April 18, 2008: Today in Pictures

News

April 18, 2008: Today in Pictures

Today's best photos: around the world in pictures is a daily look at photos from Atlanta, national and world news, entertainment, sports and celebrities through the eyes of photographers from ajc.com and other sources.

On Friday, former Braves centerfielder Andruw Jones, wearing his trademark shades, talks to members of the media before the start of his first game in Atlanta since signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

U.S. soldiers and medics with Bravo Company 1-14 Infantry 2nd Stryker Brigade treat a wounded Iraqi soldier at a U.S. patrol base in Sadr city, Iraq, on Friday. The soldier was shot in the side during clashes with Mahdi militia.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Timmins (right) pets soon-to-be retired Master Sgt. Bo, a black Lab, during a ceremony Friday in Lawrenceville to honor Bo's late handler, Army Staff Sgt. Donald T. Tabb. The soldier was killed in Afghanistan in February and Bo was his service dog. Bo was given to Tabb's brother, Willie Smith upon retirement.

China's National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest for its elaborate infrastructure, is aglow in Beijing on Friday and will be the site of opening and closing ceremonies and athletics competition for the 2008 Summer Games.

Georgia Tech's Shantia Moss clears a hurdle during the third heat of the womens 110 event at Friday's ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championship in Atlanta. She finished second and goes on to Saturday's finals.

Relatives of Israeli soldier Sgt. David Papian grieve at his funeral at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on Friday. Papian was one of three soldiers killed in fighting with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip earlier in the week.

Art major Mark Verlander, of Kennesaw State University, enjoys a relaxing and warm Friday afternoon doing an oil painting landscape on the banks of Sope Creek in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area near Atlanta.

People walk along a dusty street in Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday.

UGA men's SEC-winning basketball coach Dennis Felton gets his mustache shaved off Friday outside the Tate Student Center in Athens. Felton promised to shave if the Dogs won a championship - they did, and he did.

An Afghan man sprays water on his rooster during a cockfighting tournament in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday. Owners are allowed to stop the fight, temporarily, to refresh their roosters and check their wounds before sending them into battle again. Though the fights are not to the death, the roosters are bloodied and sometimes blinded before a winner is decided. Cockfighting, an old tradition in Kabul, was banned during the rule of the Taliban.

Students from Liberty Middle School, in Cumming, run with a torch to open the Forsyth County Special Olympics on Friday. (From left ) Megan Jewell, Braden Martin and Daley Fitzpatrick do the honors at Forsyth Central High School, where NFL kicker Morten Andersen was the special guest.

Pope Benedict XVI greets people at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, N.Y., on Friday. The pope will speak at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

A dog watches as a model tries on shoes backstage during Fashion Week in Mexico City on Thursday.

Trumpet honeysuckle, also known as a Coral honeysuckle, blooms in a Dunwoody neighborhood on Thursday. The bright red flowers last a about a month in spring on this perennial vine.

A group of student athletes stretches on a track in Gwinnett County on Thursday.

A member the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints stands outside the Tom Green County Courthouse during a short break from the second day of a child custody hearing in San Angelo, Texas, on Friday.

Janet Petts, a General Motors event coordinator, brushes pollen off a 2008 Cadillac CTS during setup for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution International Auto Show at the Georgia World Congress Center on Thursday. The show runs daily from April 19-27.

Braves pitcher John Smoltz strikes out trying to bunt against the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium in Miami on Thursday.

Members of the Ismaili community greet His Highness the Aga Khan as he arrives at Fulton County Airport in Atlanta on Thursday. The 49th hereditary iman of the Shia Ismaili Muslims visited with Gov. Sonny Perdue and other Georgia officials.

In true Cosmopolitan fashion, the magazine photographed hundreds of bikini-clad wome at its first Bikini Bash. Over 300 women formed the word "COSMO" in Miami Beach, setting the record for the largest U.S. swimsuit photo shoot in history. The photo will be featured in the magazine's August 2008 issue.

1/20

On Friday, former Braves centerfielder Andruw Jones, wearing his trademark shades, talks to members of the media before the start of his first game in Atlanta since signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Today's Gallery Headlines

Atlanta United's home opener versus Real Salt Lake

PHOTOS: Atlanta United falls in home opener to Real Salt Lake

meachern, wheeler

Photos: Wheeler defeats McEachern in semifinal to advance to 6A state championship

north paulding, campbell

PHOTOS: North Paulding defeats Campbell in Class 6A girls semifinals

Tri-Cities, Alexander

Photos: Alexander defeats defending champ Tri-Cities in semifinals

More Galleries

Georgia students organize protests against ICE after Minnesota killings

PHOTOS: Snellville's Brookwood High School students rally and march against ICE

Ice storm warning

PHOTOS: Scenes from icy winter storm in Metro Atlanta

As storm inches closer to Georgia, metro Atlanta braces for ice threat

PHOTOS: Georgia readies for incoming ice storm

01202026 day of protests

PHOTOS: Metro Atlanta ICE protest join national effort