The Week in Pictures | Sept. 12 – 18, 2011 - Framework - Photos and Video - Visual Storytelling from the Los Angeles Times

Reno — In the first of a sequence of photos, the P-51 Mustang crashes at the edge of the spectator area.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Ward Howes / Associated Press

Mexico City — A federal police officer with his face painted awaits the start of the Independence Day parade at the Zocalo in Mexico City, with celebrations marking the 201st anniversary of the country's independence from Spain.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carlos Jasso / REUTERS

Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan — The Soyuz TMA-21 space capsule with Expedition 28 commander Andrei Borisenko and flight engineers Ron Garan and Alexander Samokutyayev touches down in a remote area on the outskirts of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. NASA astronaut Garan and Russian cosmonauts Borisenko and Samokutyaev were returning to Earth after more than five months aboard the International Space Station.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Sergei Ilnitsky / Pool / AP

Freeport, Maine — The sun shines through tall white pines and illuminates a 5-inch-tall mushroom at Winslow Park. The fungus has proliferated in Maine's forests because of the recent cool, wet weather and the approach of autumn.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press

St. Petersburg, Russia — An artist takes part in the Dostoevsky and Cosmos art project, part of St. Petersburg's graffiti festival dedicated to the life and career of writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, with participants illustrating his works.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: ALEXANDER DEMIANCHUK / REUTERS

Jalloud, Libya — A lone dromedary camel crosses the road leading to a Libyan air force base in Jalloud.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Francois Mori / Associated Press

Cordoba, Spain — Spain's Rafael Nadal serves to France's Richard Gasquet during a Davis Cup semi-final match in the bullring in Cordoba.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Sergio Torres / Associated Press

Manila — Masked protesters stand near the U.S. Embassy during a rally marking the 20th anniversary of the Philippine Senate vote terminating the U.S. military bases agreement in the country. The protesters lamented the continued presence of U.S. troops in the country, despite the bases' termination, through another pact known as the Visiting Forces Agreement.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Bullit Marquez / Associated Press

Surt, Libya — Anti-Kadafi fighters fire a 130mm howitzer at pro-Gaddafi forces east of Surt. The forces of Libya's new leaders attacked two besieged towns Friday, storming into Bani Walid and pushing forward at Surt, as they tried to finish off resistance from die-hard supporters of Moammar Kadafi.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: ASMAA WAGUIH / Reuters

Agadez, Niger — An immigrant, fleeing the unrest in Libya, waits for assistance at a Red Cross camp in northern Niger.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: LUC GNAGO / Reuters

Thessaloniki, Greece — A man sets himself on fire outside a branch of Piraeus bank. It was the third attempted self-immolation by the former small-business owner, who says he was ruined after taking a series of bank loans. The 56-year-old was hospitalized with non-life-threatening chest burns.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Nontas Stlianidis / Associated Press

The Hague, Netherlands — Soldiers of the cavalry honor escort prepare themselves for Prince's Day. The cavalry will escort the Dutch queen for the 40th time during the ride in the golden carriage from the Palace Noordeinde to Parliament Buildings on Tuesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: ROBIN UTRECHT / EPA

Sofia, Bulgaria — Dancers rehearse ahead of their performance of ASA, a co-production between EDNO and the dance company Derida Dance, as part of Sofia Dance Week. The fourth annual Sofia Dance Week takes place from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: STOYAN NENOV / Reuters

Puri, India — A girl runs across a flooded road as water recedes about 34 miles from the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneshwar. Aerial food drops were suspended after five days Friday as floodwaters began to recede in the Mahanadi delta in Orissa state. At least 26 people died and 12 others went missing during the devastating floods which affected people in 19 districts of the state, official sources said.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Biswaranjan Rout / Associated Press

Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan — A Russian Soyuz TMA-21 space capsule carrying U.S. astronaut Ron Garan and two Russian cosmonauts, Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyayev, descends about 93 miles southeast of Dzhezkazgan. The three returned safely to Earth from the International Space Station aboard the Soviet-era capsule whose mission follows an unprecedented spate of Russian space accidents.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: SERGEI ILNITSKY / AFP / Getty IMages

Qusra, West Bank — Palestinian youths evacuate a comrade during clashes with Israeli forces following troubles with nearby Jewish settlers in the northern West Bank. A Palestinian and an Israeli settler were wounded in clashes.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP / Getty Images

Hamburg, Germany — A white lion cub born at the end of August at the Circus Krone walks during a press conference. The birth of a white lion in a circus is rare and happened as local authorities are discussing a ban of wild animals in circuses.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: MARCUS BRANDT / AFP / Getty Images

London — Actor Hugh Jackman poses with fans as he arrives at a cinema in Leicester Square for the UK premiere of "Real Steel," a film drama about a boxing set in the near future.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Joel Ryan / Associated Press

Kassel, Germany — A woman poses in a manga costume in front of City Hall. About 15,000 participants are expected for the 10th Manga fair in Kassel, which is the first such fan-organized event in Germany.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: UWEâ ZUCCHI / EPA

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — A face-painted Malaysian armed forces soldier performs during Malaysia Day celebrations at Independence Square, commemorating the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Lai Seng Sin / Associated Press

Sungai Kolok, Thailand — An injured victim is rescued following three bomb attacks at a street where bars and hotels are located in a Thai-Malaysian border district. Three separate bombs hidden inside two motorcycles and a car killed at least four people and wounded many others, some of them Malaysian tourists, local media report.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: PADUNG WANNALAK / EPA

Ahmedabad, India — A folk dancer rehearses with her troupe for a performance during Navratri, also known as the Festival of Nine Nights, which starts Sept. 28.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Sam Panthaky / AFP / Getty Images

Sanaa, Yemen — A protester shouts slogans during a rally demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Khaled Abdullah / Reuters

Jammu, India — An elephant rider uses a plastic sheet to protect himself from heavy rain as the end of India's monsoon season approaches.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Channi Anand / Associated Press

Incheon, South Korea — South Korean forces mark the 1950 Incheon landing led by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Ahn Young-joon / Associated Press

Kunar, Afghanistan — 2nd Lt. Andrew Ferrara, 23, of Torrance, Calif., in the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division, turns from the rotor wash of a landing Blackhawk helicopter.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: David Goldman / Associated Press

Kunar, Afghanistan — A cow confronts 2nd Lt. Andrew Ferrara, 23, of Torrance, Calif., as the U.S. Army officer tries to secure the landing zone for an incoming helicopter.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: David Goldman / Associated Press

Tando Allahyar, Pakistan — A pet bear sits among residents who escaped to higher ground from their flooded village in Pakistan's Sindh province.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Akhtar Soomro / Reuters

New Plymouth, New Zealand — John van der Giessen of the U.S. pushes the ball out from a maul during a hard-fought Rugby World Cup match against Russia. The U.S. won 13-6.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: David Gray / Reuters

Aalesund, Norway — Smoke billows from a cruise ship after it caught fire off the coast of Norway, killing two people and forcing the evacuation of more than 200 passengers.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Norwegian Coastal Administration

Moscow — Visitors photograph earrings in a collection of jewelry, paintings and costumes owned by Elizabeth Taylor. The two-day show in the GUM shopping center on Red Square is the first stop of a world tour of the items, which are to be auctioned in December.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters

Kabul, Afghanistan — An Afghan police officer passes by a shattered wall as he visits a building that was occupied by Taliban militants in Kabul. The 20-hour insurgent attack in the heart of the city ended Wednesday morning after a final volley of helicopter gunfire as Afghan police ferreted out and killed the last few assailants who had taken over a half-built downtown building to fire on the nearby U.S. Embassy and NATO compounds.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Kamran Jebreili / Associated Press

Dalian, China — A partial plastinated human body specimen is seen at a workshop of Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique Co. Ltd. in Dalian. Founded by Dr. Sui Hongjin in 2004, Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique produces, preserves and exhibits plastinated biotic specimens of human and animals.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: SHENG LI / Reuters

Rongshui Miao, China — Two horses duel in a competition at Gulongpo in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. People in Rongshui County traditionally hold horse fighting-competitions as part of a harvest celebration.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Long Tao / Associated Press

Berlin, Germany — Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno poses at his installation "Cloud Cities" at Hamburger Bahnhof museum in Berlin. The exhibition will run until Jan. 15, 2012.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: MAURIZIO GAMBARINI / AFP / Getty Images

Ayutthaya, Thailand — A resident uses a boat to go to the grocery shop in flooded areas near the Chao Phraya river in Ayutthaya, Thailand. So far, rising waters have left more than 70 people nationwide dead and affected the homes and livelihoods of 4.3 million people.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP / Getty Images

London — A red rose and photograph of British singer Amy Winehouse and a fan are placed on a tree outside the late singer's house in Camden. Winehouse died at her home on July 26. She would have been 28 years old on Sept. 14.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: ANDY RAIN / EPA

Arakkonam, India — A man holds a child as he grieves while waiting outside a mortuary to receive the body of a family member who died after two trains collided near Arakkonam. A passenger train collided with another train stopped at a signal in southern India Tuesday, killing 10 people and injuring dozens more, police said Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Aijaz Rahi / Associated Press

Jiaxing, China — A teacher covers a child with a quilt as her kindergarten pupils take an afternoon nap in Jiaxing, China.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Reuters

Jammu, India — Indians shop for fruit and vegetables in Jammu. India's inflation rose at its fastest pace in 13 months to a peak of 10% in August.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Channi Anand / Associated Press

New York — Todd Goings makes adjustments to the jumper gears on Jane's carousel in Brooklyn. The carousel, built in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan company of Germantown, Pa., was originally installed in Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio. It has been restored by artist Jane Walentas and is to open to the public on Sept. 16. French architect Jean Nouvel designed the acrylic box-shaped pavilion, located on the Brooklyn waterfront between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Lennihan / Associated Press

Kabul, Afghanistan — Afghan policemen fire toward a building which Taliban insurgents took over during an attack near the U.S. Embassy. A civilian was killed and 16 people wounded, an Afghan health ministry spokesman said.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: AHMAD MASOOD / Reuters

Buenos Aires — Firemen transport the body of a passenger at the crash of two passenger trains and a bus whose driver drove around barriers in an attempt to cross the tracks. A train slammed into the bus and then was struck by another train in the massive rush-hour collision at a suburban train station that left at least seven people dead and 100 injured, police said.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: DANIEL GARCIA / AFP

Kuschamond, Afghanistan — Pfc. Allen Eakley, left, from the 2nd Platoon of Alpha 177 Fa, loads a 155-millimeter artillery unit with a comrade at Forward Operating Base Kuschamond. The Taliban are leading a bloody 10-year insurgency in Afghanistan. There are around 140,000 foreign troops in the country.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: JOHANNES EISELE / AFP

Nairobi, Kenya — A volunteer wades through a river after trying to recover fire victims who drowned at the Sinai slum in the industrial area of Kenya's capital. At least 75 bodies have been recovered after petrol that had spilled into an open sewer caught fire and sent a wave of flame through the densely populated slum, police said.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: THOMAS MUKOYA / Reuters

Tordesillas, Spain — Men on horseback chase a bull during the "Toro de la Vega" festival. A bull is lanced to death by hundreds of men riding horses or on foot during the annual festival that has been celebrated since 1453. Animal rights activists have repeatedly asked for the festival to be banned due to the prolonged suffering of the bull.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: FELIX ORDONEZ / Reuters

Ayutthaya, Thailand — A boy (L) plays under a makeshift walkway along the flooded streets of the town of Sena in Ayutthaya province September 13, 2011. Weeks of heavy monsoon rains and a tropical storm in Thailand have caused widespread floods and mudslides, killing at least 84 people since late July, including a French tourist.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: DAMIR SAGOLJ / Reuters

Berlin — Twin baby red pandas, also known as firefoxes, Kit and Kitty come head to head at Tierpark zoo. They were born in captivity and are indigenous to South China and the Himalayas.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP

Beijing — A construction worker pushes a cart on top of a building on a hazy day near the central business district.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Alexander F. Yuan / Associated Press

Las Vegas — Lightning flashes over the Las Vegas Strip during a thunderstorm. Stormy weather is expected to continue through Thursday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Manila — A high intensity flame is used to melt gold as a jeweler prepares to make another design for it Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011 in Manila, Philippines. With the high price of gold, the government is anticipating a gold rush and gave warning against the proliferation of illegal and dangerous mining as investors flee to the relative safety of the metal amid the continuing financial volatility in the United States and Europe.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Pat Roque / Associated Press

New York City — A single white flower is placed at the National September 11 Memorial on the day it opened to the public.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: MIKE SEGAR / REUTERS

New York — An overview of the World Trade Center site and National September 11 Memorial, which was scheduled to open to the public Monday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Matt Rourke / Associated Press

New York — A woman at the September 11 Memorial touches a panel bearing names of those killed in the 2001 attacks.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: JIM YOUNG / Reuters

New York — A visitor reacts while reading names of victims at the National September 11 Memorial.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: MIKE SEGAR / Reuters

Pochuta, Guatemala — A boy carries a chair away during looting of City Hall, a day after the country's general elections. Residents began looting to protest the reelection of Mayor Benjamin Vazquez, claiming election fraud.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rodrigo Abd / Associated Press

Nairobi, Kenya — Joseph Mwangi, 34, sits dazed after finding the charred remains of two of his children in the wreckage of a fuel pipeline explosion. The explosion turned part of a slum into an inferno in which scores of people were killed and more than 100 hurt.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Ben Curtis / Associated Press

Tehran, Iran — A Zoroastrian priest performs a ritual at a fire temple. Zoroastrians are recognized in the Iranian constitution as religious minorities who have their own lawmaker in parliament. Zoroastrianism lost popularity in Iran after Muslim Arabs conquered Persia in the 7th century.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Associated Press

Mijas, Spain — A firefighting aircraft drops water in the resort city of Marbella. A forest fire burning out of control forced the evacuation of several hundred homes in the nearby town of Mijas.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Sergio Torres / Associated Press

Tando Allahyar, Pakistan — With monsoon clouds looming in the distance, people flee their flooded village in Sindh province.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: AKRAM SHAHID / REUTERS

Abu Grein, Libya — Rebel fighters pray at a checkpoint near the town 100 miles west of Sirte, one of Moammar Kadafi's remaining strongholds.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: GORAN TOMASEVIC / REUTERS

Johannesburg, South Africa — Supporters of African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema sing outside the court that found Malema guilty of hate speech for singing an anti-apartheid anthem whose translated lyrics mean "shoot the white farmer." After the verdict some Malema supporters began singing the same song outside the court, in open defiance of the court order. No action was taken against them.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: ALEXANDER JOE / AFP / Getty Images

Islamabad, Pakistan — Naim Ullah Khattak, right, a representative of the Pakistan election commission, verifies the eligibility of voters on the outskirts of Islamabad using a list from a national database. Pakistan claims it has already registered 93% of the country's adult population, issuing some 86 million voter identity cards, and plans to complete registration in the next six months.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: FAROOQ NAEEM / AFP / Getty Images

Frankfurt, Germany — Traders work at the stock exchange as Germany's DAX share index dipped below 5,000 points. Banking stocks were the biggest losers amid persistent concerns over the eurozone debt crisis.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: DANIEL ROLAND / AFP/Getty Images

Frankfurt, Germany — A worker for German car manufacturer Audi is mirrored in a facade during final preparations for the International Motor Show. The world's largest auto show opens with a preview for the media Tuesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: RALPH ORLOWSKI / REUTERS

Calvia, Spain — Humboldt penguins swim at Marineland on the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: STRINGER/SPAIN / REUTERS

Hyderabad, India — Boys climb atop an image of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, after it was immersed in the waters of Tank Bund Lake to mark the end of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: KRISHNENDU HALDER / REUTERS

Ahmedabad, India — Boys collect coconuts thrown into the Sabarmati River as offerings by worshipers after the ritual immersion of idols of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: AMIT DAVE / Reuters

Blackpool, England — Gales and high tides lash the coast of northwest England as the remnants of Hurricane Katia reach British shores. The second stage of the Tour of Britain was canceled because of high winds across Monday's route.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: John Giles / Associated Press

Budhabudhi, India — A fisherman lifts his net from the waters of the Brahmaputra River.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: European Pressphoto Agency

New Plymouth, New Zealand — U.S. fans show their colors at the 2011 Rugby World Cup match between Ireland and the United States. Ireland defeated the U.S., 22-10.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

New York — Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after winning match point against Rafael Nadal of Spain at the conclusion of the men's final on Day 15 of the 2011 U.S. Open.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

Abbots Bromley, England — So-called deer-men dancers holding reindeer antlers perform the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, believed to be the oldest folk dance in Britain. The dance starts in the early morning at the village church. A melodian player accompanies the dancers as they parade around the parish. Some of the antlers used in the traditional Wakes Monday dance have been carbon dated to be over 1,000 years old.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

Mar del Plata, Argentina — Argentina basketball star Luis Scola holds the trophy aloft as teammates celebrate winning the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship with an 80-75 victory over Brazil.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: MAXI FAILLA / AFP / Getty Images

Ahmedabad, India — Laborers work on precarious scaffolding at the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project site.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Ajit Solanki / Associated Press

Ordos, Inner Mongolia — A young girl walks among statues of horses built as a tribute to Genghis Khan, who according to legend is buried in an unmarked tomb nearby.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: MARK RALSTON / AFP / Getty Images

New York — Models prepare backstage for the Betsey Johnson Spring 2012 fashion show, part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Los Angeles — Sumatran tiger cubs, two of three male siblings born Aug. 6, snuggle at the L.A. Zoo. Their mother, Melukakan, will raise them off-exhibit until December, when they will have matured enough to make their public debut.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Tad Montaya / Associated Press