Large crowds as Australia and New Zealand mark Anzac Day
Tens of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders turned out Saturday to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings amid tight security, a formative event that helped their forge identities as independent nations.
Dawn services were held across the two countries on the anniversary of the ill-fated 1915 campaign of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that left 11,500 of them dead in what is now Turkey during World War I.
Security at events across Australia was tight, with a highly visible and heavy police presence after authorities last weekend foiled an alleged plot to launch an Islamic State-inspired attack at an Anzac parade in Melbourne.
But police said there was no specific, current threat on Saturday and Prime Minister Tony Abbott urged people to show up in numbers to send a defiant message to would-be terrorists.
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All-clear sounded at Statue of Liberty after bomb scare
The Statue of Liberty was declared safe on Friday after a bomb scare forced the evacuation of thousands of tourists from the New York Harbour landmark, the National Parks Service said.
All visitors and staff were safely ferried off Liberty Island soon after an anonymous caller threatened to blow up the statue that stands guard at the mouth of the Hudson River, Mindi Rambo, a National Park Service spokeswoman, said in a statement.
About four hours later, authorities sounded the all-clear after a security sweep, including two canine patrols, failed to uncover any explosive device on the island.
Liberty Island, which draws some four million visitors a year, will reopen on Saturday, the park service said.
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Angelina Jolie critical over UN failures on Syria crisis
Actress Angelina Jolie on Friday criticised the UN Security Council's failure to end the war in Syria, as she appealed for urgent help for the growing ranks of Syrian refugees.
The Hollywood star spoke at the council in her role as special envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which has seen her visit camps hosting victims of the Syrian crisis 11 times.
An estimated 3.9 million people have fled the country in four years of civil war.
"The purpose of the UN is to prevent and end conflict, to bring countries together, to find diplomatic solutions and to save lives," said Jolie, dressed in a white blazer. "We failed to do this in Syria."
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Formula One: Pressure on as Schumacher's 16-year-old son begins F4 career
Michael Schumacher's 16-year-old son starts his Formula Four career this weekend under the pressure of living up to the famous family name of the seven-time Formula One world champion.
After a successful karting career, Mick Schumacher Jnr has joined the Dutch Van Amersfoort Racing team in Europe's ADAC Formula Four for the season which starts at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben between Hanover and Berlin.
Schumacher junior will start a modest 19th on the 38-strong grid in Saturday's first race at midday local time (6pm Singapore time) despite finishing fourth and fifth in Friday's practice sessions.
It will be a busy weekend for the young German with one race on Saturday and two on Sunday.
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Sandler stays mum over native American film walk-out
US actor Adam Sandler remained tight-lipped on Friday after a group of native Americans stormed out of his latest movie, while streaming giant Netflix defended the satirical film.
Actors including Navajo natives walked off the set earlier this week claiming the film, The Ridiculous Six - a spoof on the Magnificent Seven - was racially insensitive, including characters such as Beaver's Breath and No Bra.
Sandler's spokeswoman declined to comment on the storm, referring AFP to a statement issued by Netflix, which has exclusive rights to the actor's production.
Netflix implied strongly that the native Americans were being oversensitive about what were clearly jokes.
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