Jump to November 2011 archive page: 1 2 3 4 ... 19

  • Remembering George Harrison 10 years after his death

    Ten years ago today, George Harrison died at age 58. To mark the occasion, we've collected a few classic images of the legendary musician and excerpted his bio from our friends over at Rolling Stone.

    Juergen Vollmer / Getty Images

    George Harrison in Hamburg, Germany, in April, 1961.

    Known first as "The Quiet Beatle," George Harrison was a great songwriter who had the misfortune to be surrounded by two stone cold geniuses whose work often obscured his talents. Yet Harrison compositions such as "Something" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" are as good as anything the Beatles ever recorded. And with his solo debut All Things Must Pass, he stepped completely out of the shadows of his Beatle band mates to reveal himself a powerfully spiritual songwriter with an expansive sense of melody. Harrison was also a gifted, fluid guitarist and hugely influential in introducing the Beatles — and, by extension, the entire Sixties generation – to Eastern religion and musical influences.

    Before all that, Harrison was a teen guitarist in thrall to Britain's 1950s skiffle revival — a working class kid with a band called the Rebels. It was Paul McCartney, a schoolmate one year ahead of Harrison, who invited the 15-year-old to jam with the Quarrymen, a group led John Lennon. (Harrison had come three years behind Lennon at his previous school.) This band would become the Beatles — and Harrison would himself become, like Lennon and McCartney, one of his generation's great seekers. His response to fame, however, was to direct that search inside of himself

    Read the full bio here.

    Popperfoto / Getty Images

    Harrison on stage during The Beatles' 1964 tour of the United States.

    Terry O'neill / Getty Images

    Harrison attends a UNICEF gala in Paris in December 1967.

    Terry O'neill / Getty Images

    Harrison in 1975, on the grounds of his home, Friar Park, near Henley-on-Thames, south Oxfordshire, England.

    John Livzey / Getty Images

    Harrison in 1987.

    What are your memories of Harrison? Were you a fan of his music after The Beatles? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    Related content:

    60 comments

    Show more
    Explore related topics: , ,

  • Iranian protesters break into British Embassy in Tehran

    Atta Kenare / AFP - Getty Images

    Iranian protesters gather outside the British embassy as some break into it and bring down the British flag in Tehran on November 29, 2011. More than 20 Iranian protesters stormed the British embassy in Tehran, removing the mission's flag and ransacking offices.

    Stringer / Reuters

    EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
    Protesters enter the gate of the British embassy in Tehran November 29, 2011. Dozens of young Iranian men entered buildings inside the British embassy compound in Tehran on Tuesday, throwing rocks, petrol bombs and burning documents looted from offices, Iranian news agencies reported.

    Vahid Salemi / AP

    Iranian protesters break the windows of a British Embassy building, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011. Dozens of hard-line Iranian students stormed the British Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, bringing down the Union Jack flag and throwing documents from windows in scenes reminiscent of the anger against Western powers after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The mob moved into the diplomatic compound two days after Iran's parliament approved a bill that reduces diplomatic relations with Britain following London's support of recently upgraded Western sanctions on Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

    Reuters

    EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
    Protesters walk in the British embassy compound as an embassy car burns in Tehran on Nov. 29, 2011.

    Reuters

    EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
    A protester walks with a poster from the British embassy in Tehran Nov. 29, 2011. Dozens of young Iranian men entered buildings inside the British embassy compound in Tehran on Tuesday, throwing rocks, petrol bombs and burning documents looted from offices, Iranian news agencies reported.

    FarsNews via Getty Images

    Protesters carry the royal coat of arms after breaking in to the British Embassy during an anti-British demonstration in the Iranian capital on Nov. 29, 2011 in Tehran, Iran. Relations between the two countries have soured further over recent weeks, with the UK Treasury imposing sanctions on Iranian banks, accusing them of supporting the country's nuclear program. The Iranian authorities insist that its nuclear plans are for peaceful purposes only and parliament has voted to downgrade diplomatic relations with the UK.

     from NBC News services:

    TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian protesters stormed the British Embassy compound in Tehran on Tuesday, smashing windows and burning the British flag during a rally to protest against sanctions imposed by Britain, live Iranian television showed.

    Protesters threw molotov cocktails and one waved a framed picture of Queen Elizabeth apparently found inside the compound, the state TV showed.

    An NBC News cameraman at the scene reported that the protesters tore down the British flag and replaced it with the Iranian flag.

    The Associated Press reported that the protesters, numbering in the dozens, were hardline students and that they clashed with riot police.

    For more on his developing story click here.

    Protesters in Iran have stormed the British Embassy taking classified documents and breaking windows. The Morning Joe team has the latest developments.

  • Pablo Cozzaglio / AFP - Getty Images

    The Tungurahua volcano is seen from Juive Grande, Ecuador, on Nov. 28, 2011. Authorities in Ecuador upgraded a possible eruption warning from yellow to orange, as the activity of the volcano raised suddenly.

    Ecuador urges villagers to evacuate as hot rocks cascade from Tungurahua volcano

    Read more about the Tungurahua volcano's increased activity.

    Previously on PhotoBlog: Tungurahua volcano heats up

  • 'Massive' turnout in Egyptian elections

    Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

    Election officials wait for voters inside a polling station in Old Cairo on the second day of voting in Egypt's landmark parliamentary elections on Nov. 29, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt.

    Bela Szandelszky / AP

    A soldier directs women outside a polling station in Cairo on Nov. 29.

    Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

    A woman walks from a polling station guarded by soldiers in Old Cairo on Nov. 29.

    The Associated Press reports from CAIRO:

    The head of Egypt's election commission said turnout was "massive and unexpected" for the first elections since Hosni Mubarak's ouster, with millions participating peacefully in a spirit of hopefulness that surprised many after new protests broke out in the days leading up to the vote.

    Long lines formed again Tuesday at polling centers around the capital Cairo and other cities on the second and final day of the first round of parliamentary elections.

    "I am voting for this country's sake. We want a new beginning," said Zeinab Saad, 50, who brought her young daughter to a polling station in Cairo. "It's a great thing to feel like your vote matters." Read the full story.

    See more images in our slideshow of the Egyptian elections and watch Richard Engel's report for NBC's Rock Center below.

    NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports from Egypt as the country's first free elections take place after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. Engel talks to Amal Sharaf, a former school teacher, who helped galvanize protesters and organized an internet-linked network of young professionals that helped topple Mubarak. Sharaf, like a growing number of protesters, is calling for an end to the military rule of the country.

  • Killer whale Morgan begins journey from Netherlands to Spain

    Koen Van Weel / ANP via AFP - Getty Images

    An orca named Morgan is lifted into a truck at the Dolphinarium of Harderwijk, the Netherlands, on Nov. 29, 2011, to be transfered to the Loro Parque zoo on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

    The AP reports from AMSTERDAM:

    A Dutch dolphin park hoisted a young killer whale onto a truck early Tuesday, preparing to transfer her to a Spanish amusement park after conservationists lost a legal battle to have her released into the open sea.

    Morgan, a 3,085 pound female orca who is estimated to be about 3 years old, weighed only 880 pounds when she was rescued in shallow waters off the Dutch North Sea coast in June 2010.

    The city of Harderwijk issued an emergency ban blocking "Free Morgan" demonstrations during the transfer, though a coalition of conservationists who sought to have her released said they have no plans to interfere in the operation.

    "We would never do anything that could endanger Morgan," said coalition spokeswoman Nancy Slot. Read the full story.

    A killer whale is moved from her home at the Netherland's Dutch Dolphin Park to her new residence in Spain. TODAY.com's Dara Brown reports.

  • David McNew / Reuters

    Occupy Los Angeles protesters work on the expansion of a structure they are building between four palm trees, dubbed "City Hall Stronghold", where they plan to stay and face arrest when police arrive to evict people from the Occupy Movement encampment at City Hall Park in Los Angeles, California, late on Nov. 28, 2011. The protesters have been camping on the lawns of City Hall since October 1, outlasting major encampments broken up by police in big cities across the nation.

    Defying calls to leave, Occupy LA protesters build themselves a 'stronghold'

    The Associated Press reports from LOS ANGELES:

    Occupy Wall Street protesters who defied a deadline to remove their weeks-old encampment on the Los Angeles City Hall lawn stood their ground Tuesday as they faced uncertainty over when or if police would push them out of the park — and if an eviction could happen without the kind of violence that has engulfed the removal of protest sites in other cities.

    Protesters in the nation's second largest city have turned to the federal courts to keep officers away after disobeying a city-imposed 12:01 a.m. deadline Monday to take down their camp. They argue that the City Council passed a resolution in support of the movement and that the city's mayor and police did not have the authority to evict them. Continue reading.

    See more pictures of the Occupy movement on PhotoBlog.

  • Yaron Kaminsky / AP

    Israeli soldiers examine the damage after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a chicken coop in a village in northern Israel, early on Nov. 29, 2011. Rockets fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel early Tuesday for the first time in more than two years, drawing a burst of Israeli artillery fire across the tense border, the Israeli military said.

    Rocket fired from Lebanon hits northern Israel

    The Associated Press reports from JERUSALEM:

    Rockets fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel early Tuesday for the first time in more than two years, drawing a burst of Israeli artillery fire across the tense border, the Israeli military said.

    No casualties or major damage were reported on the Israeli side and no one claimed responsibility for the attack. The military said at least two of the rockets landed on Israeli soil, and that Israeli guns shelled the area where the fire had originated.

    A Lebanese security official told The Associated Press that one rocket was fired from Lebanon and that Israel hit back with six rockets, which landed in an empty area. Read the full story.

  • Wesley Hitt / Getty Images

    Will Herring, left, of the New Orleans Saints intercepts a pass in the end zone thrown to Jake Ballard of the New York Giants at the Superdome, Nov. 28, 2011, in New Orleans, La.

    The New Orleans Saints keep on marching

    By Robert Hood

    Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints extended their winning streak to three games as they took on the struggling New York Giants Monday night.

    Associated Press reports

    This was a game New York was desperate to win after losing its previous two to San Francisco and Philadelphia.

    Instead, the Giants (6-5) dropped a game behind first-place Dallas in the NFC East and face the possibility of a four-game losing streak when they host the unbeaten Green Bay Packers next weekend. Read more...

  • Pablo Cozzaglio / AFP - Getty Images

    Authorities near Penipe, Ecuador upgraded a possible eruption warning from yellow to orange on Nov. 28, 2011, as the activity of the Tungurahua volcano raised suddenly.

    Tungurahua volcano heats up in Ecuador

    Associated Press reports

    Ecuador's government is urging four villages to evacuate because of increased activity in the Tungurahua volcano not far from the country's capital.

    Ecuador's Geophysical Institute says increased activity that began Sunday is billowing columns of ash, sending superheated clouds of gas down the slopes and cascading hot rocks from the summit.

  • China exports massive container-ship cranes to the US

    Elaine Thompson / AP

    Three Super Post-Panamax cranes, made to handle the largest container vessels in the world, are brought through Elliott Bay and toward Seattle's Terminal 18, Nov. 28, 2011, near Seattle. The cranes, made in Shanghai, China, will allow the Port of Seattle to expand the reach of unloading container ships to the maximum of 24 container widths. The cranes were transported aboard a ship specially outfitted for the transport of large and unusually sized cargo.

    By Robert Hood

    See our video report below for more information on the economic importance of the Port of Seattle.

    Feb. 12, 2009: From tug captains to truck mechanics, port workers are feeling the ripple effect of American spending.

     

  • KCNA / YONHAP via EPA

    North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, center, along with his son and heir apparent Kim Jong-un, right, inspects North Korea's Air Force No. 1016 unit. The North Korean Central News Agency released the photo on 26 November 2011, without elaborating on when it was taken.

    Kim Jong-il and son Kim Jong-un inspect North Korean air force unit

    Kim Jong-il previously in PhotoBlog.

    North Korea previously in PhotoBlog.

  • Daughter of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin dies in Wisconsin at age 85

    Laski Diffusion / Getty Images Contributor

    Lana Peters (then named Svetlana Alliluyeva) in Moscow in 1933 with her father, Russian Communist Party Leader Josef Stalin.

    John Dominis / Getty Images

    Lana Peters, the daughter of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, in 1967 on Long Island after seeking political asylum in the US.

    Steve Apps / Wisconsin State Journal via AP

    Lana Peters is photographed on a rural road outside of Richland Center, Wisconsin on Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

    From the full story:

    "Wherever I go," she said, "here, or Switzerland, or India, or wherever. Australia. Some island. I always will be a political prisoner of my father's name."

    She was once close to her father, who called her his "little sparrow," the New York Times reported. She was known as Svetlana Alliluyeva and compared to U.S. actress Shirley Temple, with thousands of Russian children named Svetlana after her.

    She was 6 years old when her mother died from suicide, though she was told she had been ill. Her brother was killed during the Second World War with Germany when her father refused to exchange him for a German general, the Times reported.

    Read more...

  • Harvesting sugarcane in Guatemala

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    In this photo taken on Friday Nov. 25, 2011, field worker Jose Contreras, 31, carries sugar cane stalks.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    In this picture taken on Friday Nov. 25, sugar cane worker Valerisimo Moran drinks water after finishing his work day.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A foreman writes down the quantity of sugar cane cut by workers at the end of a work day.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Sugar cane cutters leave the field at the end of a work day.

    Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on sugarcane:

    Sugarcane is harvested by hand and mechanically. Hand harvesting accounts for more than half of production, and is dominant in the developing world. In hand harvesting, the field is first set on fire. The fire burns dry leaves, and kills any lurking venomous snakes, without harming the stalks and roots. Harvesters then cut the cane just above ground-level using cane knives or machetes. A skilled harvester can cut 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of sugarcane per hour.

  • Kosovo Serbs clash with NATO troops during months-long standoff

    Zveki / AP

    Kosovo Serbs clash with German army soldiers serving under the auspices of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, as the NATO troops work to remove a roadblock near the village of Jagnjenica, Kosovo, Monday, Nov. 28, 2011. Two NATO soldiers were shot and wounded during clashes with Serbs on Monday after the peacekeepers fired rubber bullets and water canons and used heavy machinery to remove trucks and buses that were being used to block a main road in Kosovo's ethnically tense north. Kosovo's authorities decided to extend their authority into the areas under de-facto Serb rule, and NATO troops are trying to remove roadblocks after months of tension.

    Bojan Slavkovic / Reuters

    Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers from Germany and Austria fight with Kosovo Serbs during clashes in the village of Jagnjenica near the town of Zubin Potok November 28, 2011. Two NATO soldiers were wounded by gunfire on Monday in clashes with demonstrators in north Kosovo, NATO said, in the latest spasm of violence in a months-long standoff with Serbs who reject the country's 2008 secession from Serbia.

    Zveki / AP

    Kosovo Serbs clash with German army soldiers serving under the auspices of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

     

    From the full story:

    Two German NATO soldiers were shot and wounded and eight Austrian peacekeepers hurt on Monday in the latest clashes with Serbs in the north of Kosovo who reject the country's 2008 secession from Serbia.

    Fighting broke out when NATO peacekeepers began removing roadblocks erected by Serbs in July after Kosovo's ethnic Albanian-dominated government tried to send border police to the mainly Serb north.

    Western diplomats warn the turmoil could cost Serbia official candidate status for membership of the European Union when the bloc meets on December 9.

    Read more...

    Related stories:

  • Protesters arrested in Germany during nuclear waste transfer

    Christian Charisius / EPA

    Protesters try to block the road into Gorleben, Germany, on Monday. The 13th Castor transport with German nuclear waste is on its way to the interim storage facility in Gorleben from the reprocessing plant in France.

    Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters

    Rail workers stand next to Castor nuclear waste containers (Cask for Storage and Transport of Radioactive material) at an embarking station in Dannenberg south of Hamburg November 28, 2011.The controversial shipment of Castor containers with spent German nuclear fuel from the French reprocessing plant in La Hague will be loaded onto trucks in Dannenberg before its final transportation to the nearby intermediate storage facility in the northern Germany village of Gorleben.

    Kay Nietfeld / EPA

    Police officers carry away protesters to clear the castor nuclear waste transport route in Gorleben, Germany on Monday. Protesters try to block the entrance way to the interim storage facility.

    Carsten Koall / Getty Images

    Anti-nuclear activists take part on a sit-in with around thousand other activists on the road the nuclear waste transport is going to use on November 28, 2011 in Gorleben, Germany. The train carrying the Castor containers of processed, spent nuclear fuel started from La Hague in France Wednesday for its journey to the Gorleben temporary nuclear waste storage facility in Germany, and around five thousands of protesters are expected to attempt to blockade the route.

    Philpp Guelland / AP

    A demonstrator wearing a death mask stands on a field as conatiners with nuclear waste pass by, northern Germany, Monday.

    More about this story from SPIEGEL online.

    Previously on PhotoBlog:

  • White fir arrives in Washington D.C. for Christmas

    J. Scott Applewhite / AP

    The 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree arrives in Washington, on Monday, Nov. 28.

    By Jonathan Woods, msnbc.com

    After a 20-day, cross-country tour, a 65-foot white fir arrived at the US Capitol from the Stanislaus National Forest in northern California.

    A ceremony to light the tree is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 6.

    J. Scott Applewhite / AP

    The 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree arrives in Washington on Monday.

    In other Washington tree news, over Thanksgiving weekend the Obama family welcomed a 19-foot balsam fir, now installed in the Blue Room.

  • Outraged Pakistanis protest deadly NATO airstrike

    By Jonathan Woods, msnbc.com

    NATO airstrikes that killed at least two dozen Pakistani soldiers on Saturday have inflamed tensions in Pakistan against the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan.

    As the coffins of 24 flag-draped Pakistani coffins were buried, protests sprung up in pockets around the country.

    Akhtar Soomro / Reuters

    Supporters of the Islamic organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa shout anti-American and Indian slogans while condemning a NATO cross-border attack in Karachi November 28, 2011. A NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at the weekend could hurt cooperation on Afghanistan, Pakistan's army spokesman said on Monday.

    Full story: Pakistan says NATO ignored its pleas during two-hour attack

    S.S. Mirza / AFP - Getty Images

    Supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) burn a US flag during a protest in Multan on November 28, 2011, against a NATO strike on Pakistan troops. Pakistan denied provoking NATO air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and refused to accept expressions of regret over the cross-border attack that has inflamed US-Pakistani ties.

    Khuram Parvez / Reuters

    A roadsign, photographed from atop gridlocked trucks, shows the distance to cities in Afghanistan after traffic was halted at the Pakistani border town Torkham November 27, 2011. Pakistan on Sunday buried 24 troops killed in a NATO cross-border air raid that has pushed a crisis in relations with the United States towards rupture.

    Stringer/Pakistan / Reuters

    The word "shaheed," or martyr is written on the caskets of soldiers killed in a cross-border attack along the Pakistan-Afghan border, as their bodies are being carried for funeral prayers in Peshawar November 27, 2011. Pakistan on Sunday buried 24 troops killed in a NATO cross-border air raid that has pushed a crisis in relations with the United States towards rupture.

    Click through a slideshow highlighting the conflict in Pakistan

  • Break out the parkas: snow blankets Georgian landscapes

    Shakh Aivazov/AP

    Snow covers Narikala, an ancient fortress dominating Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia on Monday, Nov. 28.

    Eduard Korniyenko / Reuters

    A woman walks during heavy snowfall in the South Ossetian city of Tskhinvali on Nov. 28.

    David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters

    People walk during a snowfall in an amusement park in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Nov. 28.

    Musa Sadulayev / AP

    A couple walks in front of an old Georgian home in Tskhinvali on Sunday in the regional capital of Georgia's province of South Ossetia. The home was damaged during a Georgian assault.

    By Jonathan Woods, msnbc.com

    For many, the arrival of winter marks a dreary period of slothfulness, resentment of the cold and an overabundance of indoor activities.

    As a Minnesota native, I'm always eager to embrace the first snowfall, even if it comes in the form of pictures from abroad.

    Soon I'll be cobbling together a winter weather slideshow, and if like me, you need an additional winter fix now, check out our compilation of winter weather pictures from this past year.

  • Amid delays and setbacks, voting begins in war-torn Congo

    Jerome Delay / AP

    Voters check for their names on lists at the Monseigneur Moke school polling station in the Matonge district in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Nov. 28.

    Phil Moore / AFP - Getty Images

    Ballot papers burned in an attack on two pick-up trucks lie on the roadside in Lubumbashi on Nov. 28. A convoy of 8 vehicles were carrying papers when they were attacked at 3 a.m. by a group of armed men in the capital of the mineral rich province of Katanga.

    Gwenn Dubourthoumieu / AFP - Getty Images

    A man dips his finger in purple ink after voting at a polling station in Kinshasa on Nov. 28.

    The AP reports from KINSHASA, Congo:

    Voting began Monday with delays and setbacks in this massive nation pummeled by war for an election that could further consolidate the country's peace or drag Congo back into conflict.

    Over the weekend, police lobbed tear gas at protesters. Opposition leaders and country experts had urged the government to delay the vote due to massive logistical problems, including the late delivery of voting materials, but the election proceeded anyway.

    The vote is the second since the end of Congo's last war and the first to be organized by the government instead of the international community. There were delays at every step in the preparation and as of Sunday, 12 of the 156 voting districts had not yet received ballots. At polling stations that opened on time, lines were small, possibly reflecting fear among voters. Continue reading.

    Jerome Delay / AP

    Voters wait for election materials to arrive at a polling station in Kinshasa on Nov. 28.

    Gwenn Dubourthoumieu / AFP - Getty Images

    A man looks at the list of candidates in a voting booth in Kinshasa on Nov. 28.

     

  • Crowd swells as deadline passes for Occupy LA

    Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez / AFP - Getty Images

    A protestor from Occupy LA pleads his case while next to police officers in riot gear as the deadline for eviction approaches in Los Angeles, California, on November 27. Hundreds of anti-Wall Street protesters in Los Angeles were bracing for eviction from a park near city hall, with some packing up to avoid confrontation and others digging in to resist police.

    NBC News, msnbc.com staff and wire services report:

    KNBC reported that Los Angeles Police Department was on "city-wide tactical alert" after the early Monday deadline for 'Occupy' movement protesters to vacate their encampment near City Hall expired.

    About 1,000 additional demonstrators flooded into the area in defiance of the deadline as the village of hundreds of tents remained standing as it has for nearly two months.

    According to KNBC's Angie Crouch, the crowd was the biggest since the protest began in October.

    "I've seen some protesters leave the area and if police do decide to move in, the protesters have said they will be ready to be arrested as a sign of civil disobedience," she reported.

    Crouch said she has seen some police outside of the encampment, including some in riot gear, but not witnessed any arrests so far. Continue reading.

    Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

    People hold up signs as hundreds of Occupy LA protesters hold a rally in the front lawn of Los Angeles City Hall before the midnight deadline by Los Angeles city officials to shut down the encampment on November 27.

     

  • Controversy over dance studio's curtains illustrates battle for soul of Israeli society

    Oded Balilty / AP

    People outside a dance studio watch dancers perform with the curtains open for the first time in three years in Jerusalem, Israel, on Nov. 21.

    By David R Arnott, NBC News

    The Kolben Dance Group opened the curtains at its Jerusalem dance studio last Monday, allowing passers-by to see through the building's large picture windows as its dancers engaged in rehearsals for upcoming performances.

    The move would seem uncontroversial, but the dance studio's curtains have become a symbolic front in what the Associated Press today described as a battle for the soul of Israeli society.

    The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said that the curtains had been kept closed for several years, reportedly under pressure from the local municipality and members of the ultra-Orthodox community who had also threatened the company's members. The sight of the dancers might inflame the passions of men, some believed.

    Oded Balilty / AP

    People are reflected in a window as they watch dancers perform in a dance studio in Jerusalem on Nov. 21.

    Read more in the AP's report on the wider cultural and political conflict which pits radicalized religious activists and conservative lawmakers against secular, liberal Israelis.

    Previously on PhotoBlog: Gender segregation on the rise in Israel

  • Egyptians line up to cast their votes in historic election

    Mahmud Hams / AFP - Getty Images

    Voters wait outside a polling station in the Manial neighbourhood of Cairo, Egypt, on November 28. Egyptians began voting in the first elections since the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

    msnbc.com news services report from CAIRO:

     Voters stood in long lines outside some polling centers in Cairo well before they opened at 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET), a rare sign of interest in political participation after decades of apathy created by the mass rigging of every vote.

    "We are very happy to be here and to be part of the election," said Wafa Zaklama, 55, voting for the first time in a parliamentary election. "What was the point before?" she asked.

    Amr Nabil / AP

    Women line up outside a polling center in Cairo on November 28.

    Bernat Armangue / AP

    A soldier stands guard as voters enter a polling center in Cairo on November 28.

    In the upscale neighborhood of Zamalek, some 500 voters waited in line outside a polling station at a school. Shahira Ahmed, 45, was there with her husband and daughter. Like Nawar, Ahmed had never cast a ballot before.

    "I never voted because I was never sure it was for real. This time, I hope it is, but I am not positive. The most important thing is to have a liberal and a civilized country, I mean no fanatics," she said, alluding to the Islamists, who hope their domination of the next parliament will bring them closer to realizing their dream of creating an Islamic Egypt. Read the full story.

    Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters

    A woman reads a ballot paper before casting her vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Cairo on November 28.

    See a slideshow of images of the recent unrest in Egypt.

     

  • Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images

    Oxfam (a confederation of 15 organizations working together to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice) activists stage a protest aimed at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban, South Africa, on Nov. 27. Inspired by the Occupy Wall St. movement, protesters calling for "climate justice" are set to gather on Nov. 28 at the opening of UN climate talks in Durban, organizers say.

    Climate talks to begin in South Africa on Monday

    AP reports:

    Amid fresh warnings of climate-related disasters in the future, delegates from about 190 countries were gathering in Durban for a two-week conference beginning Monday. They hope to break deadlocks on how to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

    Christiana Figueres, head of the U.N. climate secretariat, said Sunday the stakes for the negotiations are high, underscored by new scientific studies.

    Under discussion was "nothing short of the most compelling energy, industrial, behavioral revolution that humanity has ever seen," she said.

    Read the full story here.

  • Thousands ride sand dunes and find their thrills on Oldsmobile Hill

    Gene Blevins / Reuters

    A sand rail kicks up sand at Oldsmobile Hill at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area during the start of the Thanksgiving weekend in Glamis, Calif., Nov. 24. The holiday weekend brings tens of thousands of people out to ride the sand dunes with their buggies, sand rails and bikes. Photo received Nov. 27.

    Gene Blevins / Reuters

    Thousands of offroaders light up the night at Oldsmobile Hill at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area during Thanksgiving weekend in Glamis, Calif., Nov. 25.

    Gene Blevins / Reuters

    People on their quad runners race up Oldsmobile Hill at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area during the start of the Thanksgiving weekend in Glamis, Calif., Nov. 24.

    Gene Blevins / Zuma Press

    Thousands of off-roaders with their lights on ride at Oldsmobile Hill as the annual event comes to a end, Nov. 25.

     

Jump to November 2011 archive page: 1 2 3 4 ... 19