World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Ok all you macho Aussies, cop a load of this! Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade













Jesus, someones in for a damn good rogering later



The start of the dykes on bikes/boys on bikes race



Lily Tomlin doing her bit for the Superhero theme

[Mr Lick]

The start of Rio's famous carnival 2011







A DJ controls the sound wirelessly during the 'Mameludicos Euforicos' street carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, March 3, 2011.

[Mr Lick]

(CBS/AP) PORT ALLEN, La. - Going under the knife to get on with his life.

Convicted pedophile Francis Tullier, 78, cut his prison sentence in half - and that's not all - as he underwent voluntary castration as part of a plea deal to free him after 12 years behind bars.

The West Baton Rouge, Louisiana native pleaded guilty in 1999 to three counts of molestation involving young girls.

[Mr Lick]

Marisol Valles Garcia, who was called Mexico's bravest woman after becoming police chief of the small Mexican town of Praxedis, has reportedly fled and is seeking asylum in the United States.

[Mr Lick]

Residents look at damage from a suspected tornado that killed one person and injured at least 12 in Rayne, La., on Saturday.


Louisiana mom dies sheltering child from tornado-felled tree

11 others injured; more than 100 homes, businesses damaged

[Mr Lick]

Crisis in Libya



This picture shows hungry men at Ras Jedir waiting for bread and water to be thrown to them.

[Mr Lick]

[Mr Lick]

Vienna's Opera Ball



Karima El Mahroug of Morocco, known by her stage name Ruby Rubacuori (C), attends the traditional Opera Ball in Vienna March 3, 2011.







Karima El Mahroug (L) of Morocco, known as Ruby Rubacuori, and Austrian businessman Richard Lugner (R) attend the Wiener Opernball (Vienna opera ball) in Vienna, March 3, 2011.







Bob Geldof waves as he attends the traditional Opera Ball in Vienna



Austrian businessman Richard Lugner poses



U.S. actor Larry Hagmann (L) and Karima El Mahroug of Morocco and Austrian businessman Richard Lugner (R) pose



Austrian businessman Richard Lugner (C) poses with his daughter Jacqueline (L) and his girlfriend Anastasia Sokol

[Mr Lick]

A woman answers questions posed by a census enumerator during the census in Nagarally village, west of Bangalore, India February 2011. Your View/Abhishek N.Chinnappa



Police officers beat angry cricket fans who were unhappy with the shortage of tickets and tried breaking police barricades set up to control fans who wanted to buy tickets for the India and England Group B cricket World Cup match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore February 24, 2011



Anti-government protesters clash with riot police in central Zagreb March 2, 2011



A massive demonstration in Thessaloniki, Greece, against government austerity measures took place February 2011



Anti-government protesters and the police clash during demonstrations in Thessaloniki, Greece, February 23, 2011



North Koreans travel by boat on the Yalu river on the border of North Korea with China at Dandong February 2011



A North Korean soldier walks on the frozen Yalu river at the North Korean border near Dandong, China February 2011



A man views sculptor Anish Kapoor's Sky Mirror exhibit in Hyde Park, London



A couple sits by the river bank inside Dakshineswar Kali temple compound on the eve of 'Mahashivratri' in India



Supporters of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, one of the longest serving African leaders are seen painted in the ruling party colours during a concert to celebrate the February 18 presidential election victory at Kololo Airstrip, Uganda, on February 25, 2011.



A primary student wears a mask during the opening ceremony for a sports school at Setiawangsa field in Kuala Lumpur



Demonstrators attend an anti-government protest in Zagreb, Croatia



Bosnian and Croatian officials stand at a memorial to mark Independence Day in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, March 1, 2011



Children pray before eating their free mid-day meal at a government sponsored primary school at Nagarally village, west of Bangalore, India, February 2011. The mid-day meal scheme is the largest school lunch programme in the world and has been made mandatory in all government primary schools in India after a Supreme Court judgement in 2001, according to the school’s only teacher



A sadhu Baba smiles at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Nepal February 24, 2011. Hundreds of Sadhu Babas started to arrive in Pashupatinath to celebrate the Shiva Ratri Festival which falls on March 2



An anti-police rally is held in Seattle, Washington, on February 18, 2011 in relation to the shooting of a civilian by an officer



Dancers perform one of the Chinese cultural dance in conjunction with the Federal Territory Day at Labuan, Malaysia

[Mr Lick]

Day 16 Cricket WC - England v S. Africa




Strauss wins the toss and decides that England will bat



Oh dear, Peterson grabs both openers in the first over



Bell's gone and England are reeling at 15-3



Trott and Bopara steady the ship with 99 for the 4th wicket



Trott c & b for a fine 52 off 92 balls



Bopara top scorer with 60 from 98 balls. England at 148-6 when he departs



The last 4 wickets fall cheaply as Prior, Bresnan, Yardy and Broad only muster 14 runs between them



Swann hit some lusty blows but England all out for 171 with over 4 overs remaining



A fair few local England fans but S. Africa clear favourites at the interval. Love the guy holding up a 9, that's my favourite



Yardy given the new ball by skipper Strauss but fails to make a breakthough



SA, with Smith in control put on 63 for the first wicket with Amla before being caught off Swann



Some hope for England as Amla (42)and Kallis (15) depart



England then quite incredibly take 3 wickets with the SA score on 124 and soon take another leaving SA tottering on 127-7 after 37 overs



Stuart Broad (4-15) takes 2 late wickets to wrap up an incredible win for England by 6 runs

[Mr Lick]

Saul Alvarez beats Matthew Hatton to win WBC title





Unbeaten Mexican Saul Alvarez has become the youngest light-middleweight world champion by defeating Britain's Matthew Hatton on points in California.

The 20-year-old bloodied Hatton's nose in the second round and opened a gash over his left eye during the fourth.

However, he lost a point in the seventh for punching Hatton as the fighters were pushed apart by referee Lou Moret.

The Briton fought hard but Alvarez claimed a unanimous decision to win the title vacated by Manny Pacquiao.

[Mr Lick]

Players to be banned from wearing neck-warming snoods




Snoods - the beloved neck warmers of precious and pampered footballers - have been banned by the International FA Board.

Initially made famous by a contingent of Manchester City players, including forward Carlos Tevez, snoods have become popular across the country and in all forms of the game.

But Tevez and company will now have do without the popular fashion accessory.
"The IFAB agreed that in relation to Law 4 - Players' Equipment, the wearing of snoods should not be permitted," said football's law makers.

I just hope the players have undersnood the reason behind such a decision

[Mr Lick]

Japan's Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara resigns




Japan's Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara has resigned after being criticised for accepting a political donation from a foreign national.

Japanese law bans the practise, if done intentionally, and the opposition had called on him to quit.

The move is seen as a blow to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who has been struggling to get budget bills through parliament and keep onto his own job.
Mr Maehara had been seen as a potential successor to Mr Kan.

The foreign minister announced his decision in a televised news conference, two days after admitting taking a 50,000 yen ($610) political donation from a South Korean national resident in Japan.

[Mr Lick]

Gaddafi green supporters



OMG, somebody gave her a gun instead of a rolling pin



Become a Green Party member or else!!





Can't stop, i'm on a mission!!







Stand easy comrade!

[Mr Lick]

Barranquilla, Colombia: Dancers get ready to parade in Barranquilla's carnival



Bogor, West Java: A lovebird looks out of its cage during a singing competition. Around 400 people gather in a small forest to participate in bird singing competitions. The competitors each pay $8 to participate in a 20-minute singing competition, and the winner collects $200 in prize money



Ras Lanuf, Libya: A Libyan rebel fighter mans a checkpoint in the oil town of Ras Lanuf, where up to 10 people were killed and more than 20 wounded in clashes with pro-Gaddafi forces



Ras Ajdir, Tunisia: Men from Bangladesh, who worked in Libya but have recently fled the unrest, wake up in a refugee camp at the Tunisia-Libyan border



Cologne, Germany: Young Elea takes part in a carnival



Paraty, Brazil: A man spreads mud on his friend's back ahead of carnival celebrations



Hong Kong, China: A boy rides his bicycle along the promenade of the West Kowloon cultural district of the city



Guadalajara, Mexico: Gay rights activists carry a gay pride flag during a march



Colombo, Sri Lanka: Children watch the sun rising through the mist in the suburb of Makola. A noticeable change in temperature has shrouded the city in dense mist



Port-au-Prince, Haiti: A beggar, his body covered with white paint, walks along a street



Switzerland: Stars twinkle over a sea of fog covering parts of central Switzerland, as seen from Fronalpstock mountain

[Mr Lick]

Liverpool v Man Utd - always a fixture to savour



How's yous Alex? Nay bad Kenny, but best i tell yous later!



Ryan Giggs, making a club record 607th appearance for United, fends off Martin Skrtel as Liverpool boss the opening minutes



Wayner seeking some penetration from his scouser mate Steve



Johnson trying to damage Nani's boot with a flying header.



In the 34th minute, Luis Suárez skips beautifully between a clutch of United defenders, nutmegging Rafael da Silva in the process ...



He slides the ball across the goalline towards Dirk Kuyt, who can't help but score





Five minutes later, Kuyt is presented with another opportunity from close range and, once again, he scores. Nani was the inadvertent provider this time as his attempted clearance looped horribly in the wrong direction to the unmarked Dutchman. It's 2-0 to Liverpool



Rafael has a bit of a tantrum after being penalised for a sliding challenge. In fairness, the United player was himself fouled in the preceding play



This is getting farcical now ... Kuyt, who had never before scored against United, is handed his hat-trick in the 65th minute when his Holland team-mate Edwin van der Sar spills the ball at his feet. That's now three goals scored from the sum total of seven yards!





United players not looking too comfortable at the resulting kick off



Sir Bobby Charlton looks aghast at what he's witnessing. Even Javier Hernández's stoppage-time header can't soften this defeat and the match ends 3-1. United are now just three points ahead of Arsenal but the Gunners have a game in hand which could tip the title race in their favour. Dalglish couldn't have wished for more

[Mr Lick]

More on the gay aussies in Sydney



A participant in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade







Oh, come on dude, where's your helmet? On second thoughts you wear what you like buddy.





Peter Tatchell stands on a float, holding a placard against the pope





ooooooh, you're really lovely!! ooooooh thanks sweetie!!



Blowjob anybody?

[Mr Lick]

The 10 best male fashion icons



His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. In fact, his full title was His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and Elect of God. He was also, at the time of his reign, the most bemedalled ruler in the world. Befitting for someone who could trace his ancestry back to King Solomon, Selassie could certainly rock up a regal look or two. My obsession with him began at the age of 12 when I would spend maths classes designing uniforms for him and his bodyguards. Sad, but true



Cristóbal Balenciaga was the Spanish designer who, in 1937, founded the world-famous eponymous fashion house in Paris. He was responsible for dressing some of the most powerful women of his generation (the Queen of Spain, the Queen of Belgium, the Duchess of Windsor and Princess Grace of Monaco) and regarded as “the master” by many including Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. A devotee of monochrome tailoring, Balenciaga became synonymous with the sharp, double-breasted suit, an item that has happily come back into fashion (less happily if you’re a tad tubby, I’m afraid)



Giovanni “Gianni” Agnelli was an Italian industrialist, president of Fiat and, according to many, the true “king of Italy”. While he ruled over the Italian economy and European high society for the 1960s, 70s and 80s, he was admired as much for his dress sense as his business expertise. He mastered the art of sprezzatura - making the difficult look easy. His style trademarks included wearing a watch over his shirt sleeve (saves time) and leaving his tie slightly askew or hanging over his sweater. It may have looked accidental, but Agnelli wasn’t a man to leave anything to chance



Steve McQueen is a style icon regular, I know. And, to avoid being predictable, I really did try to leave him out of this list. But it just felt wrong. Come on, the guy starred in The Great Escape, Bullitt and The Thomas Crown Affair, loved racing motorbikes, married Ali MacGraw and wore chinos and Persols like no one else. Even when he donned something as classic as a blue blazer, he managed to give it a certain edge. Looking through images of him, it’s hard to find fault with anything he put together and yet he never looks as if he made the slightest effort whatsoever. True talent



Terence Stamp is one of the best-dressed men in London. He was an early client of renowned Mayfair tailor Doug Hayward, lives at Albany, the prestigious bachelor apartments in Piccadilly (never call it the Albany) and starred in genius movies such as Billy Budd, Far From the Madding Crowd and The Limey. Along with his former girlfriends Julie Christie, Brigitte Bardot and Jean Shrimpton, he embodied all that was good about the swinging 1960s. He still dresses impeccably and refuses to be styled for photoshoots as he prefers his own clothes, yet manages to turn down requests to do so with the utmost charm



Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner, was famous for having fun. And who can criticise a guy for that? He bought the Caribbean island of Mustique – most of us make do with just booking a hotel – in the late 1950s and transformed it into a multimillionaires’ playground. Glenconner dressed like the quintessential tropical patriarch: bright colours, tunics and wide-brimmed hats. And it somehow worked. When, in the 1980s, things got a little bumpy and he had to sell his interest in the island, he took it in his stride. “We weren’t brought up to throw in the towel,” he said. “We were brought up to bite bullets and to fold towels neatly”



Bob Dylan has undergone many musical and aesthetic changes during his 50-year career. But there is no denying his genius and the way he can carry a tune and, more impressively, a lyric. Even the way he describes his former girlfriends is poetic. Of one of those, Suze Rotolo, who died last month, Dylan said: “She had a smile that could light up a street full of people… a Rodin sculpture come to life.” Although he’s one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century, I’m going to be very superficial and just point out how good a man can look when he finds the right black jacket and the perfect shades



Jean-Michel Basquiat was a graffiti artist on the 1980s New York art scene. In his short 27-year life, he modelled for Japanese label Comme des Garçons, starred in a Blondie video, dated Madonna and collaborated with Andy Warhol. He was also noted for wearing high-priced designer suits to paint in. To be able to create paintings that are still highly sought after today and look damn smart while making them is quite an achievement. He just pipped Lucian Freud to the post for me. I’ve often spotted Freud dining in the Wolseley in London and there’s something strangely appealing about the frayed collars on his shirts



Jean-Paul Belmondo was a leading light in French New Wave cinema, acclaimed for his roles in Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless and Alain Resnais’s 1974 film Stavisky. His good looks (he was known as the French Bogart) and penchant for playing characters every man secretly wanted to be has assured him of lifetime hero status. After marrying twice and having a well-publicised affair with Ursula Andress, the 78-year-old Belmondo now dates a Belgian ex-Playboy model. His top 10 style icon placing was helped by a strong set of props: a good collection of hats, obligatory cigarette dangling from lips and, of course, Jean Seberg



It seems harder to pick style icons who are in their prime. I think that might be because men feel happier acknowledging someone else’s talents, or looks, if they’re dead – or past their prime at least. Johnny Depp, however, exhibits a distinctive and eclectic style that’s not easy to find among his generation of actors. His love of worn-in clothing, oversize dress shirts and heavy accessorising gives him a look that’s part grunge, part bohemian and part eccentric millionaire. Hats off to him for going his own way

No DJ Pat? Very surprisng.

[Mr Lick]

China opens National People's Congress



A Chinese paramilitary policeman keeps watch above Tiananmen Square as the sun rises before the opening session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People



Stewardesses pose for photographs on Tiananmen Square outside the Great Hall of the People



Soldiers on Tiananmen Square





A military band conductor rehearses before the opening session





A delegate of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference reads a government report from Premier Wen Jiabao



China's president, Hu Jintao, and other top leaders attend the opening ceremony



A security officer keeps watch inside the Great Hall of the People



The opening ceremony in the Great Hall of the People



An ethnic minority delegate leaves the Great Hall of the People in Beijing after the opening session

[Mr Lick]

Carnivals around the world



People dance through the street during a traditional parade to mark the end of the carnival period in southern port city of Limassol, Cyprus, on March 6.



Latvian-born artist Kathrina Asfardi performs with her flying piano at the Fenice theater in Venice late on March 5, during the "Cavalchina," a historic annual Venetian carnival ball.

[Mr Lick]

A horse is brought into the Fenice theater in Venice late on March 5, at the start of the "Cavalchina".



An aerial view of millions of revellers during the "Galo da Madrugada" (Rooster of the Morning) parade in Recife, in the northern coastal state of Pernambuco, Brazil, March 5.



A dancer performs during Carnival celebrations in Oruro, Bolivia, March 5.

[Mr Lick]

A reveler performs during Carnival festivities in Baranquilla, Colombia, on March 5. The Carnival of Barranquilla was declared to be a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.



People dressed in carnival costumes pose in San Marco square in Venice, Italy, on March 5, during the annual Venice Carnival.



People dance during a "Ceu na Terra" street parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 5.



A woman dances amid orange smoke during the 'Bloco da Lama', or Mud Block carnival parade in Paraty, Brazil, March 5.



A girl in a costume is pictured during the Malostranky carnival parade in Prague, Czech Republic, March 5

[Mr Lick]

Chefs prepare a two-meter pancake as part of Maslenitsa celebrations in a city park in Stavropol, March 6. Every spring across Russia, Maslenitsa is celebrated with pancake eating and shows of strength as Russians bid farewell to winter.



Spectators and participants cheer after the storming of a snow fortress at the Maslenitsa celebration near the village of Podvyaznovo, Russia.



A contestant climbs up a pole to reach a prize during Maslenitsa celebrations in front of a new bridge under construction in Vladivostok, March 6.



A Belarussian interior ministry soldier has a masonry block on his chest smashed by a flaming hammer as part of Maslenitsa celebrations in Minsk, March 6.



A young couple kisses during celebrations of Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, March 6, with St. Basil Cathedral in the background. Maslenitsa is traditional Russian holiday marking the end of winter that dates back to the pagan times.



People watch as an effigy of Lady Maslenitsa burns during celebrations of Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week in St.Petersburg, Russia, March 6.

[Mr Lick]

Rebel fighters jump away from shrapnel during heavy shelling by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi near Bin Jawad, March 6. Rebels in east Libya regrouped on Sunday and advanced on Bin Jawad after forces loyal to Muammar Gadhafi ambushed rebel fighters and ejected them from the town earlier in the day.



Buddhist monks pray beside flaming wood before walking barefoot over the fire during the traditional "hi-watari", or fire-walking ritual, which heralds the coming of spring at the Chichibu Fire Festival in the town of Nagatoro, Saitama Prefecture on March 6. Hundreds of people followed Buddhist ascetics and participated in fire walking for "purifying the mind and body" and to pray for good health and safety.

[Mr Lick]

Libya unrest