Kerry 'sniper snap'

A picture of American senator John Kerry appears to put the US presidential hopeful in the sights of a sniper.

The photograph, published by Reuters, shows the Democrat politician in the cross-hairs of a target.

Reuters explained the picture actually shows Mr Kerry as he was seen through a television camera when being interviewed in Madison, Wisconsin.

But one Washington newspaper editor branded the photograph "irresponsible".

"It is in extraordinarily bad taste at a time of so many terrorist threats," he told the Drudge Report.