Jump to March 2012 archive page: 1 2 3 ... 19
  • David J. Phillip / AP

    Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor (10) celebrates with Kansas guard Christian Garrett at the end of an NCAA Final Four semifinal college basketball tournament game against Ohio State Saturday, March 31, in New Orleans, La. Kansas won 64-62.

    Kansas rallies past Ohio State, 64-62, to play Kentucky for NCAA title

    “Well, it’s kind of a tale of two halves, two games,” said Kansas head coach Bill Self. “The light came on and then we were much more aggressive the second half.

    “They missed some shots, we controlled the glass, were able to play through our bigs, get out and run. The biggest thing is we got stops and rebounded.”

    -- Reported by Raphielle Johnson of CollegeBasketballTalk

  • Hadi Mizban / AP

    Relatives of Shaima Alawadi gather around her body during her funeral in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq, March 31. Alawadi, an Iraqi-American woman found bludgeoned to death in her California home last week with a threatening note left beside her body was buried in her native Iraq on Saturday.

    Iraqi-American woman found beaten in her California home laid to rest in her native Iraq

    "The martyr (Alawadi) used to love all; she made no distinction between religions," Alawadi's father, Nabil, told Reuters.

    "Her husband told me that someone threw a note saying, 'go back to your own country, you're a terrorist' ... Who is the real terrorist, Shaima, or them," he said.

    -- Reported by msnbc.com news services

  • Chris Steppig / Getty Images

    Peyton Siva #3 of the Louisville Cardinals looks to pass the ball around Michael Kidd-Gilchrist #14 and Anthony Davis #23 of the Kentucky Wildcats in the first half of the National Semifinal game of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on March 31, in New Orleans, La.

    Kentucky holds off Louisville, 69-61, to move on to national title game

    One of the most-anticipated games in the history of the Kentucky/Louisville series provided the expected result in the end.

    Behind 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots from Anthony Davis, No. 1 seed Kentucky (37-2) advanced to Monday’s national title game with a 69-61 win over No. 4 seed Louisville.

    -- Reported by Raphielle Johnson of CollegeBasketballTalk

  • 3D printer prints sand grain-size models at record speed

    Vienna University of Technology / Reuters

    An electron microscope photograph shows a nano-scale F1 racing car model created by a newly developed 3D printing technique for nano structures, made available to Reuters March 29, 2012. Researchers from the Vienna University of Technology have set a new world speed record for creating 3D nano objects. The University team creates their grain of sand-size structures in just four minutes, a fraction of the time that other items have previously been printed. Making complex large 3D structures in the past would take hours or even days but with the newly developed 3D laser printer, the scientists can speed that up by a factor of 500 or in some cases 1,000 times. The process called "two-photon lithography" involves using a focused laser beam to harden liquid resin in order to create micro objects of solid polymer. The scientists said the technique could be developed to make small biomedical parts to be used by doctors.

    You might say this car is small and fast. The same words would apply to the machine that manufactured it — a 3D printer, developed at the Vienna University of Technology in Austria, that can print nanometer-scale objects at record speed for the technique it uses. 

     A racecar printed at the Vienna University of Technology that's 285 nanometers long, about 1/1000 the width of a human hair. The new device prints layers of a liquid resin, developed at the Vienna University of Technology, that hardens to a solid when it's hit with two photons from the printer's laser beam. Continuously-moving mirrors focus the beam to the right place as the printer works. The results have a resolution of hundreds of nanometers, which means each of the sculptures the printer makes is about the size of a grain of sand.

    -- Reported by InnovationNewsDaily

    Vienna University of Technology / Reuters

    A handout electron microscope photograph shows a nano-scale model of London's Tower Bridge.

    Vienna University of Technology / Reuters

    An electron microscope photograph shows a nano-scale model of Vienna's St. Stephans cathedral created by a newly developed 3D printing technique for nano structures, made available to Reuters March 29.

     

  • Civil-rights leaders from NAACP, other groups lead thousands in march to demand arrest in Trayvon Martin case

    Lucas Jackson / Reuters

    Demonstrators hold signs aloft as they march during an NAACP march and rally to the Sanford Police Department for Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., March 31. Sanford is the town where Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot dead on Feb. 26 after George Zimmerman, 28, a Hispanic neighborhood watch captain, believed the young man walking through the gated community in a hooded sweatshirt looked suspicious.

    Brian Blanco / EPA

    Civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton center, civil rights activist the Reverend Jesse Jackson, right, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People President Ben Jealous, left, brief the media before joining residents and rally attendees in a march through the streets of the Goldsboro neighborhood of Sanford, Fla., March 31. Reports state that the gathering is a protest against the Sanford Police Department's failure to arrest the man accused of killing 17 year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012. Police say Martin was unarmed when he was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

    With gospel music playing in the background, protesters were marching from a technical high school campus on 13th Street through a predominantly black neighborhood to the Sanford Police Station several blocks away. The throng stretched for blocks, weaving past homes, churches and small businesses, many of them boarded up.

    The rally was organized by the NAACP. Its chapters from South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama arranged buses to bring participants to the rally, while others traveled by car.

    "Because of the age of the young man and because of the circumstances of his death, every community can identify with that," said Bernard Simelton, president of the Alabama state conference of the NAACP. "We've had things like that happen in Alabama where somebody gets killed and the police just sweep it under the rug. It just touches everyone."

    -- Reported by NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services

    Mario Tama / Getty Images

    Trayvon Martin supporters march through the historically African American community of Goldsboro on their way to an NAACP rally in front of the Sanford Police Department on March 31, in Sanford, Fla.

    Lucas Jackson / Reuters

    Demonstrators march during an NAACP march and rally for Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., March 31.

     

  • Ilya Naymushin / Reuters

    Participants compete during a comic tobogganing competition, dedicated to the upcoming All Fools' Day and the end of a winter sports season, at the Vetluzhanka ski stadium in the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, March 31. More than 70 participants competed using basins, baths, and refrigerators as sleds according to organizers.

    Buckets, basins and baths used in tobogganing event in Russia

  • Therapy ballet for kids with movement disabilities

    Jim Young / Reuters

    Samara Almanza (C) is assisted by (L-R) Aneesha Suresh, Aditi Bhatt, Dr. Citlali Lopez-Ortiz and Kaitlyn Pasquinelli during a dance class for children with movement disabilities in Evanston, Illinois, March 25, 2012.

    By Jim Young, Reuters: I found out about the program, “Ballet Class for Kids with Movement Disabilities”, while flipping through a brochure as I waited for my daughter at her ballet class.

    Jim Young / Reuters

    Sophia Jablonski is assisted during the dance class for children with movement disabilities.

    I contacted the instructor Dr. Citlali Lopez-Ortiz, who has a Ph.D in Kinesiology and a Masters in Dance, to see if I could photograph the weekly class. A week later she said the parents and instructors agreed and I could join them on Sunday.

    I met eight-year-old Samara Almanza, who was dressed perfectly in all pink; tutu, tights, ballet shoes and all.

    She was all smiles as I introduced myself to her and her father. He has to hold her to keep her upright but says she loves the class and anxiously looks forward to it every week. Her grandmother arrived and was overjoyed to see her. The class uses a group setting so the children can be with their peers and use ballet as a creative outlet as they move; blending it with physical rehabilitation to improve posture and motor control, and by using live piano music to facilitate the movement.

    Jim Young / Reuters

    Samara Almanza is assisted during the dance class.

    Samara was helped into class by 4 instructors, one holding her head; the others helping to move her limbs to simulate walking.

    Jim Young / Reuters

    Jessie Sanchez (C) works with foam balls as part of her dance class for children with movement disabilities.

    It was a very energetic and physical class with constant interaction between the instructors and the students. Each child has two assistants and Lopez-Ortiz moved from child to child to ensure the proper technique and to motivate the class.

    The children all have varying degrees of Cerebral Palsy but one thing is clear; there is a love of the class by the students and by the volunteers too. The class ended with them practicing their bows in the mirror. Laughing and smiling, its was just like watching my own daughter out there.

     

     

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    Jim Young / Reuters

    Samara Almanza (C) is helped with her stretching by Kaitlyn Pasquinelli (L) and Ilana Feld during the dance class.

  • New jellies exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium

    Richard Green / Reuters

    A girl watches Moon Jellies swimming in a giant cylindrical aquarium on display during the preview for "The Jellies Experience" exhibition.

    Richard Green / Reuters

    Japanese Sea Nettles, the first jellies to greet visitors, are seen during the preview for "The Jellies Experience" exhibition.

    Richard Green / Reuters

    A visitor photographs Japanese Sea Nettle Jellies through a viewing window during "The Jellies Experience" exhibition.

    The new $3.5 million exhibition features 16 jellyfish species from around the world in a collection of live and interactive displays, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium officials.

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    Richard Green / Reuters

    Giant cylindrical aquariums containing Moon Jellies are seen on display during the preview for the "The Jellies Experience" exhibition at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

  • Martin Alipaz / EPA

    Soldiers participate in an operation to eradicate coca at the Chimore locality, Bolivia, March 30, 2012. Governments from Bolivia, Brazil and United States have implemented a new system to verify eradications of illegal cultivations in the El Chapare region.

    Bolivian soldiers work to eradicate coca

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  • Mark Weber / AP

    University of Memphis students Mason Lin, left, and Christina Dang battle it out in a sumo competition Friday March 30, 2012, during the school's inaugural Asian American Awareness Week sponsored by the Asian American Association in Memphis, Tenn. This is the first year for the U of M Asian American Association on campus and the group has seen its numbers grow from 15 members last semester to over 80 this semester and hopes the event will help bring in more new members and also shine a light on the discrimination of Asian Americans including the recent racial slurs towards NBA player Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks.

    Student sumos suit up for Asian American Awareness Week

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  • Enrique Castro-Mendivil / Reuters

    "Bam Bam", a 16-month-old sea lion rescued a year ago from the city's sea shore, swims at the Parque de las Leyendas Zoo in Lima March 30, 2012. He was brought to the zoo near death, made a full recovery and was symbolically baptized under the launch of the campaign "Adopt an Animal" organized by the Zoo, to sensitize the community about the care of vulnerable and endangered species.

    Rescued sea lion makes full recovery in Lima

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  • National Geographic features new images of the unseen Titanic

    The first complete views of the legendary wreck: As the starboard profile shows, the Titanic buckled as it plowed nose-first into the seabed, leaving the forward hull buried deep in mud—obscuring, possibly forever, the mortal wounds inflicted by the iceberg. (Copyright 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

    The first complete views of the legendary wreck: Ethereal views of Titanic's bow offer a comprehensiveness of detail never seen before. The optical mosaics each consist of 1,500 high-resolution images rectified using sonar data. (Copyright 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

    The first complete views of the legendary wreck: Titanic's battered stern is captured overhead here. Making sense of this tangle of metal presents endless challenges to experts. Says one,

    National Geographic

    The Titanic anniversary is featured in April's issue of National Geographic.

    Just in time for the 100th anniversary of the most storied maritime disaster in history, National Geographic magazine and a team of researchers have unveiled new images of the Titanic, revealing unrestricted views of the wreck for the first time ever.

    The detailed, sweeping images of the sunken ship were made by stitching together hundreds of optical and sonar images collected by three deep-diving robots during a 2010 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution expedition.

    One remotely operated vehicle and two autonomous swimming robots were equipped with sonar, used to make wide-area maps; and advanced 3D camera systems, used to conduct detailed investigations of the shipwreck.

    The resulting images are the most comprehensive ever made of the ghostly site.

    Continuing reading the OurAmazingWorld.com article on msnbc.com 

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    Aft grand staircase dome: Decorated like the forward grand staircase dome featured in the movie Titanic, the aft grand staircase led down to the deluxe a la carte restaurant, allowing patrons to arrive in style. (Copyright 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

    Davit pile: Titanic's lifeboats were hoisted overboard by davits, or small cranes. Most were ranked off the deck by flailing funnel cables. These two were entangled by ropes left dangling after a boat was launched. (Copyright 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

    David Moir / Reuters

    The Titanic Belfast Experience is a new visitor attraction location in Belfast's Titanic Quarter, on the original site of the Harland and Wolff shipyard -  birthplace of RMS Titanic.

  • For photography lovers: a glimpse of new and old at the AIPAD photo show

    Weegee / Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery

    Water Spray, ca. 1940. Vintage gelatin silver, printed c. 1940, 10 x 12 inches.

    Matthew Brandt / Courtesy Yossi Milo Gallery

    Matthew Brandt, American Lake, WA C1, 2011, from the series Lakes and Reservoirs. C-print soaked in American Lake water.

    Sally Mann / Courtesy Etherton Gallery

    Shiva at Whistle Creek, 1992. Gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches.

    Julia Margaret Cameron / Courtesy Hans P. Kraus Jr. Inc.

    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1868 Albumen print from a wet collodion negative, 35.5 x 26.3 cm.

    Most of us have become too accustomed to seeing photos from the comfort of our desk, as we quickly scan a glowing screen. Obviously, there are huge benefits to your favorite photographer being one Google search away, but it is important to remember that small details and subtleties can get lost in the inherent limitations of pixels and small monitors. Visiting the AIPAD (Assoc. of International Photography Art Dealers) photography show in New York City is a great reminder of the beauty of experiencing the printed image and the significant role photography has played in documenting history.

    The show brings together top photo galleries from all over the world, as far away as China and as close as 57th street, each featuring their own specialty, from late 19th century photography pioneers to contemporary ones.

    Henri Cartier-Bresson / Courtesy John Cleary Gallery

    Rue Mouffetard, 1954, printed c. 1995. Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 inches.

    After walking through each gallery's booth, you end up with a survey of photography's diverse history, seeing many familiar names and iconic prints along the way. A beautiful Ansel Adams print is followed by a couple from Henri Cartier-Bresson, including his famous one of a man jumping over a puddle in Paris. Some names you may have seen published in PhotoBlog, including the vivid work of Alex Webb as well as that of Tim Hetherington, whose powerful portraits and film on American soldiers in Afghanistan earned him an Oscar nomination (he was killed almost a year ago while covering Libya).

    While the AIPAD show makes you appreciate the physical print and its tangibility, it is also a glimpse into the world of art collecting. Little red stickers placed alongside a print's details, are a reminder that all the photos on display are for sale (in the case of the ones with the stickers, they have been sold). Whether you are there to shop or to appreciate, if you are in the NYC area the show is a refreshing visit and an excellent excuse to step away from modern technology to appreciate the older one.

    Visiting AIPAD: The AIPAD show is open through Sunday, April 1 at the Park Avenue Armory; Admission is $25/daily; for more information visit the AIPAD Photography Show website.

    Massimo Vitali / Courtesy Bonni Benrubi Gallery

    Porto Miggiano, 2011. Chromogenic print, 86 x 72 inches.

    Vivian Maier / Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery

    Untitled (Couple Embracing with Checkered Clothing), ca. 1960s. Gelatin silver print, printed 2011, 20 x 16 inches.

  • Thousands mourn at Jamphel Yeshi's funeral

    Ashwini Bhatia / AP

    A Tibetan exile child wipes tears off her mother's face during a special ceremony for 27-year-old Jamphel Yeshi who burned himself alive as an act of protest against the visit by China's president in New Delhi.

    Manish Swarup / AP

    Tibetan exiles offer prayers near the coffin containing the body of 27-year-old Jamphel Yeshi, wrapped in a Tibetan flag, inside the Tsuglakhang temple, in Dharmsala on March 30.

    Mukesh Gupta / Reuters

    A Tibetan exile weeps as the body of Jamphel Yeshi is carried for cremation inside the Tsuglagkhang temple on March 30.

    Buddhist monks chanted prayers as thousands of Tibetan exiles gathered in northern India on Friday for the funeral of a man who set himself on fire to protest China's rule of his homeland.

    Jamphel Yeshi, 27, a Tibetan man, set himself ablaze on Monday at a protest criticizing China's President Hu Jintao's visit to India. He died in a local hospital from his injuries, the general secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress said in a statement.

    Born in Tibet but living in exile in India, Yeshi was an activist with the youth organization, which seeks independence for the Himalayan region, under Chinese rule for more than six decades.

    Related links:

    Ashwini Bhatia / AP

    Tibetan exiles pray next to the burning funeral pyre of 27-year-old Jamphel Yeshi, who passed away Wednesday morning two days after he immolated himself in New Delhi.

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  • Mwah! Baby animals smooch mom and pop

    Is there anything cuter than baby animals? Yes! Check out these baby animals kissing their parents!

    Oliver Berg / EPA

    Polar bear cub Anori cuddles with his mother Vilma at the zoo in Wuppertal, Germany, on March 29. Anori was born on Jan. 4 and has stayed in a closed enclosure with his mother for the past two months. He is the half-brother of Knut, who died in 2011.

    Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters

    A male Sumatran orangutan dad gets a kiss from his cub inside their enclosure at a city zoo in Moscow on March 30.

     

    More: Fox makes friends with cats and eagle 
    Harry the hippo calf receives royal treatment from his handlers 
    Comfort blanket gets baby elephants to feed 
    Rescue pup may be world's smallest

  • The Week in Pictures: March 22 - 29

    Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

    A dawn plunge in Australia, a soldier's homecoming in Alaska, a fiery firehouse in New Jersey, a tearful farewell in California and more.

    Winter gets me down. The short days, cold temperatures, and all that time cooped up inside weighs on me by the time we’re getting ready to flip the calendar to April. Participating in this week’s picture edit provided a little break from the winter blues.

    Spring comes on strong in this episode of The Week in Pictures. Photographer Scott Anderson gets us going with his picture of a robin catching her lunch in Wisconsin. Kimimasa Mayama made a great picture of the boys of summer at the first Major League Baseball game of the year, and Gary Cosby Jr. closes the slideshow with his lovely picture of Opal Cosby riding her bicycle right into an Alabama sunset.

    As always, there are some difficult pictures in this week’s slideshow. Casey Christie’s image of a grieving woman at her fiancée’s funeral breaks your heart. It reminds me of how precious life is and how sometimes people are taken away before we get the opportunity to appreciate them.

     

     

    Previous episodes of The Week in Pictures from 2012

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  • Bieber or Obama? Schoolgirls go crazy

    Charles Dharapak / AP

    Visitors brace themselves from the rotor wash of the Marine One helicopter as President Barack Obama lifts off from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on March 30, as he travels to Vermont and Maine for campaign fundraising events.

    Shawn Thew / EPA

    US President Barack Obama, under the watchful eye of the Secret Service, departs the aboard Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 30. President Obama will spend the day campaigning in Vermont and Maine.

    When I first saw the top photo, I thought it was taken at a Justin Bieber sighting. Turns out the girls were just waving at the President as he boarded a helicopter on his way to Vermont and Maine.

    See more photos of President Obama in our slideshow.

    Alex Wong / Getty Images

    U.S. President Barack Obama waves to visitors as he walks towards the Marine One on the South Lawn prior to his departure from the White House March 30, in Washington, DC. Obama was traveling to Vermont and Maine for campaign events.

  • Violence on Land Day as Israeli forces and Palestinians clash

    Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images

    Israeli mounted policemen move crowds of Palestinian protesters during a demonstration marking Land Day in the east of the city on March 30, outside the old city of Jerusalem, Israel. Land Day, which began in 1976, marks the day Israeli forces killed six Palestinians during a protest against Israeli occupation of what Palestinians consider to be their land.

    Ammar Awad / Reuters

    Israeli border police officers use pepper spray as they detain an injured Palestinian protester during clashes on Land Day after Friday prayers outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on March 30.

    Mohammed Abed / AFP - Getty Images

    Members of the Hamas security forces prevent Palestinian protesters from reaching the border between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip, after a protest marking Land Day in Beit Hanun, on March 30.

    Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images

    A Palestinian girl holds her mother and cries during a demonstration marking Land Day in the east of the city on March 30, outside the old city of Jerusalem, Israel.

    Israeli security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to break up groups of Palestinian stone-throwers on Friday as annual Land Day rallies turned violent.

    Palestinian activists have called for a "Global March to Jerusalem" to mark the day when Israeli Arabs protest against government policies that they say has stripped them of land.

    Arab news channel Al Jazeera reported in a live blog on its website that the Israeli army was "pushing protesters back towards Ramallah with the use of tear gas and water cannons".

    It also reported that there are close to 1,000 protestors gathered in Ramallah.

    Continue reading the full story.

    -- msnbc.com staff and news services

    Related story:

    Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images

    A Palestinian youth climbs over a fruit stall as an Israeli mounted policeman disperses hundreds of Palestinian protesters during a demonstration marking Land Day in east Jerusalem on March 30. Demonstrators waving huge Palestinian flags gathered for Land Day, sparking scuffles with hundreds of Israeli police who were seen beating some of the crowd, an AFP correspondent said.

    Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images

    Palestinians scuffle with Israeli policemen during a demonstration marking Land Day in east Jerusalem on March 30.

    Ronen Zvulun / Reuters

    Israeli police officers detain an injured Palestinian protester during clashes on Land Day, after Friday prayers outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City March 30. Israeli security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to break up groups of Palestinian stone-throwers on Friday as annual Land Day rallies turned violent. Police said they made five arrests at Damascus Gate.

    Mohammad Zaatari / AP

    Palestinian boys look to the direction of the Lebanes-Israeli border during a Palestinian rally to mark Land Day, in the southern Lebanese village of Arnoun, Lebanon, on Friday March 30. More than 3,000 Lebanese and Palestinians gathered outside the Crusader-built Beaufort castle 9 miles from Israel. Lebanese security forces kept them from moving any closer to the border. March 30 is traditionally marked by Israeli Arabs as "Land Day," a time of protests against the alleged confiscation of Arab-owned lands by Israel.

  • Aftermath of violent protests: Barcelona cleans up

    Emilio Morenatti / AP

    A worker cleans a shop stormed by demonstrators following clashes between police and protesters after a general strike in Barcelona, Spain, on March 30. The Spanish government prepared to approve on Friday a new austerity budget that hundreds of thousands protested against this week in sometimes violent demonstrations.

    Emilio Morenatti / AP

    A man leaves a bank stormed by demonstrators following clashes between police and protesters after a general strike in Barcelona, Spain, on March 30. The Spanish government prepared to approve on Friday a new austerity budget that hundreds of thousands protested against this week in sometimes violent demonstrations.

    David Ramos / Getty Images

    A Carslon Wagonlit Traves employee is seen through a broken window on March 30, in Barcelona, Spain. Violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police in the past 24 hours has left scores injured and led to 74 people being detained.

    Emilio Morenatti / AP

    A security guard stands next to a Starbucks coffee shop stormed by demonstrators during clashes between police and protesters after a general strike in Barcelona, Spain, on March 30. The Spanish government prepared to approve on Friday a new austerity budget that hundreds of thousands protested against this week in sometimes violent demonstrations.

    See recent photos out of Spain in PhotoBlog.

  • Gathering wood in Afghanistan

    Johannes Eisele / AFP - Getty Images

    An Afghan carries a bundle of wood in Nahr-i Sufi near the DHQ (Char Dara District Police Headquarter) in the province of Kunduz on March 30. The Afghan economy has always been based on agriculture, despite the fact that only 13 percent of its total land is arable and just eight percent is currently cultivated.

    I was struck by the beauty and simplicity of this photos. Sometime texture and composition come together in a photograph in way  that can be reminiscent of paintings or poems. See more photos from Afghanistan in our slideshow.

    Jangir / AFP - Getty Images

    More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.

     

  • Scenes of devastation in Homs, Syria

    Shaam News Network via Reuters

    A view shows damaged buildings in the old city of Homs March 30, 2012.

    Shaam News Network via Reuters

    A damaged car is seen in front of a damaged building in the old city of Homs, Syria, March 30.

    Shaam News Network via Reuters

    Damaged buildings line a street filled with rubble in the old city of Homs, Syria, March 30, 2012.

    Shaam News Network via Reuters

    A damaged vehicle is seen next to a damaged building in Al Qasseer city, near Homs, Syria, March 28.

    Editor's note: These photos were released by the Shaam News Network, members of the Syrian opposition who have been releasing videos and photos to other media organizations and uploading them to YouTube and various websites. We can't verify the authenticity or the source. Shaam News Network also has twitter feed in english.

  • Jason Getz / Atlanta Journal Constitution via AP

    Rep. Donna Sheldon, center, throws paper into the air next to Thomas Allison after the House Majority Leader, Rep. Larry O'Neal yelled, "Sine Die," to end the 2012 Legislative Session at the stroke of midnight on Legislative Day 40 at the Capitol Thursday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga., March 29, 2012. Allison is the son of Rep. Stephen Allison, who sits next to Sheldon.

    Paper toss! Legislators celebrate at the closing of the session in Atlanta

    The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports: Two of the most contentious issues of this year's General Assembly passed on the last day of this year's session, salvaged by Republican leaders who wanted to tout them as major victories this election year.

    New restrictions on late-term abortions in Georgia, which had appeared dead in the morning, and a bill that would cut unemployment benefits for Georgians, passed with just minutes remaining in the 2012 session.

    The work to get them passed highlighted a more-than-14-hour day, one full of compromises that dominated much of lawmakers' work. Full story.

  • Edible fashion on the runway in Switzerland

    Steffen Schmidt / EPA

    A model presents a creation made of chocolate at a fashion show on the occasion of the 'Salon du Chocolat' in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday, March 29, 2012

    Steffen Schmidt / EPA

    Models present creations made of chocolate, at a fashion show on the occasion of the 'Salon du Chocolat' in Zurich, Switzerland.

    Christian Hartmann / Reuters

    A model receives the last touch-ups before presenting a creation at the first Salon du Chocolat.

    Christian Hartmann / Reuters

    Doves are seen inside a dress made of chocolate.

    Steffen Schmidt / EPA

    A model presents a dress made of chocolate.

    The 'Salon du Chocolat', the world's largest event dedicated to chocolate, takes place in Zurich from 30 March to 01 April 2012.

     

     

     

     

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