World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Libyan air strikes




A man buries a rebel killed by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Ajdabiyah, during his funeral in Benghazi, March 23, 2011

[Mr Lick]

US soldier admits killing unarmed Afghans for sport



Jeremy Morlock, 23, tells US military court he was part of a 'kill team' that faked combat situations to murder Afghan civilians

An American soldier has pleaded guilty to being part of a "kill team" who deliberately murdered Afghan civilians for sport last year.

Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock, 23, told a military court he had helped to kill three unarmed Afghans. "The plan was to kill people, sir," he told an army judge in Fort Lea, near Seattle, after his plea.

The case has caused outraged headlines around the world. In a series of videotaped confessions to investigators, some of which have been broadcast on American television, Morlock detailed how he and other members of his Stryker brigade set up and faked combat situations so that they could kill civilians who posed no threat to them. Four other soldiers are still to come to trial over the incidents.

[Mr Lick]

Libya conflict: Fighting rages in Ajdabiya



Rebel fighters prepare an anti-aircraft machine gun at a checkpoint near Ajdabiya city



A Libyan family leaves Ajdabyia for Benghazi. Rebels vowed they would reclaim Ajdabiya, just west of the opposition stronghold Benghazi, by nightfall





A Libyan man is comforted by hospital staff in Benghazi after identifying his brother in the morgue. His brother was killed in fighting around Ajdabiya city







Damaged missiles, training and maintenance equipment, destroyed by cruise missile strikes at the Libyan navy's Abu Sitr base in Tripoli



A Libyan man stands near cars damaged by coalition air strikes at the naval military facility in People's Port, eastern Tripoli





Store shutters close in a medina in Tripoli

[Mr Lick]

Japan struggles to cope with tsunami and quake aftermath
























Mothers weep at an emotional graduation ceremony at Ohya elementary school in Kesennuma

[Mr Lick]

Portugal in crisis after prime minister resigns over austerity measures



Portuguese prime minister José Sócrates has said he has submitted his resignation to the president after parliament rejected his minority Socialist government's latest austerity measures.

The loss of the vote "has taken away from the government all conditions to govern," Sócrates said. It brings the country closer to needing a bailout.

Sócrates is said he tendered his resignation to President Aníbal Cavaco Silva tonight, leaving the country in a political limbo that would place further pressure on Portugal's record-level bond yields.

Sócrates had said before the vote that he would resign if the measures to cut spending and increase taxes – designed to see off a bailout similar to those taken by Greece and Ireland – were rejected.

[Mr Lick]

Syrian regime launches crackdown by shooting 15 activists dead



Violence escalated in the southern Syrian city of Deraa as protests entered a sixth day. At least 15 protesters are known to have been shot dead on Wednesday and scores more injured.

In a sign that the Syrian regime is using a brutal crackdown rather than concessions to quell protests, security forces opened fire on people in three separate incidents, according to human rights activists.

At 1am on Wednesday morning, at least six people were killed when security forces opened fire on protesters surrounding the Omari mosque, after cutting electricity and communications to the site that has become the focus of demonstrations. During the day, several were reported shot as they attended funerals of victims of the mosque shooting. Syrian security forces later opened fire on scores of young people from surrounding towns as they marched towards Deraa, offering support to the protests, activists said.

"The government promised it would consider its citizen's demands, and then it decided to attack them," said Mohammed al-Abdullah, a prominent activist in exile in the US who is in close contact with the Deraa protesters. "These were fully prepared and full-scale attacks."

[Mr Lick]

Ted Hoffman walks past snow-covered evergreens near his home on Bell Street in north Bismarck, N.D. on Wednesday, March 23, 2011. Bismarck received 8 inches of snow from a blizzard that passed through most of North Dakota.




Riot police officers shield themselves from Molotov cocktails thrown by protesters during a demonstration in Oued Koriche, Algiers on Wednesday.






Police in Algeria's capital used teargas on Wednesday to disperse a crowd of young men who threw stones and petrol bombs to try to stop bulldozers demolishing dozens of illegally built homes.

[Mr Lick]

Boxing initiative aims to reduce crime in Caracas










The program seeks to promote values such as discipline and respect and show that a better future is possible in a country that has nurtured several boxing champions.

[Mr Lick]

A tender goodbye: US ship deploys to Libyan waters

[Mr Lick]

The northern lights, like never seen before

[Mr Lick]

Elizabeth Taylor: Never-before-seen pictures

[Mr Lick]

Conflict in Libya

[Mr Lick]

Back to Japan



In this photo released by Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Tokyo Electric Power Co. workers collect data in the control room for Unit 1 and Unit 2 at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okumamachi on Wednesday, March 23.



Dairy farmer Kenichi Hasegawa dumps milk in a corn field in Iitatemura, Fukushima prefecture. Radiation has seeped into vegetables, raw milk, the water supply and seawater since a magnitude-9 quake and killer tsunami crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant on March 11.






A woman makes a bed in a relative's house in Rikuzentakata where she and 31 other family members found shelter after the area was devastated by the quake and tsunami




High school baseball players offer silent prayers for victims of the earthquake and tsunami during the opening ceremony of the National High School Championship in Nishinomiya, western Japan.



Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class Chris Tautkus, assigned to the Black Knights of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4, asks a child to return his helmet in Oshima in this U.S. Navy handout photo dated March 21 and released on Wednesday. Ships and aircraft of the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group are conducting humanitarian assistance operations in Japan.







A local resident refuels his car at a gas station that was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, in Motoyoshi town, Miyagi prefecture. Using a bicycle pump, the gas station, which is owned by a farmers cooperative, opened for regular customers on Wednesday, selling a maximum of 18 liters (4.75 gallons) per vehicle at the regular price.

[Mr Lick]

Elizabeth Taylor: 1932 - 2011




Elizabeth Taylor is presented France's highest award the 'Legion d' Honneur' by French President Francois Mitterrand in recognition of her acting career, May 14, 1987.




The 1963 "Silver Liz" portrait of Elizabeth Taylor by Andy Warhol in a file photo.




Actress Elizabeth Taylor and actor George Hamilton arrive at the 40th Anniversary ceremony of the Cannes film festival, May 13, 1987.




Actress Elizabeth Taylor during the Onassis Awards ceremony in Athens, 26 May, 1988.




Actress and AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor rests her head on the arm of basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson as Johnson speaks prior to a fundraiser in Santa Monica, September 29, 1990.




Actress Elizabeth Taylor says "enough" during a photo session with her husband-to-be Larry Fortensky at a news conference in New York, September 11, 1991.




Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor arrive at a concert celebrating 30 years of Jackson's career in New York, September 7, 2001.




Elizabeth Taylor arrives for a play in Los Angeles, December 1, 2007




Magician David Copperfield performs for Elizabeth Taylor during the taping of a 1997 television special honoring Taylor's life and career, in Hollywood.



Elizabeth Taylor stops to give an interview as she arrives with Italian fashion designer GianFranco Ferre (R) for the Cinema Against AIDS 2000 to benefit amfAR during the 53rd Cannes Film Festival May 18, 2000.










Madonna pays tribute to actress Elizabeth Taylor during the taping of a television special, February 16, 1997.




Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor applaud each other during the Academy Awards, March 30, 1992. The pair presented the Best Picture Oscar.









Elizabeth Taylor smiles after being awarded the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, in Beverly Hills, March 11, 1993.

[Mr Lick]

A policeman stands guard near the body of a young man killed when the fragment of a balcony of the Kozatskiy hotel fell on him in Kiev, Ukraine on March 24.




A cloud of black smoke from a fire rises above Beiijng's Central Business District skyline past the CCTV Tower, center, the headquarters of China's state-run television, and the city's tallest building, the China World Trade Tower 3, right, on March 24 in Beijing.




A Chinese policeman shows off his rifle during an open house in Beijing on Wednesday, March 23.




A mime artist gestures to unseen pedestrians to show them how to cross the road safely at Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue on March 23 as part of a campaign organized by the CET (Traffic Engineering Company) to raise awareness among motorists and pedestrians to respect traffic signs. The Brazilian city has 7 million vehicles and an average of 650 new ones on the road every day, according to figures from the state transport authority Detran.

[Mr Lick]

Tomohiro Kato sentenced to death over Tokyo stabbings



A Japanese man who admitted killing seven people in Tokyo in 2008 - by driving over some and stabbing others - has been given the death penalty.

Tomohiro Kato had driven a car into pedestrians in a central shopping district. Three of them died.

Kato, 28, then stabbed passers-by, killing four people and wounding several others, before being arrested at the scene.

During the trial he said he had been angered by online bullying

[Mr Lick]

A South Korean army tank fires smoke shells during a drill north of Seoul



Chinese people cross the 200 year old Ta Ping bridge for an annual event that involves throwing coins and old clothes in the water for good luck



Cars refuelling in the wake of Japans earthquake



Palestinians suvey the damage following an Israeli strike on a smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip



A cheeky protester bares his bottom to riot police in Brussels. Demonstrators were marching to protest at the austerity measures being imposed by government leaders



The Cambridge crew training for this weekends annual rowing duel

[Mr Lick]

Night Stalker case: Delroy Grant guilty



A man has been found guilty of a series of sex attacks on elderly people in south London.

Dubbed the Night Stalker, Delroy Grant, 53, carried out a series of rapes and sex assaults on 18 victims over 17 years.

Police have apologised for missed chances to stop Grant.

They said he was responsible for some of the most "awful and disturbing crimes" in the history of Scotland Yard.

Commander Simon Foy, head of the Metropolitan Police's homicide and serious crime command, said: "We are deeply sorry for the trauma suffered by all those victims and our failure to bring Grant to justice earlier."

[Mr Lick]

Ex-MEP Den Dover ordered to pay back £345,000



A former Conservative MEP expelled by the party over expenses allegations has been ordered to repay £345,289 in "unjustified" claims.

Den Dover, 72, originally faced a demand for £538,000 the European Parliament said should not have been paid to him.

But the European Court of Justice has reduced that amount after an appeal.
Mr Dover stood down as an MEP in 2009 after being expelled by the Tory Party for "gross misconduct".

The European Parliament launched a probe in 2008 after it emerged Mr Dover had paid nearly £1m to a company, MP Holdings, which included his wife and daughters among its directors.

The money came from allowances MEPs receive to pay staff salaries and costs.
The parliament ruled that only £421,156 could be justified in salaries, National Insurance and legitimate staff travel expenses - and the remainder was "without justification".

[Mr Lick]

Manchester City's Kelvin Etuhu sentenced over casino brawl



A Manchester City footballer has been jailed for a fight in the street which left a man with a broken jaw.

Striker Kelvin Etuhu, 22, previously admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

He was caught on CCTV kicking Owen Fitzpatrick three times after knocking him to the ground with a punch outside Manchester's 235 Casino last February.
Etuhu, of Abbeycroft Close, Astley, Wigan, was sentenced to eight months in prison at Warrington Crown Court.

In sentencing, Judge Hale told Etuhu: "You brought yourself up by your bootstraps, you and your family, having come here from Nigeria with nothing but your talent, grit and determination.

"That is a great credit to you and your family and you have blown it."

The footballer is the younger brother of Dickson Etuhu, who plays for Fulham.

[Mr Lick]

Libyan conflict







Relief when 3 foreign journalists held in Tripoli were released on Wednesday

[Mr Lick]

Mayan statue sold at Paris auction for $4m is 'fake'



A Mayan sculpture that fetched 2.9m euros ($4.2m, £2.5m) at a Paris auction is a fake, Mexican officials believe.

The French auction house Drouot maintains that the statue, of a masked figure carrying a shield, is genuine and more than 1,000 years old.

But Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History says it does not match the style of the period it was supposedly from.

Another 66 pieces at Monday's auction were also fakes, the institute said.

[Mr Lick]

Music and drugs, as Helmand police patrol

[Mr Lick]

Canadian opposition 'to topple Conservative government'



Canada's three opposition parties say they plan to topple the Conservative government this week, in a vote on the budget or a no-confidence motion.

The no-confidence vote, due on Friday, stems from a ruling that the government has acted in contempt of Parliament by failing to disclose spending costs.

A vote on the government's budget plan is expected on Thursday or Friday.
A defeat for PM Stephen Harper on either vote would trigger Canada's fourth federal election in seven years.

An election would probably take place on 2 or 9 May.

[Mr Lick]

Italian Eurofighter jets get ready to land at Trapani-Birgi airbase in Sicily. Even as UN-sanctioned air strikes have continued, Muammar Gaddafi has reportedly resumed his attacks on rebel-held territory.



Israeli rescue workers carry an injured woman to an ambulance after an explosion near a bus stop in Jerusalem. At least one was killed and dozens were wounded in what appears to be the first militant attack in the city in years.



Teachers and students are dispered with tear gas in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Demonstrations over privatizing parts of the educational system have turned increasingly violent and a teacher has been killed.



Palestinian mourners attend a funeral at a mosque in Gaza City a day after eight Gazans were killed as tensions soared on the border with Israel following days of rocket fire and retaliatory air strikes.