Wednesday: The day in photos

European Parliament members raise their hands during a voting session on a package of bills in Strasbourg, eastern France. The upcoming European elections are set for June 7.  (Christian Lutz / Associated Press)

Continental employees of the Clairoix tire plant burn tires during a demonstration in Paris. Workers at the factory, which employs 1,120, agreed in 2007 to a 40-hour work week, up from France’s standard 35-hour week, to boost productivity and keep the site open. German auto parts and tire company Continental AG recently said it would stop producing tires at its plant in Clairoix and reduce capacity at other sites in Europe and lay off workers.  (Jacques Brinon / Associated Press)

Anti-riot police agent secures an armored assault vehicle carrying part of a ton of marijuana and munitions confiscated during a police operation at Rocinha shantytown in Rio de Janeiro.  (Antonio Scorza / AFP/Getty Images)

Worshipers carry giant effigy called “ogoh-ogoh” that represents evil spirits during a parade a day before Nyepi, the annual day of silence marking Balinese Hindu new year in Jakarta, Indonesia. Hindus in the world’s most populous Muslim country will celebrate their new year Thursday by observing a day of silence in which they stay inside their homes and meditate in silence and darkness for the day.  (Dita Alangkara / Associated Press)

A newly born Komodo dragon eats a grasshopper at the Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam, Netherlands. A couple of Komodo dragons surprised the zoo staff by laying three eggs, which recently hatched. It is the first time the large reptile species has produced offspring in a Dutch zoo.  (Marten van Dijl / AFP/Getty Images)

Snow covers a mix breed dog named Lotta in Lofer, an Austrian province of Salzburg. After the official start of spring last week, winter has come back to most parts of Austria.  (Kerstin Joensson / Associated Press)

An acrobatic guitar player performs upside down during the opening ceremony of the 30th Bangkok International Motorshow in Bangkok, Thailand. The motors how will be held from March 26 to April 6 and is expected to attract more than 1.6 million visitors.  (Pornchai Kittiwongsakul / AFP/Getty Images)

A model wears a creation by graduate students at China’s Central Academy of Fine Arts at their 2009 graduation show presented during China’s Fashion Week in Beijing.  (Elizabeth Dalziel / Associated Press)

Bangladeshis participate in a candlelight vigil at the Liberation War Museum to mark the killing of thousands of unarmed Bengalis by the then West Pakistani forces on March 25, 1971, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The day also marks when the country’s independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of East Pakistan, taking the name Bangladesh.  (Pavel Rahman / Associated Press)