largest predator ever to walk the Earth - or swim in its rivers. It was discovered by scientists from the University of Chicago who based their findings on new fossils from the Moroccan Sahara as well as specimens in museum collections

[Mr Lick]

Suspected criminals are being held in handcuffs at a public park in Colombia's capital because of overcrowding at a detention center, The Associated Press reported Friday.
A children’s playground in the Bogota park has been converted into a makeshift holding area. The prisoners, who are suspected of crimes ranging from robbery to drug trafficking, are guarded by groups of six police officers who switch after eight hour shifts. Human rights groups are calling the practice inhumane and parents are complaining they can't take their kids to the park anymore

[Mr Lick]

It's official: A European spacecraft has snapped a robotic selfie with a comet in deep space.
The Philae lander riding with European Space Agency's comet-chasing Rosetta spacecraft snapped a stunning photo of the spacecraft and its target comet, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The image — released by ESA on Wednesday — gives viewers a new perspective on the spacecraft and comet flying far from Earth.


The black-and-white photo shows one of Rosetta's solar wings from Philae's perspective on Sept. 7, with Comet 67P/C-G flying 31 miles (50 kilometers) away. Both the comet's smaller "head" and "body" are clearly visible in the new photograph. [See more incredible photos taken by the Rosetta mission]
"Two images with different exposure times were combined to bring out the faint details in this very high contrast situation," ESA officials wrote in a blog entry describing the photograph. "The image was taken as part of the preparations being made for Philae, as the lander team gear up for the first-ever attempt to land on a comet

[Mr Lick]

Residents carry an injured man out from the debris at a site hit by what activists claim were at least five air strikes by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus September 11, 2014.



Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius reacts as he listens to Judge Thokozile Masipa's judgement at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, September 11, 2014.

[Mr Lick]

Health workers remove the body of Prince Nyentee, a 29-year-old man whom local residents said died of Ebola virus in Monrovia September 11, 2014



Men carry an injured young victim, after what activists claim was five air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus September 11, 2014.



A member of the pro-Russian rebels, who is a prisoner-of-war, walks in front of a bus he is about to be exchanged, north of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, September 12, 2014

[Mr Lick]

Men who were arrested by Thai police for their suspected involvement in the bloody clashes in 2010 between the army and red-shirted protesters, sit during a news conference as police officers stand guard at the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok September 11, 2014.



Fijian U.N. peacekeepers released by al-Qaeda-linked group Nusra Front in Syria on Thursday, gesture from inside a vehicle as they arrive in Israeli-held territory on the Golan heights September 11, 2014.



President Barack Obama uses a ratchet wrench as he helps build a playground while participating in a service project at the Inspired Teaching School, a high-performing public charter school in northeast Washington, DC, to commemorate the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance in Washington September 11, 2014.

[Mr Lick]

Glowing: genetically engineered fish (Pterophyllum Scalare) swim in a tank during the Taiwan Aquarium Expo in Taipei.





A health worker administers a vaccine in Makati, Philippines. A month-long campaign to immunise children against Measles, Rubella and Polio is taking place with plans to immunise 13 million children nationwide.

[Mr Lick]

Soldiers stand in front of hundreds of boards, held by people in the stands above to create an image of the Virgin of Guadelupe. Preparations are taking place for Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations next week.




Is there anybody out there? People try to get a signal for their mobile phones on a street of Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, where a fragile ceasefire is holding



Elsewhere in Ukraine, a Ukrainian soldier, based near Pervomaysk, decorates his heavy weaponry with a yellow smiley.



An animated Gordon Brown gets his point across during a Better Together Rally in Glasgow, ahead of next Thursday’s referendum on Scottish Independence

[Mr Lick]

Apologies guys, have been recouping in a hospital bed for the past 6 days. Will get back to the task probably tomorrow.

[Mr Lick]

A crocodile comes face-to-face with photographer Mike Korostelev, 32, baring its huge teeth while staring straight at him. The three-metre long American crocodile was photographed off the Mexican island Banco Chinchorro in the Gulf of Mexico



Meet Stache, the New Jersey cat with an exceptionally distinctive moustache. The Oriental shorthair's prominent black marking above his lip left his owner Christine Gonzalez with no other choice but to call him Stache. Christine first brought Stache home when he was seven-months-old and says he was very shy but has turned into a confident boy

[Mr Lick]

A woman covered in coloured powder poses during the Holi Festival of Colours in Lisbon, Portugal



Model Cara Delevingne leads out the models at the end of the Topshop Unique show at London Fashion Week in London

[Mr Lick]

Miss New York Kira Kazantsev (front) reacts as she is crowned the winner of the 2015 Miss America Competition by Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri in Atlantic City, New Jersey



Mitch Winehouse, left, and Janis Winehouse, pose for a picture with a statue of their late daughter, Amy Winehouse, with actor Barbara Windsor, second right, and the artist Scott Eaton, right, after it was unveiled in Camden's Stables Market, in London. Three years after her death the unveiling coincides with what would have been her 31st birthday



Sir Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain and Team SKY in action on his way to winning stage 8a of the 2014 Tour of Britain, an 8.8km time trial around Whitelhall in London

[Mr Lick]

Rolls of toilet paper printed with a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin stand for sale at a vendor's stall in Lviv, Ukraine



Hurricane Odile approaches the Baja Peninsula off the west coast of Mexico. Odile lost some strength on Sunday afternoon and become a Category 3 hurricane as it churned 140 miles (225 km) off the southern tip of Baja, moving northwest at a brisk 15 miles per hour (24 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said



South Korean Marine Corps' amphibious vehicles take part in a ceremony to mark the 64th anniversary of Incheon Landing Operations conducted by the U.S.-led United Nations troop during the 1950-1953 Korean War, in the sea off Incheon



Captain Bui Sy Tung checks the alignment of the honour guard before a welcoming ceremony for Indian President Pranab Mukherjee at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi

[Mr Lick]

The Holi Festival of Colours in Lisbon, Portugal. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in some regions of India and Nepal

[Mr Lick]

An all-star cast of Super Heroes digitally assembled this morning to give the brand new videogame, Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes, an extraordinary escort into the UK. The superhuman delivery saw several of Marvel's most iconic heroes projected on their journey through London ahead of the game's launch this Friday 19th September, with fan-favourite The Hulk ensuring safe passage of a precious cargo along the River Thames by raising Tower Bridge



A girl inspects an installation at the Swell Sculpture Festival at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The event, in its 12th year, currently displays 66 works from local, national and international artists



Former President Bill Clinton and his wife former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton attend the 37th Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa

[Mr Lick]

Matt the cat has been given a new lease of life after vets shaved off two carrier bags worth of fur. The mangy moggie was close to death when he was discovered abandoned in a box that had been dumped by the side of the road. After years of neglect his thick coat had grown so long it had become matted together and he was so sick he could barely muster the energy to eat....

[Mr Lick]

Meet Britain's tallest teen. Giant Josh Gott stands at 6ft 11 and is still growing. The 19-year-old sports size 15 shoes and can go through a family size portion of fast food in just one sitting. His family have had to upscale cars four times for the teen who has a rare genetic condition causing his continuous growth spurts. But the college student from Stockton-on-Tees towers over his mum Sharon Elston who is just 5ft. Although he was always a taller-than-average child, he really started to overtake his peers at 11 which surprised tiny Sharon as dad Andrew is only 5ft4in tall

Meet Britain's tallest teen. Giant Josh Gott stands at 6ft 11 and is still growing. The 19-year-old sports size 15 shoes and can go through a family size portion of fast food in just one sitting. His family have had to upscale cars four times for the teen who has a rare genetic condition causing his continuous growth spurts. But the college student from Stockton-on-Tees towers over his mum Sharon Elston who is just 5ft. Although he was always a taller-than-average child, he really started to overtake his peers at 11 which surprised tiny Sharon as dad Andrew is only 5ft4in tall



A company has created the world's most expensive iPhone 6 worth a whopping £1.7million. Complete with over 6,127 brilliant cut diamonds and recreated in solid 18 carat gold, the 'Amosu Call of Diamond iPhone 6' really lives up to its hefty price tag. The blingtastic mobile weighs in at 85gsm and will take the bespoke accessories company two months to complete



Fast food fan Terry O'Neil ordered a KFC fillet feast and ended up with a savoury 'omen'. After ordering a 'family bucket' while on holiday with wife Jo, 39, and their three children in Eastbourne, East Sussex he realised the piece of battered chicken looked like mainland Britain minus Scotland. 'I don't know whether it's an omen for the outcome of the Scottish referendum,' ponders Terry from the Isle of Wight, 'but I wouldn't be surprised if Scotland vote Yes

[Mr Lick]

An independent Scotland is clearly no pie in the sky. Scots holidaymaker Gillian Degnan, 44, was in Sardinia when she photographed a cloud shaped like the UK - without Scotland. Gillian, who grew up in the village of Fairlie in North Ayrshire, said: 'I was on my sun lounger when I spotted it in the sky.'



A 10-year-old pet goldfish named George prepares to go under the knife to remove a life-threatening tumour at the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne, Australia



...The 45-minute long procedure was performed by vet Tristan Rich who described the operation as 'fiddly'. The fish was sedated by water laced with anaesthetic and once the tumour was removed the wound was sealed with tissue glue followed by antibiotics and painkillers

[Mr Lick]

A competitor competes in the Mud Madness race, at Foymore Lodge in Portadown, County Armagh



A plane drops its load of fire retardant on a wildfire near Pollack Pines, California. The fire, which started Sunday has consumed more than 3,000 acres and forced the evacuation of dozens of homes



The Captain America chopper Peter Fonda rode in 'Easy Rider' at the Profiles in History auction house in Calabasas, California. The auction house estimates the Harley-Davidson will achieve between $1 million and $1.2 million at its October 18, 2014 sale

[Mr Lick]

A scratchcard addict says he'll carry on gambling - even though he's blown an incredible £60,000 in six months.Mark Thomas, 50, buys his first batch of the day at 5am, and can't let go of the dream that he'll win the top prize of £250,000 a year for 15 years. 'I'm an addict,' he said, 'but I love it, I love the buzz.' He's lost almost his entire life savings on the £10-a-go National Lottery Mega Rich scratchcards - and even keeps his losing cards to show much he's spent. 'I've bought £1,000 worth in the last couple of days,' said Mark, a divorced dad-of-five from Ffordd Terfyn, Bodelwyddan, Rhyl, North Wales



An Attacus atlas butterfly sits on the face of a visitor to the Botanical Garden of Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic

[Mr Lick]

This adorable little wombat is recovering well after being left orphaned by a car accident. The unnamed youngster is now 8 months old and was brought into the Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia after being discovered by the side of the road



People try to push a taxi to safety after it became stuck in a huge pothole after a road caved-in in Zhengzhou, Henan province. The city authorities said due to several days of continuous rain, two cave-ins occurred along a street in Zhengzhou. No one was injured during the incidents, local media reported

[Mr Lick]

Actors dressed as aliens tour London to launch the new season of science fiction television series Defiance on NBCUniversal channel Syfy, which starts on Thursday September 18th at 9pm. A team of professional makeup artists spent three hours creating the look following a survey which revealed that two thirds of the British population (68%) believe that aliens exist, and a quarter (23%) think they are walking amongst us



A scan showing facial injuries to King Richard III who died in the thick of battle after losing his helmet and coming under a hail of blows from vicious medieval weapons, new research has shown. Detailed scans of the king's bones show that he sustained 11 wounds at or near the time of his death, nine of them to the skull. The blows to the head were clearly inflicted in battle and suggest that he was not wearing his helmet



A firefighter battling the King fire watches as a backfire burns along Highway 50 in Fresh Pond, California. The fire led officials to call on about 400 people to evacuate from areas threatened by the blaze, Cal Fire spokeswoman Alyssa Smith said

[Mr Lick]

A house thought to be the narrowest in Britain has gone on the market for a staggering £125,000. The 4ft 10in terraced home is now up for sale after the owner of more than 20 years saw its value rocket this year. Stuart Beckett, 52, fell in love with the property in Portsmouth, Hants, in 1993 and quickly snapped it up for £33,000



Shi'ite fighters, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against militants of Islamic State, take part in field training in the desert in the province of Najaf



A protestor from CodePink disrupted US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel as he testified on US policy towards Iraq and Syria and the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC



Protesters burn tyres outside the Ukrainian parliament during clashes with police in central Kiev to demand Ukrainian lawmakers to adopt a 'lustration' law that stipulates a purge of governmental officials accused of corruption or affiliated with the former KGB