It seems that time has stopped here. These were the homes in Djenne, probably, five centuries ago. So they stayed and now - entirely built of clay, in full accordance with the local traditional style. The most famous building in clay, carefully preserved here more than a century - Mosque, the largest such mosque in the Islamic world. 08 more images after the break..
Islam - the main religion of Mali, ninety percent of which are devout Muslims. In this case, not everywhere Islam is life itself, forming its foundation. Jenna - one of those places where a mosque - not just a house of prayer, and spiritual center of the city. And here is the greatest achievement of the Sudano-Sahelian style in architecture - clay mosque, the largest mosque in such a world.
The mosque is built entirely out of the bank - a mixture of clay, straw and manure. From the bank then build everything - there's even a special committee, diligence and for ensuring that all new buildings were erected in Djenne exclusively from the bank. Congregational mosque was built in the period between 1906 and 1909 years, and has since been repaired almost every year - the clay - a material is shaky, and if you do not upgrade every year, the walls and roof, the building just "melt" in the rainy season.
Royal Wedding brought forward? No, it's a William & Kate lookalike competition
Onlookers would be forgiven for thinking the Royal Wedding was being held two days early.
But the regal bride and groom posing for pictures were in fact taking part in a William & Kate lookalike contest.
Orsola Rossi and Simon Watkinson UK were flown to London for the competition final, organised by EasyJet.
And the winners are: Orsola Rossi from Italy and Simon Watkinson from the UK win the William & Kate look-a-likes competition
Hot competition: Ten couples took part to win one year's worth of flights with EasyJet
The pair - dead ringers for the future King and Queen - were the obvious winners and went home with one year's worth of flights with the budget airline.
Besides being a mirror image of the Royal love birds, they had to impress judges by waving like a Royal, acting out a romantic wedding proposal and throwing the bridal bouquet.
Simon Watkinson said: 'I’ve often been told that I look like Prince William, particularly since the Royal engagement was announced, but I can’t believe that I’ve been crowned the winner.
On bended knee: Couples were judged on romantic proposal...
Flower power:...and bouquet throwing skills
'I’m so excited to have won a year’s worth of free easyJet flights and to be in London for the big day.'
His partner was equally pleased.
Orsola Rossi, 30, from Milan, said: 'To be voted the best double to one of the most famous women in the world is very exciting.
This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and there isn’t a better place to be to enjoy the celebrations.'
Standing tall: Hundreds of people from Europe entered the contest but only ten finalists were chosen
Royal wave: The panel judged William look-alikes on their waving abilities
The duo were among ten couples, from all over Europe, to take part.
The contestants were judged on resemblance, curtseying, throwing of bouquets, and proposal speeches.
The contest is just a small part of the Royal Wedding fever gripping the nation ahead of Friday's nuptials.
Swept off her feet: Orsola and Simon, from Italy, will stay in London to watch the real Royal Wedding celebrations
Simon and Orsola will stay in London to watch the real Royal wedding celebrations and take in the sights of the city with a friend courtesy of the low-cost airline.
Paul Moore, Communications Director at easyJet said: 'The competition has been fierce with hundreds applying to be crowned the best Will and Kate look-a-likes Europe has to offer.
'However, Simon and Orsola stood out as they bear such a striking resemblance to our future King & Queen.
'It has been great fun to fly look-a-likes from all over Europe to London to enjoy the wedding celebrations and crown our very own easyJet Royal couple.'
Helping hand: A bride forgoes her competitive streak to help another to pin her veil back
Pet owners should stop calling their animals "pets" because it's insulting, leading academics claim.
Domestic dogs, cats, and other creatures should instead be called "companion animals" while owners should be known as "human carers", they say.
The call comes from the Journal of Animal Ethics, a new academic publication, edited by the Rev Professor Andrew Linzey, director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.
In its first editorial, the journal also condemns the use of terms such as "critters" and "beasts", and even "wildlife" because it suggests "uncivilised".
It argues that "derogatory" language about animals can affect the way that they are treated.
"Despite its prevalence, 'pets' is surely a derogatory term both of the animals concerned and their human carers," the editorial claims.
"Again the word 'owners', whilst technically correct in law, harks back to a previous age when animals were regarded as just that: property, machines or things to use without moral constraint."
It goes on: "We invite authors to use the words 'free-living', 'free-ranging' or 'free-roaming' rather than 'wild animals'.
"For most, 'wildness' is synonymous with uncivilised, unrestrained, barbarous existence. There is an obvious prejudgment here that should be avoided."
Prof Linzey also hopes to see phrases such as "sly as a fox", "eat like a pig" or "drunk as a skunk" stamped out.
Lucy Brown's slobber, sloth and bloodshot eyes helped her to the title of this year's Beautiful Bulldog.
The three-year-old, from Johnston, US, edged out 49 dogs to win the title at the Drake Relays sporting event in Des Moines, Iowa.
Lucy's owner, Nancy Brown, said: "She just thinks that the world goes around her. You know, Queen Lucy."
Lucy Brown will make a series of public appearances and serve as the mascot for the Drake Relays.
Officials use the term "beautiful" loosely for the tongue-in-cheek pageant, now in its 32nd year.
"They're looking for that bulldog with bloody eyes and drool coming down from the mouth. Bowed legs - maybe a nice costume," said master of ceremonies Dolph Pulliam.
This year's entrants didn't disappoint, including bulldogs decked out in camouflage, angel wings and tutus.
An Icelandic volcano, dormant for 200 years, has erupted, ripping a 1km-long fissure in a field of ice. The volcanic ash has forced the cancellation of many flights and disrupted air traffic across northern Europe, stranding thousands of passengers. Collected here are photos of the most recent eruptions.
The volcano has erupted for the second time in less than a month, melting ice, shooting smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to flee rising floodwaters.
London, April 26 (ANI): Godrej and Boyce - the last company left in the world that was still manufacturing typewriters - has closed its production plant in Mumbai, India.
The company is now left with its last 200 machines - the majority of which are Arabic language models.
Although typewriters became obsolete years ago in the west, they were still common in India - until recently.
But with consumers switching to computers the demand for the machines started falling drastically in the last ten years.
"We are not getting many orders now," The Daily Mail quoted the company's general manager, Milind Dukle, as telling India's Business Standard newspaper.
"From the early 2000s onwards, computers started dominating. All the manufacturers of office typewriters stopped production, except us.
"Till 2009, we used to produce 10,000 to 12,000 machines a year. But this might be the last chance for typewriter lovers. Now, our primary market is among the defence agencies, courts and government offices," he said.
Girls cling to each other for dear life as huge wave crashes around them on edge of pier
These thrill-seeking girls literally cling on to each other for dear life as a huge wave crashes and breaks around them.
The dramatic scene took place on Easter Monday at Castlerock in Northern Ireland as the pair stood perilously close to the edge of the pier.
Photographer Tam Mullen captured the moment from the beach as the two hugged each other tight around a lamp post to stop themselves being knock into the ocean.
The couple cling on to each other for dear life as a huge wave crashes and breaks around them on a pier at Castlerock in Northern Ireland
Luckily, the girls were not swept into the sea and escaped drenched but otherwise happy.
Mullen, 29, from Belfast, said: 'I was shooting surfing photos at the time and every so often a rogue wave would strike the pier and break with the impact.
'When I saw this wave I snapped a picture of the spray and I was surprised to see these two people running away from the wave.
'I'm not sure if they knew quite how huge the wave was going to be. They weren't harmed at all - but it looked like they got absolutely soaked.'
Luckily, the pair were not swept into the sea and escaped drenched but otherwise happy
Monkey see, monkey do: The remarkably human faces pulled by our primate cousins
If they handed out prizes for gurning, then this lot would swing to the top of the queue.
These intimate portraits of Bonobos, gorillas and orangutans are part of a project by German photographer Volker Gutgessell who has spent the last four years visiting Frankfurt Zoo.
Standing patiently for several hours a day, 58-year-old Mr Volker has become a master at capturing the behaviours and expressions of his subjects.
Pensive primate: A Bonobo at Frankfurt Zoo is captured on camera looking lost in thought
Mr Volker said: 'I stand for many hours watching both the apes and the families that visit them. I see the way the parent chimps and gorillas treat their children.
'In all the years I've visited them, I've never seen an ape parent hit its child.'
One of the photographer's most remarkable images shows a Bonobo mother gently cradling her child.
Gawker: A chimp is captured looking startled as part of photographer Volker Gutgessell's four-year project
Another hilarious shot shows one of the naughty baby monkeys mocking an elder by baring its top teeth.
Mr Volker said: 'They are so cute with them and have endless patience - even though the little ones can be naughty sometimes.
'The human parents I see visiting the apes can actually learn a lot from them.'
Smacker: A touching show of affection between two of the creatures
Mr Volker used to travel the world as a media manager until he slipped a disc and was left with chronic back pain in 2004. Then in 2007, Volker developed tinnitus as a result of his injury, causing a constant ringing in his ears.
As Volker cannot hear, he feels a special connection to the primates through visual communication - picking up on the body language of his ape 'models' while shooting them.
Volker said: 'The more you watch them, the more similarities you see between us and them. Their movement is so strikingly similar to ours it becomes quite easy to read what's going on.
Chewing it over: A monkey at Frankfurt Zoo looks lost in his own thoughts
'Eye contact is very important - sometimes they see into the camera lens and become transfixed. The bonobos are funny creatures - they're my favourite.
'They live in a society where the males are ruled by the females. So you see the males trying desperately to socialise as much as possible by preening the females - they can't do enough for them!'
Although his photographs are intended to amuse, there is a serious message behind Mr Volker's work.
My urgent message is for us to learn from the gentle conduct of our animal relatives the primates,' he said.
Surprise me! A baby orangutan is caught off guard by the photographer
Don't look so sour: One adult primate appears unhappy about the interruption to snacktime
Let rip: An adult male gorilla makes himself heard at Frankfurt Zoo
Anara Tower was a proposed supertall skyscraper located in Dubai. It was designed to look like a massive wind turbine. It would have been 600 m tall with 135 floors.
