World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Australia apology over army's Afghan Facebook 'racism'



Australia has launched an investigation into racist videos and comments allegedly posted by troops serving in Afghanistan on the social networking site, Facebook.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith says he has apologised to his Afghan counterpart, Abdul Rahim Wardak.

The videos show soldiers using racist terms about Afghans, with one describing them as "smelly locals".

Australia's Seven Network News broadcast the material on Thursday.

Australia has 1,550 troops serving in Afghanistan's southern Uruzgan province.
Mr Smith said that any soldiers found to have posted offensive remarks or footage would be recalled from Afghanistan.

In one video people are heard laughing at an Afghan man as he fled from the site of an explosion and deriding him as a "scared... mufti".

"This action by a small number of people is appalling. I condemn it absolutely," Mr Smith told ABC radio.

[Mr Lick]

Syria unrest: Two people shot dead in Latakia protest



Two people have been killed in the Syrian city of Latakia during anti-government protests, officials say.

Officials said the two were killed by snipers but activists said security forces opened fire on protesters.

In the last week, dozens of people have been killed in a number of Syrian cities in protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

The authorities have blamed the violence on armed gangs trying to destabilise the country.

[Mr Lick]

US Democrat Geraldine Ferraro dies, aged 75



Groundbreaking US Democratic politician Geraldine Ferraro has died at the age of 75.

She had been been suffering from cancer for many years, and died in hospital in Massachusetts, a family friend said.

Ms Ferraro was the first female vice-presidential candidate to represent a major political party, when she became Walter Mondale's running mate in 1984.

Their presidential bid was heavily defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan and his running mate, George Bush snr.

A statement released by Ms Ferraro's family said she was widely known as a "leader, a fighter for justice, and a tireless advocate for those without a voice".

It continued: "Her courage and generosity of spirit throughout her life, waging battles big and small, public and personal, will never be forgotten and will be sorely missed."

[Mr Lick]

'Sleeping' US air traffic controller suspended



Reagan National Airport is just across the Potomac River from the White House and the US Capitol

An air traffic controller who was unavailable to help two jets land at a busy Washington DC airport has been suspended, an official has said.

The planes landed safely, despite being unable to make contact with the control tower early on Wednesday.

The lone nighttime controller at Reagan National Airport told officials he had fallen asleep.

In response, regulators have ordered that two controllers be on duty on the midnight shift.

The jets carried a total of 165 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident, said the controller who fell asleep during his shift had 20 years of experience on the job, including 17 at that airport.

The controller was on his fourth consecutive overnight shift, the board said.

[Davis Knowlton]

^^^^Pretty sweet deal for Aussie troops in Afghanistan. All you have to do is say the locals are smelly on Facebook and you get to go home. Pretty neat.

[Mr Lick]

Nancy Kissel guilty of Hong Kong 'milkshake murder'



Kissel's lawyers said she had been the victim of a violent and abusive marriage


A Hong Kong jury has unanimously found American Nancy Kissel guilty of murdering her husband by lacing his milkshake with a sedative and beating him to death.

Kissel had admitted manslaughter but denied deliberately killing senior banker Robert Kissel in 2003.

She was sentenced to life in 2005 but a judge ordered a retrial citing procedural flaws.

The case has captivated Hong Kong with its tales of death, drugs and adultery.

Kissel had sobbed during the trial, as the defence said she was suffering from mental illness at the time of the killing and had been badly treated by her husband, the BBC's Annemarie Evans in Hong Kong says.

Kissel's defence team had argued she was the victim of a violent husband who abused drugs and alcohol.

But the prosecution said the murder was premeditated, and that Kissel had given her 40-year-old husband a strawberry milkshake spiked with sedatives before cracking his skull several times with a heavy statuette.

She had tried to dispose of his body by rolling it up in a carpet and putting it into a storage room at the luxury Parkview apartments complex on Hong Kong island.

[Mr Lick]

Thousands march against spending cuts - some more pics from London



An aerial view of the mass rally in Hyde Park. Around 500,000 protesters attended the march and rally






Why is he using a brick when the bank wants to give him a 'free cash withdrawal'?



The 'usual suspects' appear



A bank robber smashes the door glass of HSBC. Couldn't wait for Monday to make a withdrawal sir?



Even Gordon Brown made an appearance






Shouldn't masked men be on the same side?





Madam, try to keep up with the cuts, your free bus pass has been cancelled.



Alter ego Batman about to launch an attack from the rear.



Mrs Thatch makes an appearance, lovely woman!



The amount of police overtime this is causing isn't actually helping the financial crisis, is it.



Protesters' placards are used to create a piece of art



These people really should be arrested by the fashion police



Some shady looking characters there. Please pay here? Not a chance!



Police taking cover behind, well, more policemen



Love the hair darling, i wish i had some!



Night falls and it's getting scarey

[Mr Lick]

Audi's new R18 coupe test session at Sebring

[Mr Lick]

Earth Hour -

At 8:30pm on Saturday 26th March 2011, landmarks across the world switch off their lights for one hour in a bid to highlight global climate change









N Seoul Tower before and during Earth Hour in Seoul



The National Stadium, also known as the 'Bird's Nest', and the National Aquatics Centre, also known as the 'Water Cube', before and during Earth Hour in Beijing



Hong Kong's central financial district's Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Centre, HSBC headquarters, Standard Chartered Bank and Legislative Council before and during Earth Hour





Singapore



Jakarta



New Dehli



Pakistan



Minsk, Belarus



Moscow



Stockholm



Athens



Rome



Was David Copperfield in Rotterdam?



Budapest, Hungary



Belgrade



Barcelona



Berlin

[Mr Lick]

Libyan rebels celebrate recapture of Ajdabiya



A Libyan rebel points at dead bodies of loyalist troopers at a site bombed by coalition air force in the town of Ajdabiya












Men distribute bread from the back of a vehicle in Ajdabiya

[Mr Lick]

With the NFL season in doubt, the Cincinnati Bengals' star receiver Chad Ochocinco has begun a tryout with Kansas City's Major League Soccer team. Above: Assistant coach Zoran Savic confers with Ochocinco.



Australia bikers ride towards the gold medal in the Men's Team Pursuit at the UCI Track World Championship at the Omnisport Arena in Apeldoorn



Barry Bonds' defense team is asserting the home run king did not perjure himself when he denied using steroids because he didn't know what they were



The NHL has suspended Matt Cooke from the Pittsburgh Penguins for the remainder of the regular season. Cooke received the suspension for elbowing New York Ranger Ryan McDonagh



Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough and Carleton Scott try to comfort each other after losing 71-57 to the Florida State Seminoles. The Big East put a record 11 teams in the tournament; only two remain



The Butler University bench celebrates as time expires during their 71-70 victory over top-seeded Pittsburgh, throwing the Southeast region bracket into chaos.

[BobR]

^^^^Pretty sweet deal for Aussie troops in Afghanistan. All you have to do is say the locals are smelly on Facebook and you get to go home. Pretty neat.

I suspect that no one received a reprimand for making derogatory remarks about the Japanese on or after December 7, 1941 and no apologies were issued, but that was before the World went insane.

[Mr Lick]

A boy is hoisted up by the crowd during Holi, the festival of colors, at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah March 26, 2011. Thousands packed the temple grounds to celebrate Holi, a spring Hindu festival celebrated by throwing coloured powder at each other.



Reveller Philip Ellis dances during Holi, the festival of colors, at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple.

[Mr Lick]

French swimmer Hugues Duboscq sticks his tongue out as he competes in the 100m breaststroke heats during the French Swimming championships in Schiltigheim, eastern France on March 26

[Mr Lick]

Australian Grand Prix









David Coultard enjoying his birthday



David again being presented with a few photo albums of his F1 career



Pre-race photo call



Vettel on pole leads the race from the start



Button overtakes Massa but is punished with a pit-lane drive through for an illegal manoeuvre



It's like a walk in the park for Vettel as he races away from the chasing pack



Lewis Hamilton finishes where he started, in 2nd place




Vettel celebrates after passing the chequered flag

[Aussie Tigger]

Easy to be a goody two shoes when you are not risking your life.If this is all they are offended by then they should look at themselves in the mirror when they approve the sending our troops to the area.Political correctness when you are getting shot at or under threat of death each day is hardly a priority.Put pompous Smith on the front line with our boys and see how he handles himself. Weak righteous shit.

[Mr Lick]

Boat Race 2011: Oxford clinch victory over Cambridge





Oxford upset the odds to win the 157th Boat Race by four lengths with a dominating display on the River Thames.
Coach Sean Bowden secured his 10th win in 17 attempts after his crew moved away just before the halfway mark.

Lighter and less experienced, Oxford nevertheless cruised home in a time of 17 minutes 32 seconds.

[Mr Lick]

Sir Chris Hoy misses out on keirin gold in Netherlands





Sir Chris Hoy battled to win silver in the men's keirin at the Track World Championships in the Netherlands.

He was pipped to the line by Australian Shane Perkins, with Briton Matt Crampton just missing out on bronze.

[Mr Lick]

Martin Laird leads Arnold Palmer Invitational




Scotland's Martin Laird holds a two-shot lead ahead of the final 18 holes of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida after a solid third-round 70.

After a fast start, Laird fell back to share the lead with American Spencer Levin after a bogey at the 15th.

But Laird recovered with a birdie at the 16th and finished two shots clear of second-placed Levin.

Former world number one Tiger Woods began the day six shots off the lead but dropped away with a two-over 74.

[Mr Lick]

China Fashion Week



Looks like venetian blinds are making a wee bit of a comeback, no peeking now



Not recommended for wear on a windy day



Are you employed in a metal workshop on your days off luv?



China's new prototype for a moon landing



Ouch!!



Maybe she's got Greenfly, i dunno!



Ready for take-off sir?

[Mr Lick]

Report says 12 killed as violence sweeps Syrian port city



The Syrian government has said 12 people were killed in violence in the port city of Latakia, which has been rocked by protests and unrest, yesterday.

The country's state-run news agency said unknown armed gangs had attacked neighbourhoods, firing guns from rooftops.

Anti-government protesters, meanwhile, accused government forces – which were deployed in Latakia yesterday – of opening fire on them.

Activists said some demonstrators burned tyres, attacked businesses and set fire to an office of the ruling Ba'ath party.

[Mr Lick]

American teacher Monty Dickson, a teacher in the small Japanese coastal village of Rikuzentakata, has not been seen since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan.




The body of Taylor Anderson, left, a 24-year-old teacher, has been found in Japan, her family says. She was last seen in Ishinomaki, Japan, on March 11 after the earthquake.

[Mr Lick]

Chinese shoppers crowd a shop in an effort to buy salt in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu province on Thursday

[Mr Lick]

The brewing civil war no one is talking about



A fighter opposed to Laurent Gbagbo displays the amulets he wears to protect himself from enemy fire, in the Abobo district of Abidjan on March 12. The "Invisible Commandos," allied to internationally recognized president Alassane Ouattara have been steadily gaining ground in Abidjan's northern suburbs.



Charles Ble Goude, center, Ivory Coast's Minister of Youth and leader of the "Young Patriots" speaks as commander in chief of the army Phillipe Mangou, right, looks on in front of thousands of young supporters of Ivorian strongman Laurent Gbagbo on March 21 in Abidjan



Huge crowds of people wait to board buses at the Adjame bus station in Abidjan on March 22 to flee deadly violence as the country's post-election crisis deepens.

[Mr Lick]

Martin Laird wins Arnold Palmer event at Bay Hill





Martin Laird defied the challenge of American Steve Marino over the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill to win by a single shot. The Scot squandered his two-shot overnight lead, but recovered to overtake Marino with two holes to play.

A solid approach over water at the last and a two-putt from about 80ft ensured a second PGA Tour title for Laird.

England's Justin Rose took a share of third at six under with a round of 68 that included a five-under back nine.

Final leaderboard: -8 M Laird (Sco) -7 S Marino (US) -6 J Rose (Eng), M Leishman (Aus), D Toms (US) -5 KJ Choi (Kor), S Levin (US) -4 S Garcia (Spa) Selected others: -2 I Poulter (Eng), B Davis (Eng) -1 T Woods (US), P Mickelson (US)