Jump to April 2012 archive page: 1 2 3 ... 17
  • May Day celebrations in Thailand

    Rungroj Yongrit / EPA

    Elephants, one of them carrying a portrait of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, take part in a march with labors to mark International May Day at Royal Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand on May 1, 2012.

    Rungroj Yongrit / EPA

    Elephants perform during a demonstration with Thai workers to mark International May Day at Royal Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 May 2012.

    Thousands of Thai laborers rallied on May Day calling for a rise in the minimum wage as part of a 9-point petition demanding the government improve living standards.

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  • Dolphin stuck in California wetlands may be victim of bullying

    Nick Ut / AP

    A dolphin swims in wetlands at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, Calif., Monday, Aug. 30, 2012.

    Nick Ut / AP

    Spectators watch as a dolphin, dorsal fin visible at lower right, swims in wetlands at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, Calif., Monday, Aug. 30, 2012.

    Msnbc.com reports: A lone dolphin that has spent the past five days swimming in the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Southern California may be the victim of bullying, NBCLosAngeles.com reported. The dolphin may have been prevented from leaving the Huntington Beach nature preserve by other dolphins, Peter Wallerstein, director of Marine Animal Rescue told the Register. This would be a rare occurrence, as dolphins are social creatures that typically travel in a pod.

    “He was scared, he was intimidated, he was bullied,” Wallerstein told the Los Angeles Times. Dolphins "can be very aggressive toward each other. They’re not the sweet, loving, gentle animals portrayed by the movies and the cartoons. They do have a dark side.”

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  • Tombs mark lost loved ones at pet cemetery

    John Moore / Getty Images

    Grieving pet owner Spencer Warren opens the casket of his beloved 12-year-old beagle-hound Justin in the viewing room of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory on April 30 in Hartsdale, New York. Warren, an Annandale, Virginia attorney, had traveled with Justin's body to bury him here on a shady hillside. The cemetery, established in 1896, is the oldest pet cemetery in the United States and serves as the final resting place for tens of thousands of pets. Pet owners can spend as much as $20,000 for a large plot to bury multiple pets and as little as $300-400 for small plots to bury ashes if they choose cremation. Pet owners also have the option of eventually having their own ashes buried in the plot, alongside their pets.

    John Moore / Getty Images

    Pet chaplain David James conducts a graveside service for Justin, a twelve-year-old beagle-hound at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory.

    John Moore / Getty Images

    Graves and tombs mark pets' final resting place at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory.

    John Moore / Getty Images

    Maddalena Sullivan visits a grave on the two-month anniversary of the death of her cat Spanky.

    John Moore / Getty Images

    A gravestone marks a pet's final resting place.

    See more images of pets in PhotoBlog, and animals of all kinds in Animal Tracks

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  • Pole-dancing grandma defies norms in China

    Carlos Barria / Reuters

    Sun Fengqin (R), 60, participates in a pole-dancing class in Nanjing, Jiangsu province on April 27. In China, where older women are expected to lead a quiet life tending to their grandchildren, retired grandmother Sun Fengqin's hobby is unusual - she pole dances. Swings, spins and sultry moves are all in the repertoire of the long-haired 60-year-old, who took on pole dancing in admiration of what she saw as a sexy sport despite its image in China as something associated with strip clubs. Pole dancing has over the last few years evolved into a popular pastime and a way of staying in shape, with devotees promoting it as a legitimate form of dance and acrobatics.

    Carlos Barria / Reuters

    Carlos Barria / Reuters

    Check out another image of pole dancing in PhotoBlog, as well as more images from China

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  • Smiles shine through struggles at children's clinic

    Nacho Doce / Reuters

    Rychard Barboso, 5, looks at his physical therapist during a session at the Association for the Aid of Disabled Children (AACD) in Sao Paulo on March 19. All images captured by Nacho Doce of Reuters.

    A disabled girl embraces a doll during a session of physical therapy at the AACD on March 19.

    The Association for the Aid of Disabled Children (AACD) in Sao Paulo is a non-profit organization that began in 1950 with just 14 patients. It now works with some 8,000 young victims of disabling conditions and diseases such as cerebral palsy, and most of the patients come from impoverished or broken homes.

    Reuters photographer Nacho Doce became aware of the clinic through a close friend and was astonished at the range of disabilities the children faced and was impressed with their determination and resilience.

    It was the children’s smiles and willpower that drew me to them from the start, as much to those who couldn’t move as to those who couldn’t speak or sense. The parents and even the therapists also showed incredible strength.

    -- Nacho Doce

    All photos were shot by Nacho Doce in March and April, and were made available to msnbc.com today.

    A girl wearing a brace on her leg is assisted by a physical therapist during a hydrotherapy session at the AACD on April 3.

    A physical therapist supports Luiza Ezaledo, 2, during a hydrotherapy session on April 2.

    Luara Crystal, 5, who suffers from brittle bone disease, lifts a weight next to her physical therapist during a session at the AACD.

    Ivan Bevenuto, 4, sits next to his skateboard after taking part in a Capoeira therapy session at the AACD on March 21.

    Yara Santos, 9, talks with her mother before a session of physical therapy on March 21.

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  • One World Trade Center now taller than the Empire State Building, making it Manhattan's tallest

    Lucas Jackson / Getty Images

    Steel workers Adam Cross (R) and Steven Cross maneuver a steel column into place on the 100th story at the top of One World Trade Center to make it New York City's tallest building on April 30, 2012 in New York City. One World Trade Center is being built to replace the twin towers destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks. It reached just over 1,250 feet, making it just taller than the observation deck on the Empire State Building.

    Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

    Two construction workers on the 71st floor of One World Trade Center look at a view of the New York skyline, including the Empire State Building.

    Spencer Platt / Getty Images

    The new One World Trade Center building, which is under construction on the site of the destroyed original World Trade Center, is viewed on April 30, 2012 in New York City. One World Trade officially surpassed the height of the Empire State Building today to become New York City's tallest building. With its unfinished frame the building stands at a little more than 1,250 feet high. Referred to as the "Freedom Tower," it isn't expected to reach its full height for at least another year, when it will likely to be declared the tallest building in the United States and the third-tallest in the world.

    See more images of the World Trade Center in PhotoBlog, including this interactive view from the 69th floor shot by msnbc.com's John Makely.

    On Monday, the World Trade Center surpassed the height of the top floor of the Empire State Building. When it's completed, the tower will eventually rise 1,776 feet high. NBC's Harry Smith reports.

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  • 500 job seekers finally receive applications

    Keith Bedford / Reuters

    Job seeker Matthew Cox, the first person in line, cheers after picking up a job application form at the training offices of Local Union 46, a union representing metallic lathers and reinforcing ironworkers, in the Queens borough of New York on April 30. All images in this post were photographed on April 30 by Keith Bedford of Reuters.

    Application forms were passed out to 500 people who camped in front of the offices of Local Union 46 in the Queens borough of New York for a week after the State Department of Labor and the union, which represents metallic lathers and reinforcing ironworkers, announced they were looking to hire 50 iron and wood apprentices.

    --Reuters

    Job seeker Dave Mugavero waits in front of the training offices of Local Union 46.

    A job seeker puts on his boots after waking up in front of the training offices of Local Union 46.

    Jestty Martinez hugs his partner and fellow job seeker Aida Munoz after waiting in front of the training offices of Local Union 46.

    Keith Bedford / Reuters

    Job seekers raise their hands as the numbers on their wristbands, which they were given when they began queuing last week, are called after waiting in front of the training offices of Local Union 46.

    Keith Bedford / Reuters

    Job seeker Matthew Cox, who was first in line, holds up a job application form at the training offices of Local Union 46.

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  • Kim Ludbrook / EPA

    Spreading your wings at the AfrikaBurn festival

    A 'Burner' wearing wings attending the AfrikaBurn festival in the Karoo desert, Tweefontein, South Africa, on April 29. The festival is based on Burning Man in the United States and see thousands of people gathering in the desert to construct a temporary community. The event is part rave, part trance party, part Pagan gathering, part arts festival as thousands of participants erect art pieces, share ideas, share goods and gifts burn the effigies on the final night. There must be no trace of humans after the event is finished and a sharing community is formed as there is no money allowed as participants have to bring their own food, water and tents.

  • Relatives wait anxiously outside Venezuelan prison after gunfire is heard

    Carlos Garcia Rawlins / Reuters

    Relatives of inmates pray outside the La Planta prison in Caracas, April 30, after riots erupted inside the prison.

    Carlos Garcia Rawlins / Reuters

    Relatives of inmates cry outside the La Planta prison in Caracas, April 30, after riots erupted inside the prison. Gunshots and explosions were heard inside the prison after a plan for a massive escape was discovered by guards.

     Authorities discovered a tunnel  on Friday leading out of the La Planta prison in Caracas which they believe was constructed for an escape attempt. Today, relatives waited anxiously outside for news after explosions and gunfire were heard inside the prison.

  • Crunch! It's the Week in Sports Pictures: April 23 - 29

    Tim Shaffer / Reuters

    Boxer Lavarn Harvell, right, connects to the head of Tony Pietrantonio for a knockout during the third round of their light heavyweight boxing fight in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on April 28, 2012.

    This stunning photo of boxer Tony Pietrantonio having his face temporarily rearranged is just one of the highlights in the latest edition of The Week in Sports Pictures.

    According to the Press of Atlantic City, Pietrantonio was unconscious before he hit the floor following the third-round punch from Lavarn Harvell on Saturday night, but he was able to sit up a few minutes later and was given the all-clear after a precautionary visit to hospital.

    Please let us know what you think of this week's selection in the comment section below or on Twitter @msnbc_pictures.

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  • Pint-sized bodybuilder competes in Kabul

    Johannes Eisele / AFP - Getty Images

    A young boy flexes his muscles during a regional bodybuilding competition in Kabul on April 30, 2012. Bodybuilding is one of the country's most popular sports, even permited during the 1996-2001 Taliban regime.

    Johannes Eisele / AFP - Getty Images

    Afghan bodybuilders compete in the bantamweight classduring a regional bodybuilding competition in Kabul on April 30, 2012.

     More about bodybuilding in Afghanistan from NBC's Sebastian Rich.

  • Relinquishing the throne: Dutch prince takes part in toilet-bowl-tossing contest

    Koen Van Weel / Pool via Reuters

    Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands participates in a toilet-bowl-throwing contest in Rhenen on April 30, 2012. The royal family celebrates the annual Queen's Day on April 30.

    Robin Van Lonkhuijsen / United Photos via Reuters

    Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands waves to well-wishers in Rhenen on April 30, 2012.

    Hordes of orange-clad revelers took to the streets of towns and cities across the Netherlands on Monday to celebrate Queen's Day, a public holiday that marks the official birthday of Queen Beatrix.

    Members of the royal family traveled to the town of Rhenen to join in the fun, with Crown Prince Willem-Alexander making a particular splash. The heir to the throne eagerly put himself forward for a series of challenges, culminating in a popular local pastime: the toilet-bowl-tossing contest.

    According to the blog Sanitation Updates, the prince attributed his not-inconsiderable aptitude for the sport to his chairmanship of UNSGAB, the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.

    The contest brings to mind the the exploits of those members of the British royal family who took part in It's A Royal Knockout, a bizarre TV game show fondly recalled as "the day when royalty lost the plot."

    Compared to the recently-disclosed leisure activities of another European monarch, Spain's King Juan Carlos, though, it seems positively harmless.

    Koen Van Weel / Pool via Reuters

    Princess Maxima and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander participate in the traditional tug-of-war event in Rhenen on April 30, 2012.

    Jasper Juinen / Getty Images

    Spectators wave to Queen Beatrix from a window in Rhenen.

    Robin Utrecht / EPA

    Queen Beatrix doing a painting during her visit to Rhenen. The Queen's Day tradition started on 31 August 1885, on the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, later Queen Wilhelmina.

    Robin Utrecht / AFP - Getty Images

    Princess Annette, left, and Princess Maxima participate in a soapbox race in Rhenen.

  • Flying high with Hello Kitty

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    A passenger looks out of an Airbus A330-300 aircraft of Taiwan's Eva Airlines, decorated with Hello Kitty motifs, in Taoyuan International Airport, northern Taiwan, April 30, 2012. Taiwan's second-largest carrier, Eva Airlines, and Japan's comic company, Sanrio, which owns the Hello Kitty brand, collaborated on the second generation Hello Kitty-themed aircraft. There are currently three Hello Kitty-themed Airbus A330-300 aircrafts flying between cities such as Taipei, Fukuoka, Narita, Sapporo, Incheon, Hong Kong and Guam.

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    An Eva Airlines ground crew counts Hello Kitty-themed boarding passes in Taoyuan International Airport, northern Taiwan, April 30, 2012.

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    A passenger stands next to Eva Airlines' self check-in counters, which are decorated with Hello Kitty motifs, in Taoyuan International Airport, northern Taiwan, April 30, 2012.

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    A Hello Kitty-themed in-flight meal is seen inside an Eva Airlines aircraft in Taoyuan International Airport, northern Taiwan, April 30, 2012.

     

    More on the airline's Hello Kitty jets: Hello Kitty takes 'cute' to new heights

    An airline is offering the ultimate Hello Kitty experience with service that includes cat-themed boarding passes, pink kiosks and other paraphernalia. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.

  • Khaled Abdullah / Reuters

    Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration calling for Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to be put on trial, in Sanaa on April 30, 2012.

    Gone, but not forgotten: Protesters demand Yemen's Saleh be put on trial

    Two months after Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down as part of a deal brokered by Arab Gulf countries and backed by the United States, protesters continue to demand that he be put on trial.

    The power-transfer deal gave Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for relinquishing power, although his party still holds half of all government ministries. He has also remained in the country instead of going into exile as was anticipated.

    -- The Associated Press contributed to this report

    Related content:

  • SANA via EPA

    EDITOR'S NOTE: Image released by the state-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). A damaged building and cars at a site hit by two suicide bombings in Idlib, Syria, on April 30, 2012. According to SANA the bombing killed at least eight people, wounded a hundred others and caused heavy damage. Activists said 20 people were killed and believe the blasts were set off by 'regime agents'.

    Deadly bombs in Syria's Idlib target security

    Reuters reportsAt least eight people, mostly Syrian military personnel, were killed and about 100 wounded on Monday in bomb blasts at security buildings in Idlib, state media said, as a bombing campaign intensified against government targets.

    Twin explosions, the latest to disrupt a shaky U.N. truce, blew fronts off nearby buildings and left craters in roads, according to images on state television which showed people at the scene in the restive northwestern city condemning the rebels who are fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

    From the front line to the front page: Syria's image war

    State television said both blasts were suicide bombings.

    A prominent human rights activist said they appeared to target local headquarters of intelligence services for the air force and the army, two of the many security agencies that have helped keep the Assad family in power for four decades. The activist at the British-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights put the death toll at over 20. Read more.

  • Estbean Felix / AP

    A dancer poses for a picture after performing in the 2012 Miss Gay Nicaragua beauty contest in a backstage kitchen area of the Ruben Dario National Theatre in Managua, Nicaragua, April 28.

    Dancer strikes a pose at Miss Gay Nicaragua

    There are a couple of things that I really like about this image: the contrast between the starkness of the kitchen area and the over-the-top nature of the costume; and I love the connection the dancer has to the poster on the wall, although I can't be sure if it's intentional or unintentional on the dancer's part.

  • Fredrik Persson / AP

    Four men, who witnesses say were perpetrators of an attack on followers of an Egyptian Muslim cleric and former candidate for the Egyptian presidency, are seen detained in a tent by Salafi protesters near the Ministry of Defense after overnight clashes in Cairo, Egypt, April 29. Assailants attacked demonstrators gathered outside the Defense Ministry in Egypt's capital to call for an end to military rule with rocks and firebombs, killing one protester and wounding scores, security officials said on Sunday.

    Clash between Egypt's Islamists, military grows

    Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament said Sunday it was suspending sessions for a week to protest the ruling military's failure to heed repeated calls for the dismissal of the government.

    Anger against the country's military rulers also spilled into the streets where a protester was killed late Saturday in a demonstration outside the Ministry of Defense. Protesters clashed for three hours with unidentified assailants supporting the military, throwing rocks, firebombs and glass bottles.

    The parliament seated three months ago has been demanding it be allowed to form a Cabinet to replace the one appointed by the country's military rulers late last year. That Cabinet is headed by Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri, a holdover from the era of authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak who was ousted in a popular uprising 14 months ago.

    -- Reported by the Associated Press

    Read the full story.

  • Mike Brown / EPA

    Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, left, knocks the ball loose from Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, right, of Spain, in the first half of game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinal round game at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on April 29. The winner of the best-of-seven series will go on to face either the San Antonio Spurs or the Utah Jazz in the Conference Semifinals.

    Clippers overcome 27-point deficit to rally past Grizzlies

    Chris Paul hit a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from 27 down to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 99-98 Sunday night in the opening game of this Western Conference series.

    Boxscore | NBA coverage

  • Keith Bedford / Reuters

    Job seekers wait in front of the training offices of Local Union 46, the union representing metallic lathers and reinforcing ironworkers, in the Queens borough of New York, April 29. About 500 people have been camping in front of the offices for a week after the State Department of Labor and the union announced they were looking to hire iron and wood apprentices for 50 positions. On Monday the first 500 people, who were given wristbands, will be given applications for the 50 positions.

    500 job seekers camp out for 50 positions in Queens borough of New York

    At the top of investors' radar screen next week will be the government's closely watched monthly jobs report for April, to be released on Friday. Jobs growth in March slowed to 120,000, the smallest increase since October, disappointing investors even though the unemployment rate fell to a three-year low of 8.2 percent.

    Ahead of the government's payrolls report, investors will be watching the ADP Employment Report due on Wednesday and weekly jobless claims data due on Thursday for indications of whether the labor market is gaining momentum.

    Corporate earnings, which drove gains in stocks last week, will also be in focus.

    -- Reported by Angela Moon and Rodrigo Campos, Reuters

    Read the full story.

    Related story: Why people stay mired in their careers

  • Los Angeles remembers riots 20 years later

    Hyungwon Kang / Reuters

    Churchgoers perform as they dance with signs and flags during Sunday service at First AME Church in Los Angeles, Calif., April 29. The Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the sermon.

    This April 29 marks the 20th anniversary of the riots following the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police officers in the videotaped beating of motorist Rodney King, which resulted in 53 deaths and an estimated $1 billion in damage.

    Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

    Los Angeles Police Department officers from the 77th Street division detain a twenty-year old 'Street Villains' gang member who was recently released from prison on April 29, in Los Angeles, Calif. The 77th Street division patrol the same neighborhood that truck driver Reginald Denny was nearly beaten to death by a group of black assailants at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues.

    Hyungwon Kang / Reuters

    Revisiting a turbulent chapter in race relations

     

  • Louis Lanzano / AP

    Police investigate a destroyed van that plunged over the Bronx River Parkway, April 29, in New York. Authorities say the out-of-control van plunged off a roadway near the Bronx Zoo, killing seven people, including three children.

    Van plunges off New York parkway, 7 killed

    The seven victims were in the van. Three were girls, ages 7, 10, 12. The adults who died were an 84-year-old man and three women, ages 80, 45 and 30.

    It is still unclear what caused the van to veer out of control but investigators believe it bounced off the median, crossing all southbound lanes before flipping over the guardrail. The area below was a non-public area of the 265-acre animal park. There were no animals or people on the ground.

    Read the full story.

  • Swiss town casts votes, reaches decisions in open-air with show of hands

    Christian Hartmann / Reuters

    People raise their hands to vote during the annual Landsgemeinde meeting at a square in the town of Appenzell, Switzerland, April 29.

    Appenzell is one of Switzerland's two remaining Landsgemeinde, a 700-year tradition of an open-air assembly in which citizens can make key political decisions directly by raising their hands. The practice has been abolished in all but two cantons, as many believed true democracy could not be achieved since there was no anonymity in voting and the process simply became too unweildy as populations grew.

  • Goths gather in England to celebrate all things dark and mysterious

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    Victoriana fan Jan Farmer poses outside Whitby Abbey during the Whitby Goth Weekend on April 28, in Whitby, England.

    Whitby Gothic Weekend which was started in 1994 to celebrate all things dark and mysterious has become a twice yearly event for Goths. Whitby was partly chosen because Bram Stoker wrote his famous Dracula story in the fishing town with the Gothic Whitby Abbey as his inspiration. The weekend has now grown to include followers of Romanticism, Victoriana, Cybergoth and Steampunk and features music, dancing, drinking and shopping for all of those interested in alternative lifestyles.

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    Goths show off their make-up and dress.

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    Goths and Steampunks walk through Whitby during Whitby Goth Weekend.

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    Dracula's bride, alias Jean Pawson, adjusts the collar of Dracula, John Threfall.

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    A Goth peers from behind a gravestone.

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    Goths stand near the abbey.

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    A skeleton sits in the driver's seat of a hearse.

    Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

    Goth Jimmy Clarke walks in the narrow fishermens' streets during Whitby Goth Weekend.

     

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