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Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images
A squirrel sits eats from a man's hand in a park in Moscow on Thursday, Dec. 30.
India slum fire kills 4 kids, leaves 100 homeless
Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters
A woman is comforted by neighbors and relatives after her daughter died in a fire in a slum in Kolkata, India, on Thursday, Dec. 30. Four children died and over a hundred people lost their homes in the fire.
Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters
Residents sit on the remains of their burnt shanty after a fire leveled a slum in Kolkata on Thursday, Dec. 30.
Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters
Residents sift through debris of a burnt shanty as they search for victims after a fire at a slum in Kolkata on Thursday, Dec. 30.
These photos have been so thoughtfully described by one of our readers I'm re-posting her comment here:
JoannaK writes: "The pictures tell the story of the incredible sadness and loss......also about the compassion and cooperation of the survivors. What stands out is not the bleak background of the shanties and slum--but the quiet dignity and startling beauty of the people...outlined by the rainbow of colors. My deepest condolences to families and the community."
Ilya Naymushin / Reuters
A Siberian Husky is pictured during a race, with the air temperature at about -23 degrees Fahrenheit on the bank of the Mana river southeast of Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk Dec. 29, 2010. A group of people, celebrating the upcoming New Year holiday, took part in a sled dog race featuring Siberian Huskies.
Don Seabrook / The Wenatchee World via AP
Allison Razey, Quincy, Wash., pushes her son, Aiden, 9 months, around during the public skating afternoon at the Wenatchee, Wash. Community Ice Rink on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Over 220 people were out enjoying thier afternoon on the ice, more this year than any other at the new rink. At right is Allison's daughter, Nikeyea, 12.
Brad Dokken / AP
Ryan and Josie Muirhead of Roseau, Minnesota, display the massive rack of a bull elk in East Grand Forks, Minnesota on Dec. 28. Ryan was hunting deer with a muzzleloader in Kittson County in northern Minnesota on Dec. 12 when he and a couple of buddies came across the bull lying on its back with its antlers mired in the mud after tripping while crossing a fence. Muirhead and seven others managed to free the elk, but it died two days later. The rack was green-scored at 456 1/2 inches. If the score holds to become official after the mandatory 60-day drying period, it will become the No. 5-ranked elk rack in the world.
Hunter nabs massive elk rack in Minnesota
As incredible as this rack is, it still falls short of the world's record elk rack by 22-1/8 inches. You can read about the current world record rack, confirmed by the Boone and Crockett club, here.
Peruvian blessings for 2011 go to Obama, Assange, and the fruit of a beautiful woman
These Peruvian Shamans are sure offering a wide range of blessings.
Paolo Aguilar / EPA
A group of shamans perform a ritual for good luck as they hold up an image of President Barack Obama in Lima, Peru on Dec. 29.
Mariana Bazo / Reuters
A woman holds an offering of fruits as shamans perform a ritual for good luck for the new year in Lima, Peru on Dec. 29.
Paolo Aguilar / EPA
Posters of (L-R) Brazilian President-elected Dilma Rousseff, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Australian founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange are seen among ritual items during a ceremony held by shamans for good luck during 2011 in Lima, Peru on Dec. 29.
Andrew Gombert / EPA
American Airlines worker helps travellers with luggage at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, on Dec. 29. Reports state that flights have slowly started to resume in New York after a snowstorm crippled much of the northeastern United States and left millions of holiday travellers stranded at airports and train stations
Luggage pile-up the latest headache for delayed travelers in NYC
Finding your luggage in this vast expanse looks like a very daunting task. Just when things were looking up for delayed travelers, now they have to tackle the delayed luggage. Read the latest on the travel woes here.
The Year in Pictures - News: Outtakes
Both of these photos have an "epic" quality that really struck me. They have an almost lithographic feel - the Pakistan image is reminiscent of an artistic drawing from biblical text, and the wildebeests seem to tap imagery from the wild west you might have seen a century ago.
Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images
Flood victims scramble for food rations as they battle the downwash from a Pakistan Army helicopter during relief operations on Sept. 13, 2010 in the village of Goza in Dadu district in Sindh province, Pakistan. Over six weeks after flooding began, new devastation continues across the Sindh province of Pakistan, as flood waters, still on the rise, continue to overcome new villages. The country's agricultural heartland has been devastated, with rice, corn and wheat crops destroyed by floods. Officials say as many as 22 million people have been effected during Pakistan's worst flooding in 80 years. The army and aid organisations are struggling to cope with the scope of the wide spread scale of the disaster that has killed over 1,700 people and displaced millions. The UN has described the disaster as unprecedented, with over a third of the country under water.
Thomas Mukoya / Reuters
Wildebeests (connochaetes taurinus) run after crossing the Mara river during a migration in the Masaai Mara game reserve, 165 miles southwest of the capital Nairobi, on Aug. 25. The migration is the world's greatest wildlife spectacle taking place between the open plains of the Serengeti and the Masaai Mara as the animals migrate to greener pastures as the seasons change and the circle of life and death continues.
While both were featured in editions of The Week in Pictures earlier this year, they didn't make the final vote for The Year in Pictures - check out the images that are featured in the final slideshow here: Year in Pictures - News.
Fan chalks one up over LeBron
When I saw this top image in today's feed of images I immediately thought of Miami Heat's LeBron James' pre-game ritual.
So when are you going to step it up a notch LeBron?
Irwin Fedriansyah / AP
An Indonesian supporter pours powder over his head during the final match of AFF Suzuki Cup soccer between Indonesia and Malaysia at Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday, Dec. 29.
Joe Skipper / Reuters
Miami Heat forward LeBron James tosses chalk into the air, his pregame ritual, before the Heat faced the Charlotte Bobcats in their NBA preseason game in Miami, Fla. Oct. 18.
Searching for 'dog' pictures on Flickr Commons
It's a slow day for me today (don't tell my boss), so I took the opportunity to go look for cool pictures at Flickr Commons, searching for the word "dog." Here are four of the most interesting results:
Brooklyn Museum Archives via Flickr Commons
Paris Exposition: ship, Paris, France, 1900. View of a dog on deck of a ship. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_015 image 2049).
The George Eastman House via Flickr Commons
Dog Training | Accession Number: 1974:0056:0316 | Maker: William M. Vander Weyde (American 1871–1929) | Title: Dog Training | Date: ca. 1900 | Medium: negative, gelatin on glass | Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.5 inches
Charles O'Rear / National Archives via Flickr Commons
Original Caption: Hitchhiker with His Dog, "Tripper", on U.S. 66. U.S. 66 Crosses The Colorado River At Topock: 05/1972 | U.S. National Archives' Local Identifier: NWDNS-412-DA-6626 | From: Series: DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency's Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, compiled 1972-1977 (Record Group 412)
Bain News Service / Library of Congress via Flickr Commons
Mrs. J.M. Gray [between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915] 1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.
We've posted from Flickr Commons before, leading off with a sweet mustache, and explaining the site's noble and engaging mission.
Christian Charisius / Reuters
Two four-month-old crocodiles prepare to be weighed at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany on Wednesday, Dec. 29.
Crocodiles on display in Germany
What's worse than one crocodile coming to dinner?
Two crocodiles coming to dinner.What did one Egyptian crocodile say to the other? You're in da Nile!
See a roundup of this year's truly fantastic animal images HERE.
Christian Charisius / Reuters
Zookeeper Guido Westhoff uses a ruler to measure a reef shark during an animal stocktaking at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg Dec.29.
Zookeepers take inventory in Germany
I wonder how they convince the shark to hold still for the measurment.
Stringer Shanghai / Reuters
A commander watches as recruits of paramilitary police run in a circle during a training at a military base in Hami, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Dec. 29.
Uighur paramilitary police run in circles
I wonder what the military training value is of literally running in circles. In any case, the slow shutter speed makes a very nice image.
Night shift: they work as London sleeps
Photojournalist Peter Macdiarmid's essay on night workers in London is an excellent example of environmental portraiture. His masterful use of electronic flash puts light where he needs it without spoiling the mood of the picture. More on Mcdiarmid here.
Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Yard Beadle Colin Jones walks through the cloisters of Westminster Abbey on Oct. 11 in London, England. Jones works from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Steve Fisher, Security Supervisor at The Old Bailey, walks through The Grand Hall on Dec.15 in London, England. Fisher works from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Raker and roller driver Keith Warder works on Lower Thames Street in a resurfacing gang on Oct.11 in London, England. Warder works from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Senior Technical Officer Charles Lotter photographed at Tower Bridge on Nov. 11 in London, England. Lotter can work all night if a bridge lift is required.
Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Table dancer Terri applies her makeup in the dressing room at The Windmill night club on Nov. 11 in London, England. Terri works from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Reserved seat for 'Non-Wussies' in Philly
Drew Hallowell / Getty Images Contributor
Philadelphia Eagles personnel buried the seat of Governor Ed Rendell before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell joins Brian Williams to talk about his recent radio statements about the cancelation of last Sunday night's football game because of the weather, and discusses whether America is becoming "too soft."
What do you think, have we become a nation of Wussies?
German Shepherd puppy freed after getting his head stuck in 18-inch-thick wall
Luckily, the pooch wasn't in any serious danger and could breathe OK, officers determined when they arrived at 12:30 p.m. (But we're sad to say that, yes, that red stuff in the photo is blood; Rebel injured his "eyebrows" a bit while thrashing around as he tried to free himself.)
See the full post here to read how Rebel was freed.
Reuters
A scene from the 1980 film "The Empire Strikes Back" with Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Harrison Ford as Han Solo.
'Empire Strikes Back' among film registry picks
Which film will you nominate for the 2011 list ?
From AP: The Library of Congress announced the selections early Tuesday. The goal of the registry, which began in 1989, isn't to identify the best movies ever made but to preserve films with artistic, cultural or historical significance. The 25 films selected this year include "The Empire Strikes Back," the 1980 sequel to "Star Wars" that many critics and fans consider the best of George Lucas' six "Star Wars" films. "Empire" shocked moviegoers with the revelation that masked villain Darth Vader was the father of hero Skywalker. Lbrarian of Congress James H. Billington has chosen each of the films in the registry, culling them from suggestions by the National Film Preservation Board and by the public. More than 2,100 films were nominated by the public in 2010. Full story here.
Lynne Sladky / AP
Manatees congregate in a canal where discharge from a nearby Florida Power and Light plant warms the water in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dec. 28, 2010. Overnight temperatures in South Florida were in the 30s.
Spanish villagers perform traditional Flamenco music in their local festival
I think the world could use more local music festivals.
Jon Nazca / Reuters
People in traditional costumes tune their instruments before competing in the 49th Verdiales music contest in Malaga, Spain on Dec. 28, 2010. Verdiales is a form of traditional Flamenco music, which is common in the province of Malaga. Members of singing groups, known as "pandas", wear traditional costumes decked with flowers and other accessories as they perform in the annual contest.
Jon Nazca / Reuters
People drink wine out of a wineskin before competing.
Jon Nazca / Reuters
A man in traditional costume plays a tambourine before performing.
Jon Nazca / Reuters
Children look on before performing in the music contest.
The origin of Verdiales is uncertain, but it probably has roots in the Arabic music introduced by the Berbers in the eighth century. It is a music intended to be danced to, and is common at village weddings, communions and other celebrations. The predominant instruments are guitar, violin, castanets, and the lute. The groups who perform it are known as “pandas”, and their songs are usually happy and simple, marked by a passionate cry of 'ay' and vigorous clicking of the fingers. Watch the video below to hear what the music sounds like.
Devin Wagner / Argus Leader via AP
The morning sun glints off fishing line as Tom Heiney casts into a steaming Big Sioux River below the spillway in Sioux Falls, S.D., Dec. 28, 2010. Heiney said he enjoys the peace and beauty of fishing the river on cold winter mornings.
South Dakota fisherman enjoys the beauty of the moment
I’m usually not too keen on silhouette pictures, but this is a nice break from all the cold weather pictures we’ve seen the last few days.
“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Jens Wolf / EPA
New snow covers the roof of the Cultural History Museum in Magdeburg, Germany, Dec. 28. Snow and ice are causing continued traffic difficulties in East Germany.
Snow covers the roof of German museum
Photographer Jens Wolf did an interesting job of framing this shot. The windows almost look like eyes.
Baz Ratner / Reuters
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks through the compound of Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus Dec. 28. In coordination with the Palestinian forces that control Nabus, the Israeli army escorted hundreds of Jewish settlers and pilgrims to the ancient shrine on Tuesday morning. Believed to be the final resting place of the biblical patriach, Joseph's Tomb saw fierce Israeli-Palestinian fighting a decade ago.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews visit Joseph's Tomb in Nablus
Like many things in the Middle East, this tomb has a complicated history.
Pavel Rahman / AP
Bangladeshi children walk through a mustard field in Shingair village on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Dec. 28.
Children walk through mustard field in Bangladesh
What a pleasure to see such a bucolic scene from Bangladesh.
Miguel A. Lopes / EPA
Customers in underwear wait outside Desigual Store in Lisbon, Portugal Dec. 28. The store gave clothes to the first 100 clients that arrived in underwear.
Customers bare their underwear for free duds
What are you willing to do for a free set of clothes?
Five injured after fire breaks out on Israeli train
It's pretty amazing that no one was killed. Full story.
Uriel Sinai / Getty Images
An Israeli fire fighter tackles a blaze after a train caught fire on Dec. 28 in Bnei Zion, Israel. The cause for the fire has yet to be determined. The train, travelling from Nahariya to Tel Aviv was carrying over 100 passengers, many of whom suffered injuries and smoke inhalation.
Uriel Sinai / Getty Images
Passengers are treated after being evacuated from a train which caught fire on Dec. 28 in Bnei Zion, Israel. The cause for the fire has yet to be determined.
Jack Guez / AFP - Getty Images
An Israeli policeman stands next to a burning train coach near Kibbutz Shfaim, close to the Israeli city of Netanya about nine miles north of Tel Aviv.