Pictures of the Week: Best Photos of Past Seven Days

Wreckage of an Indian Air Force C-130J Hercules that crashed in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, killing its crew of fiveReuters

The remains of decommissioned submarines float at a nuclear waste disposal plant in the town of Fokino in Russia's far-eastern Primorsky regionReuters

A man looks down at an unexploded barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at a cemetery in the al-Qatanah neighbourhood of AleppoReuters

Left: Firefighters battle blaze in Boston's Back Bay neighbourhood. Right: An injured person is tended to during the Boston fire. Two firefighters were killed and at least 17 people injured as the fire raced through a four-storey buildingReuters

Russian Soyuz-FG rocket with the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft and a crew of US astronaut Steven Swanson, Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev aboard, blasts off from a launch pad at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in KazakhstanAFP

Blue flames burn in the crater of the Kawah Ijen volcano in East Java, Indonesia. Sulphuric gases from the volcano ignite into blue flames when they come into contact with the airAFP

The Milky Way arcs over traditional houses in Wainyapu village on the island of Sumba, Indonesia, during the Pasola Festival, an event held every year to welcome the new harvest seasoUlet Ifansasti/Getty

A rescuer stands on a flooded Highway 530 as search work continues in the mud and debris from a massive mudslide that struck Oso near Darrington, Washington StateReuters

A relative of a passenger on board Malaysia Airlines MH370 cries during a protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in BeijingReuters

A woman raises her fist in salute as Tony Benn's coffin is carried into the grounds of Westminster AbbeyGetty

Well-wishers, many affiliated to trades unions, prepare to greet the horse-drawn funeral cortege of RMT General Secretary Bob Crow outside the City of London CrematoriumGetty

Soldiers march at Cibeles Square in Madrid as the coffin of former Spanish prime minister Adolfo Suarez makes its way to Avila for his burialGetty

A woman passes graffiti depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin extending a hand to the Ukrainian people, in the Crimean city of SimferopolReuters

Showichi Hashimoto plays near his father Junji at the World Clown Association's annual convention in Northbrook, IllinoisReuters

Fans from around the world enjoy the atmosphere during day one of the 2014 Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournamentGetty

Three men dressed as superheroes participate in Warrior Dash, billed as the world's largest obstacle race, in Smithville, TexasGetty

Germany's Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi compete during the ice dance short dance programme and react at the "kiss and cry" area at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, JapanReuters

Victor Minibaev of Russia diving in the Men's 10m Platform finalGetty

Two women try out the 24-hour Cupcake ATM created by Sprinkles bakery in New York City. The ATM, located on Lexington Avenue between 60th and 61st streets, can hold 760 cupcakes and will be restocked several times a day, according to Sprinkles founder Charles NelsonGetty

A woman holds her Maine Coon cat during a cat exhibition in Bishkek, KyrgyzstanAFP

An eagle owl fluffs out its feathers as it sits on one foot on a branch at the Grugapark in Essen, GermanyReuters

Mugabe to Boycott EU-Africa Summit over Wife's Visa Ban

Robert MugabeReuters

Zimbabwe's controversial president Robert Mugabe will boycott next week's EU-Africa summit in protest against the bloc's decision to deny his wife a travel visa to join him.

"We are no longer going to the EU-Africa. We disagreed on the composition of our delegation," said a source at the ministry, according to AFP.

The 90-year-old African leader was invited - despite being the target of restrictive measures by europe - to the fourth EU-Africa summit due to take place in the Belgium capital on Wednesday and Thursday (2-3 April). The main theme is bannered "Investing in People, Prosperity and Peace".

The EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe, including travel bans on key government figures, in 2002 following a violent crackdown on the political opposition and the eviction of white farmers from agricultural land.

Some sanctions were lifted this year but the EU maintained the travel ban against Mugabe and his wife Grace for another year.

The outspoken Zimbabwean leader managed to get a European visa through his influence in the African Union, which threatened to boycott the summit if Mugabe were not invited.

But the EU ambassador to Harare, Aldo Dell'Ariccia, said that when Zimbabwe asked for a visa for Mugabe's wife "they were told she should apply through the normal channels".

"Since she is still under restrictive measures, there was no unanimous decision that she should get a visa," said Dell'Ariccia.

"The EU is just following its legal framework and there can't be any movement from that position."

Afghanistan Kabul Guest House Siege: Child Killed in Taliban Attack

Afghan policemen evacuate foreigners from the site of an attack in KabulReuters

Afghan police have killed the last of the Taliban insurgents who killed one child, wounded another and held four foreigners hostage in an attack on a guesthouse in an upmarket district of the capital Kabul.

The siege ended after four foreigners were taken hostage and at least 20, including children, were evacuated from the guesthouse, an Afghan commander confirmed.

One Afghan child, thought to be a girl, was killed and one was wounded in the Taliban assault on the HQ of Roots of Peace, a US-based charity. There were no casualties among the foreign nationals.

The nationalities of the majority of the evacuees remains unclear but deputy interior minister General Ayoub Salangi revealed that at least one Australian citizen was among those rescued.

Suicide bombing

Hashmat Stanikzai, spokesman for Kabul's police chief, earlier claimed the attack began with a suicide bomb attack in front of the guesthouse.

"A suicide bomber detonated his car loaded with explosives in front of a guesthouse used by foreign and Afghan citizens and now a number of suicide bombers are apparently inside," he said.

"A gunfight is under way. There are no reports of possible casualties," he added.

Afghan policemen arrive at the site of an attack in Kabul after a group of Taliban insurgents forced their way into a guesthouse used by foreigners.Reuters

The Taliban has claimed responsibility in a statement which said the target was a foreign guesthouse and a church, according to CBC News.

Explosions and gunfire were heard in the upscale residential area of Kabul by witnesses and police.

The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the April election to replace President Hamid Karzai, in what would be the first-ever democratic and peaceful transition of power in Afghanistan's history. The Taliban is fiercely opposed to Karzai.

Violence has marred the build-up to the election. Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked an election commission office this week, just days after nine people were killed in an attack on a Kabul hotel.

ICC T20 World Cup 2014, India v Bangladesh, Mid-Innings Report: Mishra on Fire Once Again

India have produced another dominant display against Bangladesh in Mirpur.Reuters

India have restricted Bangladesh to 138-7 after another excellent display with the ball in Mirpur.

MS Dhoni bowlers, who conceded scores of 129-7 and 130-7 in each of their first two matches, turned in a remarkably similar performance this time, throttling the Bangladeshi batsman to the frustration of their adoring fans.

Amit Mishra was once again India's hero, but several of the hosts' batsman will feel they should have done better on a benign surface.

Tamim Iqbal, so often Bangladesh's hero, set the tone when he edged Ravi Ashwin tamely to slip, before Shamsur Rahman hoiked his first ball to deep square leg.

Shakib Al Hasan then compounded the crisis by allowing an innocuous length ball from Bhuvneshar Kumar to creep between bat and pad, when he had scored just one.

Bangladesh's start would have been even worse had Shikhar Dhawan completed a simple run-out off the second over of the innings. But Dhawan opted for a diving shy at the stumps and missed, with the batsman nowhere to be seen.

Mushfiqur Rahim threatened a recovery, but after clouting Mohammed Shami for 11 runs in an over he inexplicably tried to hit the fast bowler out of the ground, and succeeded only in slicing to Virat Kohli at mid-wicket.

Mishra then continued his wonderful form by bamboozling Anamul Haque with a beautifully disguised googly, and claimed the scalps of Nasir Hossain and Ziaur Rahman during an excellent final over.

Although Mashrafe Mortaza hit a six of the final ball to end Bangladesh's innings on a high note, Mishra's final over cost just seven runs – extremely frugal in T20 terms.

Although the leg-spinner was the stand-out performer, each member of India's attack bowled well in another thoroughly professional team performance.

Ashwin bowled with superb control at the outset, while Shami generated decent pace and forced the Bangladeshi batsmen onto the back foot.

When the host batsman did manage to break the shackles, it was generally through edges and slashes rather than controlled shots, with the Indian's metronomic line and length leaving nothing to hit.

Bangladesh did at least improve on their performance against West Indies, with a late flurry from Mohammad Mahmudullah steering them to a total which was respectable, if not daunting.

Haque had earlier batted with composure for his 44, but none of the Bangladeshi batsman was able to make a decisive total.

The home side's bowlers will have to play out of their skins to prevent India from notching a third win from three.

Indian Court Rules Vedanta Donations to Major Political Parties were Illegal

Vedanta ResourcesReuters

India's two main political parties broke the country's "Foreign Contributions" law by accepting cash from local companies owned by London-listed Vedanta resources, according to a ruling by the Delhi high court.

The judgement comes as the ruling Congress party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) are set to compete in a general election starting next month.

Indian companies Sterlite Industries India and Sesa Goa, which are controlled by Vedanta, donated 87.9m rupees ($1.47m, €1m, £880,000) in total to Congress between 2004 and 2012, according to data gathered by the anti-corruption group that brought the issue before the court.

BJP received a donation of 14.2m rupees from Sesa Goa over the same period, according to data presented in the court by activist group the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The opposition party also received 70m rupees from Sterlite Industries, according to the company's documents.

"The acts of the respondents ... clearly fall foul of the ban imposed under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 as the donations accepted by the political parties from Sterlite and Sesa accrue from "Foreign Sources," Judge Pradeep Nandrajog and Judge Jayant Nath wrote in their judgement.

The court also asked the home ministry and the election commission to investigate all donations to the parties by the two companies within six months. The authorities were asked to scrutinise donations from any other groups with foreign ownership structures.

Congress and BJP had argued that they have not violated any laws as the majority shares in Vedanta are held by an Indian. Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal holds more than 50% stakes in the parent UK-based Vedanta Resources

The ADR's counsel Prashant Bhushan opposed the plea of both the political parties.

India has strict laws for regulating foreign donations to political parties, as the country views such donations would lead to corruption. The facilitators of foreign donations can be jailed for up to three years if convicted.

Spokesmen from both BJP and Congress said there is no violation of rules in the donations. The parties are expected the appeal against the decision.

Afghanistan: 10 Foreigners Evacuated after Taliban Attack on Kabul Guest House

An Afghan security official displays the bullets left behind from insurgents after they were killed last night in a luxury hotel in KabulReuters

Taliban insurgents have attacked a guesthouse used by foreigners in an upmarket district of the Afghan capital Kabul.

At least 10 foreigners, including children, were evacuated from the besieged guesthouse. The nationalities of the evacuees remains unclear.

"A suicide bomber detonated his car loaded with explosives in front of a guesthouse used by foreign and Afghan citizens and now a number of suicide bombers are apparently inside," said Hashmat Stanikzai, a spokesman for Kabul's police chief.

"A gunfight is under way. There are no reports of possible casualties," he added.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility in a statement which said the target was a foreign guesthouse and a church, according to CBC News.

Explosions and gunfire were heard in the upscale residential area of Kabul by witnesses and police.

The attack comes ahead of an April presidential vote to replace President Hamid Karzai, in what would be the first-ever democratic and peaceful transition of power in Afghanistan's history. The Taliban is fiercely opposed to Karzai.

Violence has marred the build-up to the election. Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked an election commission office this week, just days after nine people were killed in an attack on a Kabul hotel.

Human Body Could be Used to Charge Portable Devices

The human body could charge portable devices in the futureReuters

Chinese researchers at Peking University in Beijing have invented a small generator that uses the human body as an electrode to power devices without requiring batteries.

According to Phys.org, the researchers have created a new material known as single-friction-surface triboelectric generator (STEG). Due to the triboelectric effect, some materials become electrically charged when they rub against each other, one example being static electricity.

For its study, "Single-friction-surface triboelectric generator with human body conduit" published in Applied Physics Letters, the researchers covered the screen on a smartphone with a layer of the transparent STEG composite material.

They also added a body contact electrode, which is used to conduct electricity, to the casing and the frame of the phone.

After repeated tapping and patting, when the palm of a hand or fingers came into contact with the phone, electric charges moved back and forth between the electrode and the charged skin, transferring electricity to the phone.

Reprinted with permission from Single-friction-surface triboelectric generator with human body conduit. Copyright 2014, American Institute of Physics.API

"At present, the generator is more suitable for low-power devices," said co-author Haixia Zhang, a professor at Peking University.

"In our future plans, we hope it can be used as a back-up power source for portable electronics."

The STEG material could be useful for low-power portable devices and wearable technology, such as implanted medical devices and sensors.

"For the STEG devices, we are making efforts to improve the output of the STEG device, attempting to use new materials and fabrication methods," Zhang said.

"The advantage of the human body as a good conductor will be taken to develop several novel triboelectric generator devices as well."

What's the Saudi Beef With Obama?

Barack Obama faces a challenge when he meets with Saudi King Abdullah in RiyadhReuters

Barack Obama arrives in Saudi Arabia with the task of appeasing an angry ally.

Having spent the week touring European states, rallying support for Washington's sanctions offensive against Russia, Obama faces a different kind of challenge when he meets with Saudi King Abdullah.

Relations between the long-standing allies are at their lowest point since the post-9/11 years. Saudi reaction to Obama's foreign policy in the Mideast has ranged from exasperation to disbelief. While the Obama administration has been accused of flip-flopping on important Middle East issues from Syria to Egypt, US policy over the past nine months has been consistent in that it has always upset Riyadh.

What's more, the House of Saud has vented its frustrations in public. Last December, Prince Turki al-Faisal said there was "an issue of confidence" with the US President. Days later, the Saudi Ambassador to the UK wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times, stating that American policy on Syria and Iran amounted to a "dangerous gamble" that "risk the security and stability of the Middle East." High criticism indeed. But when did it all start to go wrong?

Since Mohamed Morsi was ousted as the Egyptian President in July, the US and Saudi geopolitical goals for the region have diverged. The Gulf monarchy was relieved to see Egypt's first democratically elected leader fall. Riyadh sees the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Morsi belongs, as an existential threat and the Saudis threw political and economic support behind the forces that ousted him.

Egyptian regime change was greeted with caution in the United States. No great fan of the Brothers themselves, but eager to show support for the democratic process in Egypt, Washington reacted by postponing military aid to the country.

As the military consolidates its power in Egypt, and former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi times his run for the presidency, the US military deal remains off the table. But Washington's refusal to embrace the new status quo in Egypt is just the first in a line of foreign policy issues that have infuriated the Saudis.

The Syrian crisis has been a source of more contention between the two allies. Saudi Arabia has backed rebel forces since the uprising began in 2011 and has been working with Washington on providing light arms and training to selected fighters for around year.

However the countries' aims have split on this vital issue as well. In short, Riyadh wants to see the Assad regime fall and to be replaced with a government that it could deal with. They see an opportunity to wrestle influence in Syria away from Iran, which has backed the Assad dynasty for decades.

Reports last August that the Syrian government had indiscriminately used chemical weapons against civilians in Damascus spurred Western leaders into action. Belligerent rhetoric in Washington, London and Paris looked set to precede a military intervention against Assad. The Saudis thought the tide was turning in their favour.

The Americans looked set to take military action against Damascus, only to pull back at the eleventh hour. Riyadh was infuriated.

The third and most significant tension between the allies has been Washington's pursuit of a nuclear deal with Iran. Under its former President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad, Saudi Arabia's regional adversary Iran, had become a pariah state. Frozen out of the global economy by tough US-led sanctions, Iran was backed in to a corner.

However following the election of a moderate President, Hassan Rouhani, Iran has managed to engender good will among Western leaders. The warming relations between Washington and Tehran could end with a deal later in the year, which would probably see Iran giving concessions on its nuclear programme in return for a lifting of international sanctions. Saudi Arabia finds itself in the peculiar position of standing alongside Israel in its condemnation of rapprochement with Iran.

While the public parts of the visit will no doubt be all smiles and cordiality, Riyadh will seize the opportunity to air its grievances behind closed doors. Top of that list is Iran. The Saudis want Obama to make clear his administration's position on Tehran's growing regional influence.

There's no doubt that Syria will be next on the agenda. As the conflict limps into its fourth year, President Assad's forces have made gains throughout the middle of the country. With the rebels on the retreat, Riyadh will again push Washington to provide more advanced weapons such as manpads, shoulder-mounted missile-launchers that could challenge the Syrian air force's dominance of the skies.

King Abdullah will also try to shift Washington's position on Egypt. Sissi's election as President this year looks more like a formality every day and Saudi Arabia is keen that a future Sissi administration not be hampered by American sanctions.

If there's any time left, Obama and Abdullah may discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks but the long running conflict isn't the most pressing issue for either leader right now.

Venezuela: Crossword Puzzles Accused of Inciting Opposition Protests

Venezuela's anti-riot police engulfed by teargas during opposition protests at Prados del Este's highway in CaracasReuters

Venezuela's information minister has called for an investigation into crossword puzzles in a local newspaper that has allegedly incited violent protests with conspiratorial messages.

Delcy Rodriguez tweeted: "El Aragueno daily sends encrypted messages linked to the conspiracy and violence in its crosswords! We have requested an investigation."

Diario El Aragueño envía mensajes cifrados vinculados ala conspiración y la violencia en sus crucigramas!Hemos solicitado una investigación

— Delcy Rodríguez (@DrodriguezMinci) March 27, 2014

Street protests in Venezuela flared in the last two months, with the opposition blaming the government's left-wing policies of president Nicolas Maduro for high inflation, crime and shortage of many household staples.

A total of thirty-five people have been killed in protests, according to government's figures.

Opposition MP Maria Corina Machado returned to the capital Caracas after the National Assembly stripped her of her parliamentary immunity.

She repeatedly called for the removal of Maduro, who was elected last year.

Maduro announced the arrest of three air-force generals for "plotting an uprising" against the government.

It is not the first time Venezuelan newpapers have been accused of inciting mischief through crosswords.

In 2012, Venezuelan crossword compiler Neptali Segovia was accused of hiding a coded assassination message in a puzzle. He denied using the brain-teaser in the Ultimas Noticias newspaper to incite the murder of late president Hugo Chavez's brother Adan.

China: WeChat Girl Rapist Sentenced to Death

Pupils in raincoats hold candles during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Nanjing massacre at the Nanjing Massacre Museum in Nanjing. Nanjing was an episode of mass murder and mass rape, a grim reminder of how low man's values can fall.Reuters

A Chinese man has been sentenced to death for raping 16 minor girls in Anhui province in the eastern part of the country.

The case has appalled the nation and provoked countrywide indignation.

He was convicted of serially raping the girls 22 times by using force, threats and violence; 8 of the girls were under the age of 14.

The 40-year-old Wang Yong was arrested in 2012 and charged with raping the girls aged between 12 and 16 years, whom he had befriended on social media sites such as QQ and WeChat, posing as a teenage girl.

Yong, who was unemployed, had a 16-year-old female accomplice who assisted him in trapping the minor girls, over a period of three years, the state news agency Xinhua reported.

The girl said she was coerced by Yong to work for him and seek out the girls. Posing as a teenage girl, he would ask unsuspecting children to meet them at a designated place where he would send his female aide to lure them.

The aide would win the minors' trust and bring them to hotels where Yong raped them.

He was divested of his political rights for life and sentenced to death by the Intermediate People's Court in Anhui.

His death sentence will be appealed in the Supreme Court in accordance with due procedures, but his penalty is not likely to be revoked because of the extreme nature of the case.

His underage assistant was sentenced to three years in prison earlier this month.

Recently, another Chinese man was sentenced to death for holding six women as sex slaves in a dungeon and killing two of them.

The former local government employee was convicted of kidnapping six nightclub and karaoke bar workers, raping them and forcing them into prostitution. He then forced three of the women to kill the other two. One of the women was jailed for three years, two of them were put on probation, while he was executed.

Brazil Sentences to 108 Years Serial Killer who Abused, Murdered and Mutilated 42 Children

Brazilian serial killer Francisco das Chagas Rodrigues de Brito tries to kick a reporter in MaranhaoG1 MA

A Brazilian serial killer who sexually abused, murdered and mutilated dozens of children has been sentenced to more than a century in jail by a court in the northern state of Maranhao.

Francisco das Chagas Rodrigues de Brito, a 50-year-old bicycle mechanic, was found guilty of murdering three children in 1997. The verdict was passed at the last of 11 trials he has faced since his arrest 2004.

Eduardo Rocha da Silva, 10, Raimundo Nonato da Conceicao Filho, 11, and Edivam Pinto Lobato, 12, were found dead with their genitals severed in the municipality of Paco do Lumiar. One had also a finger cut off his hand.

Judge Jaqueline Reis Caracas sentenced Das Chagas to 108 years behind bars for the gruesome crimes, adding to the 277 years he was handed at previous trials.

The serial killer was wrestled away by police ahead of the final hearing, as he tried to attack photographers and kicked a female reporter as he was escorted inside the court.

Das Chagas allegedly killed a total of 42 children between 1991 and 2002 in the neighbouring northern states of Maranhao and Para.

Almost all of the murders followed the same scheme. He selected children from poor families and lured them to a remote area by promising them gifts.

He then sexually abused his victims - all aged between four and 15 - killed them and mutilated their bodies.

Police reportedly found human bones at his house when they raided the premises. He confessed to 16 murders but it was later established the number was much higher.

Scientists Create Heat Resistant Vaccines for Developing World

A child receives vaccination drops for Polio in Nicaragua. In future, more vaccines could be administered without injectionsReuters

Iowa State University researchers have created the first heat resistant "nanovaccines" to help doctors vaccinate people in developing countries, where there is limited access to cooling equipment.

Vaccines have to be kept cool, at a temperature below 8 degrees Celsius from the moment they are made until they are administered to a patient. In developing countries with hot or tropical cimates, doctors working to provide emergency medical care currently face great challenges in keeping crucial vaccines from going bad, according to Deutsche Welle.

"This is one of the reasons why we're still unable to vaccinate many children against diseases, which have been wiped out in developed countries - polio, for example," said Dr Sebastian Dietrich, a physician working with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders).

"We just can't get the vaccines to very remote areas while keeping them cool."

Using nanotechnology

Now researchers from Iowa State University may have cracked the problem by packing the antigen (the active ingredient in the vaccine) within nano-sized non-toxic, biodegradable polymer particles.

Balaji Narasimhan and his team have so far been able to boost immune responses against influenza in mice and presented their findings at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Dallas this week.

"We've shown that it works with rodents, and we're moving forward to show that [it works] in larger animals as well. The particles are made of materials that have high-term stability - the only thing that pulls them apart is water," said Narasimhan.

"Our nanovaccine approach could be instrumental for containing future outbreaks of recently emerged and re-emerging diseases, such as SARS, new flu strains and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis."

The nanovaccines will also work for vaccines against tropical diseases and can be stored at room temperature for between six to 10 months.

Traditionally, vaccines work by introducing part of a virus which triggers the body's humoral response. The immune system produces antibodies to fight off the pathogen and over time, the body learns how to respond to that particular virus.

T cells, not antibodies

With the nanovaccines, patients will only need to take one dose in their lives as the vaccine activates another part of the immune system called T cells instead of antibodies, which are just as effective in fighting viruses and can be administered through the nose.

This could be very useful for vaccinating children as no syringe needles are required, and patients could one day even vaccinate themselves.

The Iowa State University researchers are still at the preclinical trial stage with their nanovaccines, and even if the new vaccine passes all tests, it will still take years to be officially approved for use.

At the moment, the only heat-resistant vaccine in existence is MenAfriVac, the vaccine against meningitis, which has been approved for use even after the vaccine has spent four days being stored in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius.

Developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), the vaccine was successfully tested in vaccination campaigns in Chad and Benin in Africa in 2012.

Vietnam: 76-year Old Woman Was Carrying Dead Foetus in her Stomach for 30 Years

A 76-year-old Vietnamese woman was carrying a dead foetus in her stomach for 30 years (Representative purpose only)Reuters file photo

A 76-year old woman in Vietnam has been carrying a dead foetus in her stomach for the past 30 years in a rare medical phenomenon known as 'stone baby.'

The woman, whose name has been withheld by doctors, was admitted to the Cam Ranh General Hospital in the south central province of Khanh Hoa following severe abdominal pain.

Subsequent to medical examination and X-ray tests, she was detected with a tumour roughly of the size 20×20 cm. Later diagnosis revealed she was carrying a calcified foetus in her abdomen.

The woman entered menopause 30 years ago, reports the local daily Thanh Nien News.

The patient will undergo further tests before the calcified foetus, medically known as Lithopedion, is removed from her body.

The rare medical condition usually occurs when the foetus dies during an abdominal pregnancy. As the 'stone baby' is too large to be absorbed by the mother's body, it calcifies on the outside preventing infection to the host.

The calcification may take place from 14 weeks of gestation to full term.

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Tiger Cubs, Spiderman, Cable on Mars

Two of the three seven-week-old Sumatran tiger cubs at at ZSL London Zoo explore the outdoor paddock of their home in Tiger Territory for the first time...Brian Jordan / ZSL

...The tiger cubs' mother Melati takes one of the cubs back to bed. In the 1970s, there were estimated to be 1,000 Sumatran tigers in the wild, today's figures show there are just 300. Should their numbers continue to decline at this rate, Sumatran tigers will face the very real threat of extinction within the next decadeBrian Jordan / ZSL

Russia's Victoria Sinitsina and Ruslan Zhiganshin compete during the ice dance short dance programme at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, JapanReuters

Germany's Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi compete during the ice dance short dance routine and react at the "kiss and cry" area at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, JapanReuters

Thai anti-government protesters march in Bangkok after the general election held last month was declared invalid in a ruling from the Constitutional CourtAFP

Protesters wearing masks demonstrate against the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in Rio de JaneiroGetty

A mother kisses her child as she walks past graffiti in MumbaiReuters

A woman passes graffiti depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin extending a hand to the Ukrainian people, in the Crimean city of SimferopolReuters

The wedding dress and suit of Armend and Miranda Cerkezi hang in a bedroom at Armend's mother Ferdonije Cerkezi's house in the town of Gjakova. Cerkezi has transformed her house into a museum filled with items owned by her husband and four sons, who went missing after Serbian forces took them away 15 years ago on March 27, 1999, during the Kosovo war. Only the remains of two of them have been found, identified and reburied. Armend is still missingReuters

French climber Alain Robert, also known as Spiderman, climbs the 152-metre Ariane Tower in the La Defense financial and business district outside ParisReuters

Muslims attend Friday prayers at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaReuters

Satellite image shows a map of the planned search area for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370. The search area has shifted closer to the western Australian coast after radar analysis suggested the airliner did not travel as far south as originally thoughtAMSA/Getty

A rescuer stands on flooded Highway 530 as search efforts continues in the mud and debris from a massive mudslide that struck Oso near Darrington, Washington StateReuters

A photo is seen in the debris as Air Force personnel join civilian workers in efforts to find missing persons following a deadly mudslide in Oso, WashingtonReuters

A man looks down at an unexploded barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at a cemetery in the al-Qatanah neighbourhood of AleppoReuters

The entrance to a tunnel exposed by the Israeli military is seen on the Israeli side of the border with GazaReuters

Business Secretary Vince Cable stands with the Bridget rover at Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage. The Mars Yard provides a test-bed area for prototype roversAFP

Indonesian Hindus take part in ceremonies to mark Melasti, a purification festival, at Petitenget beach in Kuta on BaliAFP

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh pose with Watermen and Lightermen of the Thames during a reception at Waterman's Hall in the City of London, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Royal WatermenGetty

The Queen listens to a speech by Lloyd's Chairman John Frederick Nelson as she visits the Lloyds of London buildingGetty

German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a gift, a model Volkswagen bus, during an election campaign rally in MunichAFP

Pro-Tibet activists hold up placards reading 'Good girl Angie' and 'I say nothing about human rights' as they demonstrate prior to the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping at Bellevue presidential palace in BerlinReuters