Day in pictures

1 of 10 Thalia Prokopiou, acting as the high priestess, lights the Olympic Flame which will travel to all five continents before the Athens Games.

2 of 10 Thoughts were also on sport in Hong Kong, with final preparation for the weekend's Rugby Sevens tournament.

3 of 10 In Iraq, Civil Defence Corps troops celebrate at their graduation in Baghdad.

4 of 10 Froth was on the menu for young Russians making a 100-litre cappuccino at the International Culinary Saloon in Moscow.

5 of 10 A rare 7th-Century Buddha Sakyamuni statue went on display in London.

6 of 10 In Egypt, Islamic Liberation Party supporters demonstrate outside a Cairo court after 26 members were jailed.

7 of 10 A Swiss man takes a break from trying to free his car free after recent heavy snowfalls.

8 of 10 South Korean soldiers take aim during joint military exercises with US troops.

9 of 10 Chinese protesters burn Japanese flags in Beijing in a row over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

10 of 10 A firefighter holds a mock coffin during a rally in Paris to protest against a government pension reform.