Thread: World News in Pictures

Bangkok, Thailand: A worker tests out a toy car racing track in a shopping mall



New York, USA: A visitor walks past an artwork during the Armory Show 2011, which features influential works of the 20th and 21st centuries



Tbilisi, Georgia: A baby is baptised in a mass baptism ceremony



Jakarta, Indonesia: A worker holds his mobile phone as he rests next to watermelons at the Kramat Jati central market



Shenyang, China: A worker sorts plastic bottles at a recycling centre in Liaoning province



Ras Ajdir, Libya: An Egyptian mother and child wait with their belongings to cross the border into Tunisia



Oruro, Bolivia: Indigenous men perform during the Andean Anata Andina carnival



Vienna, Austria: Dancers take to the floor at the annual opera ball



Münich, Germany: German chancellor Angela Merkel and members of the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission attend a gala dinner. The commission is on a four-day inspection for the city's bid to host the 2018 winter Games

Nice to see that those at the top of their profession are suffering similar cutbacks to those in a less priviledged position.

Paris, France: Models take to the catwalk at the end of Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester's autumn/winter 2011 ready-to-wear show



Abidjan, Ivory Coast: Residents gather on the street where security forces loyal to outed president Laurent Gbagbo opened fire on demonstrators, killing seven women in the suburb of Abobo



Sao Paulo, Brazil: Students light fireworks during a demonstration in the city's financial district against a recent rise in public bus fares



Moscow, Russia: The Crazy Horse cabaret from Paris presents its 'Forever Crazy' show in the country for the first time

Biathletes run during a training session for the Biathlon World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, on Friday, Mar. 4. The Biathlon World Championships 2011 take place from March 3-13, 2011.



A baboon mother holds her baby at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, Mar. 4.

Keep em coming Mr Lick great stuff,for those of us who are to lazy to read. A picture tells a thousand words.

Funeral for footballer Dean Richards in Bradford





The service at Bradford Cathedral was attended by former team-mates including Robbie Keane, James Beattie, Don Goodman, Tony Daley and Steve Bull.
Former Bradford City manager Chris Kamara also attended the service

An F-18 drops a flare during a night performance at the Australian International Airshow in Melbourne



A protester throws confetti outside Belgium's Central Bank in Brussels against a proposal for a nationwide wage agreement.



Akito Watabe of Japan prepares to compete in the team ski jumping competition in Oslo, Norway



Iraq anti-riot forces assemble before an anti-government protest in Baghdad

WWI veteran Claude Choules celebrates 110th birthday




The British man believed to be the last surviving combat veteran of World War I is celebrating his 110th birthday.
He emigrated to Australia before World War II, and now lives in a nursing home in Perth.

Raised by his father, young Claude wanted to be a bugler in the Army and tried to lie about his age so that he could be recruited.

When he failed, his father got him onto a Royal Navy training ship instead and he joined up in 1916 at the age of 14.

A man lights a fire to look at the underground prisons for forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Benghazi, March 4, 2011.




A rebel aims a multiple rocket launcher as a fellow rebel observes the area with binoculars in Brega, March 4, 2011.

A recent Romanian Pork Festival
















Think i've just lost my appetite

The people of the Mae Sot dump site





Despite the poverty, health risks and harassment they face from the Thai authorities on a constant basis, many refugee families have lived at the site for years, struggling to earn minuscule wages for the plastic they collect for recycling.

There are three main camps around Mae Sot –Mae La, Noe Po and Umpium with Mae La being the biggest refugee camp in Southeast Asia.

The exact number of Burmese living in and around the town of Mae Sot ( known locally as “little Burma”) is unclear but aid groups estimate the number could be some 200,000

A rebel fighter fires a cannon during a battle near Ras Lanuf, March 4, 2011. Heavily armed rebels clashed with forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi on Friday on the outskirts of the key oil terminal of Ras Lanuf as the head of Libya's rebel council vowed "victory or death". The rebels were attacking a military base on the outskirts of Ras Lanuf, a major oil port on the Mediterranean Sea, which has a refinery, pipelines and a terminal, and the army responded with artillery fire and helicopters firing machine guns.




An anti-Gbagbo protester wields a knife near a roadblock and burning tyres in the Abobo area of Abidjan March 3, 2011. Ivorian security forces shot dead seven women protestors on Thursday and the United Nations said at least 365 people had died in violence since disputed elections that have taken the country to the brink of civil war.




A delegate dressed in robes takes a photograph on Tiananmen Square after leaving the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing March 3, 2011.




A woman looks for her groceries at a supermarket in Caracas February 28, 2011. Having lived with double-digit inflation since Ronald Reagan was in the White House, Venezuelans know a money-stretching trick or two the rest of the world could heed as soaring commodities push up prices. A relatively wealthy country with some of the world's largest crude reserves, Venezuela's reliance on exports of one commodity have produced a string of booms and crashes accompanied by double-digit inflation since 1985.




Thousands of Bangladeshi evacuees carry their belongings as they walk away from the border area where they have been stranded for more than four days after crossing into Tunisia and fleeing the violence in Libya, at the border crossing of Ras Jdir March 4, 2011. The Bangladeshis walked for 10 km (6 miles) to reach a refugee camp set by UNHCR.




A Sahrawi man sits before a mine explodes during a demonstration organised by officials from the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) to show the hazards of mined territory near Tifariti, in the Sahara desert in southwestern Algeria, February 28, 2011. Over 150,000 Sahrawis live in several refugee camps dispersed in the Algerian desert 35 years after Morocco annexed the disputed territory of Western Sahara



A girl poses next to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 1977 Peugeot 504 which has been auctioned for charity, in Arvand free trade zone about 1,345 km (836 miles) southwest of Tehran March 1, 2011. The charity auction benefits Iran's Welfare Organisation.




A man walks inside a damaged reception room of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi inside his personal headquarters in Benghazi's airport March 3, 2011.




Alex Mayora, 12, rests during a fight in an Olympics-style street boxing championships in the low-income neighborhood Petare in Caracas February 9, 2011. "Boxeo Olimpico de Calle" (Olympic Boxing Street) is an initiative of several institutions of the Venezuelan government, which aims to keep children off gangs and drugs in an attempt to combat high crime rates in the Caribbean nation. The program seeks to promote values such as discipline and respect and show that a better future is possible in a country that has nurtured several boxing champions.



A Muslim girl waits for a train at a station in the troubled Yala province in the southern Thailand February 28, 2011.




Muslim boys pray at an Islamic school where they live and study the Koran in the village of Lam Mai in the troubled Yala province March 1, 2011. Yala is one of three Muslim-dominated provinces bordering Malaysia where more than 4,300 people, both Muslims and Buddhists, have been killed in a low-level insurgency since 2004.

A rebel fighter takes cover from shelling by soldiers loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during a battle near Ras Lanuf, March 4, 2011.




A rebel fighter carries a shell as he runs during a battle near Ras Lanuf, March 4, 2011.



A rebel fighter fires an anti-aircraft gun during a battle near Ras Lanuf, March 4, 2011.

Life in Abidjan - Ivory Coast




Supporters of opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara of RDR (Rally of Republicans) sit on a container at his election campaign rally in Abidjan. The words read, "No curfew".



A girl winnows corn in Adjame village, near Abidjan






A girl looks back at the photographer at St. Ambrose church in Angree, Abidjan March 1, 2011, a temporary refuge for people fleeing from clashes between forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara.




An aerial view from a U.N. helicopter shows Plateau, the business area in Abidjan



Two Ivorian sisters Malone Toure (R) and Madorsa Toure, dressed in Christmas costumes, play in the streets of Abidjan



African veteran Dansoko Taquimadi, 78, poses as he shows his photo in his house in Abidjan



A man on his knees raises his hands inside an Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) office after being detained for suspected involvement in reprisal attacks on a local FPI office in Abidjan



Protesters set fire to tyres as they block a road in Abobo, Abidjan February 19, 2011.




Catholics attend the Via Crucis procession during Holy Week at Plateau Dokui, an area of Abidjan



Cocoa farmers burn cocoa beans during a protest in Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan



A boy poses with a bucket in Vridi beach area, a neighborhood in Abidjan February 3, 2011.




A worker carries a broom as he walks near an Ivorian soldier standing guard on the tarmac of the Felix Houphouet Boigny international airport in Abidjan



A man holds a dead crocodile for sale on the road of Bonoua about 35 km (22 miles) from Abidjan



Soro Ba Drissa arranges large puppets at the Village Ki-Yi Center for Cultural Exchange in Abidjan



A worker (R) prepares a dress made from used cocoa sacks as fashion designer Felicite Mai walks past at a warehouse in Abidjan. Mai, who uses the cocoa sacks to produce clothes, follows a philosophy she calls "waboua", that everything is useful.




A man dressed as a warrior from the "Djigbo" (coming out) generation holds his swords during festivities in Attingue, about 30 km (18.6 miles) from Abidjan



Two men sit on pile of bananas at Gouro market in Abidjan January 10, 2011.



The body of a dead man lies on the ground after a clash between soldiers and supporters of Ivorian presidential claiment Alassane Ouattara in the Abobo area of Abidjan February 23, 2011.



A cashier gives bills to a customer at French bank BICICI, now nationalized by disputed leader Laurent Gbagbo, in Abidjan, March 3, 2011.

Fleeing Libya



A Bangladeshi migrant workers sits in front of a refugees camp near the Libyan and Tunisian border crossing of Ras Jdir after fleeing unrest in Libya, March 4, 2011.



An Egyptian, among the 4000 others who fled the violence and unrest in Libya, holds his head as he waits in queue to board a plane to return home, at the Djerba airport, March 4, 2011.



People on Tassili 2 arrive in Algiers, March 3, 2011. The boat transported some 1,300 people which included Algerians, Americans, Moroccans and Tunisians who fled the on-going violence in Libya.



An Egyptian woman holds her child while waiting to cross the frontier to Tunisia, at a border point in Ras Judeir, Libya, March 3, 2011. Picture taken on a guided government tour.



A plane takes off over Egyptians who fled the violence and unrest in Libya, lining up to board their plane to return home, at the Djerba airport, March 4, 2011.



South Korean children sit in the arrivals terminal after arriving on the South Korean Navy destroyer Choi Young in Valletta's Grand Harbour, March 4, 2011. The ship evacuated 32 South Koreans from Tripoli, according to an embassy official.




Egyptians who fled the violence and unrest in Libya line up to board their plane to return home, at the Djerba airport, March 4, 2011.



A Russian passenger is hugged by a colleague after disembarking from the Russian-chartered ferry Sveti Stefan II after it arrived with some 400 East European evacuees from Libya, at Valletta's Grand Harbour, March 2, 2011.



Indian evacuees from Libya board a bus after arriving at the international airport in Mumbai, March 4, 2011. Over a thousand evacuees arrived on specially chartered flights from Libya.



Thousands of Bangladeshi evacuees carry their belongings as they walk away from the border area where they have been stranded for more than 4 days after crossing into Tunisia fleeing violence in Libya at the border crossing of Ras Jdir, March 4, 2011.

Page after page of stunning photographs..... I must say I'm happier sticking to my tamer subjects. a friend of mine who is a war correspondant has lost two photographers in recent years and of course the Japanese guy killed here was Reuters. These are some very brave people.

Carnivals around the world



Carnival goers celebrate the opening of the festivities in Lucerne on March 3. For five days the traditional carnival will be celebrated in the city of Lucerne.



Revelers perform during the 'Mameludicos Euforicos' street carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro on March 3.



People dressed in carnival costumes pose in San Marco square in Venice on Feb. 27 during the annual Venice Carnival.



A nominee for Queen of the Santa Cruz carnival shows off her outfit to a jury at Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife on March 2.



Women dressed in party attire prepare to participate in a parade during carnival weekend in Jacmel, Haiti, on Feb. 27. This year's celebration was met with mixed emotion as the memory of the 2010 earthquake, which forced the cancellation of last year's event, loomed large.



A giant carnival float called ReXpubblica showing a mask of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi during the annual carnival of Viareggio on Feb. 20.



Women from Orinoca town, where Bolivia's President Evo Morales was born, join in celebrations in the Anata Andina (Andean carnival) in Oruro on March 3. Hundreds of ethnic groups from Oruro province participated in the carnival.



The Queen of Nice's float takes part in a parade at the 127th Nice carnival in Nice on Feb. 19. The 127th edition of the carnival, celebrating the "Mediteranean King," runs until March 8.



Young girls and their dogs parade through the French Quarter during the Krewe of Barkus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans on Feb. 27. The parade of dogs and their owners, a twist on the Krewe of Bacchus, benefits animal welfare organizations



A carnival goer celebrates the opening of the carnival in Lucerne, Switzerland, on March 3.



A float depicting United States President Barack Obama with his hat topped off by a man masked as al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden, titled "Barack-Adabra and the Great Circus of the Fleas," is shown at the traditional Viareggio carnival parade in Viareggio, Italy, on Feb. 20.



Members of group Cuareim 1080 participate in a parade to inaugurate the Carnival of Uruguay, in center Montevideo, Uruguay, on Jan. 27. The Carnival in Uruguay is one of the longest in the world, with more than 80 days of celebration, generally occurring in January through mid March, with celebrations in Montevideo being the largest and brightiest.



A dressed up participant stands on the market square during the 26th Samba Carnival in Bremen, Germany, on Feb. 26. Samba groups from all over Germany take part in the street carnival.

Sports pictures of 2010



Dakar's dust

Spain's Gerard Farres Guell rides over a dune during the 4th stage of Dakar 2010 between Fiambala, Argentina, and Copiapo, Chile on Jan. 5. France's Cyril Despres won the event, which was held in South America for the second consecutive year.



Owen Wright, left, avoids a collision with Mick Fanning during the final of the Boost Bondi Beach SurfSho at Bondi Beach on March 14 in Sydney.




Tough stuff

A man surfaces from muddy water during the Tough Guy event on Jan. 31 in Perton, England. The annual event to raise cash for charity challenges thousands of international competitors in a cross country run followed by an assault course consisting of 21 obstacles, including water, fire and tunnels.



A car races in stage six of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile on Jan. 7.



The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant celebrates after his team defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Beating their longtime rivals on June 17 marked the fifth NBA championship of Bryant's career -- tying him with Magic Johnson -- and the 17th in franchise history.



Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver jumps into the crowd after catching a six-yard touchdown pass during a preseason NFL game on Aug. 26 against the Indianapolis Colts.



Ryan St. Onge of the U.S. practices before the men's Freestyle Skiing aerials final in the Winter Olympics on Feb. 25 at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver.



The sled belonging to Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili is seen on the course of the Whistler Sliding Centre. Kumaritashvili crashed during a training run for the Winter Olympics men's singles and later died at an hospital on Feb. 12 in Whistler, British Columbia. He was the fourth athlete ever to die during Winter Olympics preparations.



Jockey Garrett Gomez, right, rides Blame to edge out Zenyatta, with jockey Mike Smith aboard, in the Classic race at the Breeders' Cup on Nov. 6, in Louisville, Ky. Zenyatta started the race, her last, with a 19-0 record.



Kentucky's Josh Harrellson, above, hugs teammate Ramon Harris. The No. 1 seed Wildcats lost to West Virginia in the East Regional final on March 27 in Syracuse, N.Y. Teammate Darnell Dodson can be seen in the background.



All eyes on Tiger

Pedestrians stop to watch golfer Tiger Woods address the public during a live televised feed on a large video screen outside a CBS affiliate on Friday, Feb. 19 in Chicago. Woods was making a public apology and confession about marital infidelity. Woods and his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren divorced six months later. Woods went without a win this year for the first time in his career.



Romania's Andrei Busila fights for the ball with Turkey's Anil Sonmez at the European Waterpolo Championships on Aug. 29 in Zagreb, Croatia.



Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon confronts home plate umpire Bob Davidson after he and Carl Crawford were ejected for arguing balls and strikes during a game against the Boston Red Sox., May 25, in St. Petersburg, Fla.



Who's got it?

Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz reacts after his glove struck fans as he tried to catch a fly ball by New York Yankees' Robinson Cano during Game 4 of the ALCS on Oct. 19. Cruz wanted interference called on the play, but the home run was allowed to stand.



Brady Okeefe, right, and Bryce Moyle collide during local Little League playoffs on June 15 in Carson City, Nev.



English soccer fans react during an England-United States World Cup game. England, one of the pre-tournament favorites, tied the United States, 1-1, on June 12 and would finish second in the group. Rob Green gaff perhaps?



Milwaukee Bucks player John Salmons and Atlanta Hawks player Josh Smith react to a call during the first half of Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series on April 24, in Milwaukee.



Hanging on

Michael Rhone of Benton High School grabs the corner of the mat as he is dragged back by Mason Beckman of Reynolds High School in their championship wrestling match on March 13 in Hershey, Pa.



Ioran Etchechury of Brazil trips and falls into the water during the boys 2,000-meter steeplechase at the Youth Olympics on Aug. 18 in Singapore.



Sumo wrestlers Tosayutaka, right, and Toyohibiki fall head first to the dirt during their bout in the grand summer tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena on May 9.



Spanish bullfighter Julio Aparicio is gored in the throat at the San Isidro Fair in Madrid on May 21. He later recovered.



Mike Conway of England crashes into the fencing on the third turn during the closing laps of the Indianapolis 500 on May 30. Conway suffered a broken leg and fractured vertebrae in the crash.



Kumar Rajender of India, in red, battles Lumin Wang of China in their 55kg match during the World Wrestling Championships in Moscow on Sept. 6.



Gael Monfils of France dives for the ball during his match against David Nalbandian of Argentina during a Davis Cup semifinal on Sept. 17 in Lyon, France.



Spanish gymnast Gomes Javier Fuertes performs on the horizontal bar during the qualifying round of the 42nd Artistic Gymnnastics World Championships on Oct. 18 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.



Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas grabs the ball while leaping over teammate Carles Puyol in the World Cup final on July 11 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Casillas, the Spanish captain, made four saves in Spain’s 1-0 victory over the Netherlands. At right is Netherlands striker Robin Van Persie.



South Korea's Lee Jun-ho, right, challenges Myanmar's Zaw Zaw Aung at the net during their men's double sepak takraw final on Nov. 27 at the Asian Games.



Cyclists crash during the final sprint at the 4th stage of the Tour de Suisse on June 15.



Ghana's Seth Degbe Fetrie falls after he misses a lift during the men's 69 kg weightlifting clean and jerk event at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Oct. 6.



Aleix Espargaro, left, loses control as he passes by crashed rider Randy de Puniet, right, on the ground. de Puniet sustained a fracture of the left tibia and fibula after he was hit during the Grand Prix of Germany on July 18 in Hohenstein-Ernstthal.



Sergio Martinez of Oxnard, Calif., knocks out Paul Williams of Augusta, Ga., in the second round of their middleweight championship bout in Atlantic City, N.J. on Nov. 20.



San Francisco Giants players (from left) Pat Burrell, Brian Wilson, Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey celebrate after defeating the Texas Rangers to win the World Series on Nov. 1.



Atletico's head coach Quique Sanchez Flores is thrown up by his team after the soccer Europa League final between Atletico Madrid and FC Fulham in Hamburg, Germany, on May 12. Madrid won 2-1.



Penn State coach Joe Paterno is carried off the field by his players after becoming the first major college football coach to reach 400 victories with the Nittany Lions' triumph over Northwestern on Nov. 6.

Courtroom showdown in sweeping U.S. trading probe




A sweeping insider trading case that shook the hedge fund world is finally set for trial, with onetime billionaire Raj Rajaratnam fighting to stay out of prison in a courtroom drama over corporate secrets, tapped telephones and friends-turned-government witnesses.

Rajaratnam is accused of making $45 million in illicit profits through tips from former friends and associates at the highest levels of Corporate America. Once named the richest person born in Sri Lanka, the 53-year-old U.S. citizen has vowed to clear his name at trial. Galleon managed $7 billion at its peak.

(Left) Attendees of the Lewis and Clark Conservative Tea Party's "Constitution Rally" listen to the proceedings on March 4, 2011, at a rally on the steps of the State Capitol in Helena, Mont. (Right) Vince Vaccaro of Townsend, Mont., carries his rifle during the rally. The Lewis and Clark's Conservative Tea Party received permission to bring unloaded and secured weapons onto Capitol grounds to show its support for allowing guns in off-limits areas. The organizer and conductor of the rally, Tim Ravndal, said the rally is about protecting Second Amendment rights by making legislators see and hear how important gun rights are.

A stereo image shows an unnamed crater near Huygens Basin in Mars' southern hemisphere

This photo made Saturday, Feb. 26, shows Lipan High School girls basketball coach Amber Branson holding her newborn daughter, Leslie, as she celebrates with members of her team in a hospital in Abilene, Texas. Shortly after coaching Lipan to a regional semifinal victory last Friday, Branson gave birth to daughter Leslie. And about 15 hours later, she was back on the bench guiding the Lady Indians to another win and the school's first berth in the Texas state tournament since 2003.

More carnival capers




This year's King Momo, the crowned and costumed Milton Rodrigues, center, dances as he holds the key of the city during carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, Friday, March 4, 2011. Covered in confetti and to the sound of drums, Rio's mayor Eduardo Paes handed the key to the city to King Momo, the mythical figure who reigns over the chaos of Carnival, officially opening this seaside city's five-day annual exaltation of music, booze and flesh.



Performers walk through town during the biggest Slovak carnival festival in Zilina on March 4. Some three hundred people from across the country wearing masks participated in the carnival. The carnival season called "fasiangy" takes place from Epiphany through Ash Wednesday in celebration of the end of winter and coming spring.



A member of the Krewe of Chaos throws trinkets to the crowd during their Mardi Gras parade on St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans on March 3. The crescent city expects its largest crowd for the annual celebration since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.



Participants grease the poles of the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans, in preparation for Mardi Gras, on March 4. The annual event is to keep revelers from climbing the poles.



A reveler on stilts greets a boy during a ceremony marking the official opening Carnival season in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on March 4.



Two women wearing carnival costume pose in San Marco square during the Venice Carnival on March 4 in Venice, Italy.

Some more motors on show at Geneva



Saab PhoeniX Concept








Gumpert Tornante



Lexus LFA














Ferrari FF







Pagani Huayra



Audi R8





Lamborghini Aventador





Maserati Gran Turismo Stadale





Aston Martin V8 Vantage S





Lotus Evora



Nissan GT-R