The death toll from the second deadliest US tornado outbreak on record rose above 350 on Saturday as thousands of stunned survivors camped out in the shattered shells of their homes or moved into shelters or with friends.
Japan's Miki Ando upstaged Olympic champion Kim Yuna to strike gold at the world figure skating championships on Saturday and hoped she had lifted the spirits of her devastated nation.
A preliminary investigation showed that lightning was primarily responsible for most of the wildfires in North China's Shanxi province
The worst sandstorm of the year hit Beijing Saturday morning after sweeping through other regions in north China, the municipal meteorological station said.
Raging flames are seen in a forest that borders the cities of Jingzhong and Yangquan in north China's Shanxi province, April 30, 2011. More than 2,600 firefighters are mobilized to extinguish the fire which started on Thursday night.
Snapshots: the world in 24 hours, April 29
Severe sandstorms have swept across parts of northwest China's Gansu Province, disrupting people's lives and damaging thousands of hectares of crops.
Visiting Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday broke into an Indonesian folk song after he was greeted with a warm "ni hao (hello)" from students of Al Azhar University in the country's capital.
Britain's Prince William, and Kate Middleton exchange rings before the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, during their wedding ceremony In Westminster Abbey, in central London April 29, 2011.
People gather outside Buckingham Palace before the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton in Westminister Abbey, in central London April 29, 2011.
Former Chinese gymnastics champion San Lan has filed a $1.8 billion lawsuit in federal court against Time Warner Inc and the United States Gymnastics Federation on Thursday.
Space shuttle Endeavour is prepared for launch as the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rolled back at the launch pad, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida April 29, 2011. Endeavour is scheduled for launch on Friday on a mission to the International Space Station.