Our Saturday Night Out

Ashton in McDonalds

UN gives go-ahead to Air Strikes on Libya

Allied airstrikes have pounded Libya for a second night, destroying a building near the private residence of Colonel Gaddafi who is said to be "a legitimate target".

Ashton takes more pictures

Ashton and Oliver

Ashton at Lakeside

Carl's Birthday

Ashton's favourite TV show

UK unemployment total hits 17-year high

UK unemployment rose by 27,000 in the three months to the end of January to 2.53 million, the highest since 1994.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the jobless rate was now 8%, the highest since 1996.

Worrying news from the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant

A fire at the plant's fourth reactor sent radiation levels soaring and forced what few workers are left battling the potential disaster to retreat. Japan’s Emperor Akihito made a rare public statement and said he was “deeply worried” by the situation at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.

Fears of a nuclear disaster

LONDON (SHARECAST) - The blue chip index continues to be hurt by the crisis in Japan as sentiment remains battered by fears of a nuclear disaster. While off its lows for the day so far, the FTSE 100 still remains over 2% under at around 5,640, a level not seen this year.

A third explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has raised concerns of a major radiation leak. People within 30 kilometres of the plant are being told to stay indoors, while a no-fly zone has been set up around the plant to stop the radiation spreading.

Second Explosion At Fukushima Nuclear Plant

A second hydrogen explosion has occurred at a quake-hit nuclear plant in Japan, as the US moved ships and aircraft away due to low level radiation.

8.9 Earthquake struck Japan triggering a Tsunami

Japan's most powerful earthquake since records began has struck the north-east coast, triggering a massive tsunami.

Cars, ships and buildings were swept away by a wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude tremor, which struck about 400km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo.

A state of emergency has been declared at a nuclear power plant, where pressure has exceeded normal levels.

A rubbish week

It was the week the Arabian democratic dream turned into a nightmare, while Western leaders squabbled about no-fly zones. The week markets suddenly remembered the peripheral Eurozone states still owe gazillions and simply can't repay their mountainous debts. The week Japan faced its biggest crisis since World War II, with tens of thousands dead, towns swept away, and two nuclear plants on the brink of meltdown.

It was also a week that ratcheted up worries about an oil shock, China bubble, Saudi rage, eurozone rate rise, Spanish downgrade, US Treasury bonds, soaring inflation, UK spending cuts and, overshadowing them all, a nuclear catastrophe.

Other pics taken with Ashton's new camera