Dark clouds over the Palace of Westminster in London, Thursday, May 14, 2009. Members of Parliament used taxpayers' funds to furnish lavish homes, and spent it on dog food, bathrobes and cookies. Now, worried lawmakers are rushing to give it back - returning tens of thousands of pounds (dollars) in two days, as the scandal over excessive expenses stokes public outrage.
Clowning Around
Students dressed as clowns face French riot police during a demonstration in Paris, Thursday, May 14, 2009. Student protesters have blocked or disrupted classes at universities nationwide in recent weeks over a reform championed by the conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Meeting In New Mexico
President Barack Obama speaks about credit card debt reform at a town hall-style gathering at Rio Rancho High School in Rio Rancho, N.M., Thursday, May 14, 2009.
Clearing The Wreckage
Jason Troester sifts through debris in what used to be his mother's kitchen as residents clean up on Thursday, May 14, 2009, following a violent storm that spawned at least one tornado and killed three in Kirksville, Mo.
An Afghan girl sits alone in her classroom during a break in a school in Kapisa province, eastern Afghanistan, Thursday, May 14, 2009. Only a few dozen of about 570 female students showed up Thursday at a school in eastern Afghanistan, where an apparent attack with poison gas sickened scores this week.
Pedaling Through
Cyclists pedal during the sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia, (Tour of Italy) cycling race on Thursday, May 14, 2009.
Closing Up Shop
Stanley Balzekas III walks through the service area of his family's Chrysler dealership, Balzekas Motor Sales Inc., in Chicago, Thursday, May 14, 2009. The dealership, which has been part of the Chrysler family since 1933, was on a list released Thursday as one of 789 dealers the company wants to eliminate as part of a restructuring process.
Faith-Minded
Worshippers wait for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI ahead of the Mass on Mount Precipice in the northern Israeli town of Nazareth, Thursday, May 14, 2009. The pope delivered his message on the fourth day of a Holy Land pilgrimage meant to promote peace and unity in the Middle East.
Horsing Around
Two horses stand in a small pond in a meadow in Stuhlfelden, the Austrian province of Salzburg, on Thursday May 14, 2009.