Thursday: The day in photos

Supporters of Madagascar’s opposition leader, Andry Rajoelina, flash victory signs while attempting to “install” new ministers during a protest against President Marc Ravalomanana. Before being cordoned off by troops, the protesters had entered four ministry offices in the capital, Antananarivo.  (Gregoire Pourtier / AFP / Getty Images)

Farood Khan, 9, eats his dinner next to his grandmother on a beach in Karachi, Pakistan.  (Emilio Morenatti / Associated Press)

A boy skids down a street in Dalian, China, where the regional employment situation has slid precariously with an estimated 20 million migrant workers out of a job because of factory shutdowns.  (China Photos / Getty Images)

Japan’s Daito Takahashi takes his first competition jump of the Nordic Combined competition during the FIS Nordic World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. The competition was canceled in the middle of the first jump because of bad weather.  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

The sky’s the limit for a kite surfer off the coast of Alimos in Greece. The city of Piraeus is seen in the background.  (Petros Giannakouris / Associated Press)

The tangle that is British train travel was underscored in a major government-commissioned study that found the rail system is expensive, frustrating and confusing. The report said British rail journeys are among the highest-priced in Europe, and passengers find the fare structures as baffling as the tracks in Clapham Junction station in London.  (Matt Dunham / Associated Press)

A model prepares backstage at the Malandrino fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Rainbow Room in New York City.  (Amy Sussman / Getty Images)

Yaar Mohammad, 22, hoists a barbell during a weightlifting game on a beach in Karachi, Pakistan.  (Emilio Morenatti / Associated Press)

California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, left, is congratulated by Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara) after the Senate passed the budget in the early-morning hours Thursday in Sacramento.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Competitors create a whirl of color against the snow at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. The championships, held in odd-numbered years, showcase cross-country skiing, ski jumping and nordic-combined events.  (Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)

Laughing fans of Women’s Carnival Day are among the tens of thousands celebrating the annual event outside the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany. Women usually “storm” town halls in a mock seizure of power from mayors.  (Oliver Berg / EPA)

A kangaroo hits the green at golf’s Johnnie Walker Classic, held at the Vines Resort and Country Club in Perth, Australia.  (Ian Walton / Getty Images)

Horses and their riders make the final jump during the Racing U.K. Novices Handicap race at Huntingdon Race Course on February 19, 2009 in Huntingdon, England.  (Jamie McDonald / Getty Images)

Lucky, a 14-month-old elephant, gives a peck to Pek, a 3-year-old boy in Phuket, Thailand. This weekend Phuket will be the site of a meeting of the finance ministers of ASEAN, the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations.  (Barbara Walton / EPA)

A skateboarder flies off a ramp installed inside Malmesbury Abbey, which calls itself a “church without boundaries.” The abbey, in Wiltshire, England, is hosting a three-day event for Christian youth.  (Matt Cardy / Getty Images)

A few hours before Barack Obama arrived in Canada in person on his first visit to a foreign country as U.S. president, a cardboard cutout of him dropped by the Parliament building in Ottawa.  (David Boily / AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Army Sgt. Darin Hendricks searches a cave in Nuristan province, Afghanistan, looking for Taliban rocket-launching equipment. President Obama has announced that he is committing an additional 17,000 troops to the war in Afghanistan.  (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)