France - Bastille Day

Jets of the Patrouille de France fly over the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as part of France's annual Bastille Day celebrations.

Nicolas Sarkozy was overseeing his first Champs Elysees parade as the new French president.

Mr Sarkozy broke with tradition by inviting foreign military contingents, including from all 27 countries of the European Union.

But there were some stalwarts - notably these Pioneers of the 1st Foreign Regiment.

Flag bearers of the EU nations parade down the Champs Elysees. Mr Sarkozy said: "I wanted the national holiday to be a people's holiday."

There were some casualties along the way - this French soldier fainted during the parade.

Along the route families stopped for some snapshots. On Saturday night there will be a mass, free, open-air concert headlined by French star Michel Polnareff.

Officials fear the week-long Red Mosque siege, which led to more than 100 deaths, is sparking militant reprisals.

ITALY - Versace tribute

As well as the ballet, Versace's outfits are to be displayed on Milan's streets and a scholarship will be set up in his honour.

About 1,500 guests attended a ballet performance at La Scala in Milan, remembering fashion designer Gianni Versace.

ENGLAND -Valued Exposure

Flocks of seagulls seek refuge from the rough weather at sea, and circle round Blackpool Tower in search of food, February 1937.

JAPAN - Earthquake rocks

National highway is cut off following a powerful quake in Nagaoka, northwestern Japan, Monday, July 16, 2007. A 6.7-magnitude earthquake rocked Japan's northwest coast on Monday, and media reports said at least five people were killed and more than 500 injured. The area was plagued by a series of aftershocks, the strongest of which was magnitude 5.8.

A man walks past a collapsed house in Kashiwazaki, northern Japan, July 16, 2007

A train at Kashiwazaki station gets derailed before its departure due to an earthquake in Kashiwazaki

A man walks over cracks in the road caused by an earthquake in Kashiwazaki

Electric Power's nuclear plant at Kashiwazaki city, north of Tokyo. Water containing some radioactive materials leaked from a nuclear power plant in Japan after a strong earthquake