Brendan McDermid / Reuters
Notes are seen on a contact sheet of self portraits, displayed during an exhibit by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei at the Asia Society in New York, June 29, 2011.
Ai was released last week after nearly three months in detention in China for speaking out against the government. For more about the Asia Society exhibition read here.
Related content:
Slideshow: Artist Ai Weiwei strikes a nerve
Ron Johnson / Peoria Journal Star via AP
Canton, Ill., High School graduate Wayne Decker, a specialist with the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, lifts his one-year old son Ethan after he surprised his children on a return to Peoria, Ill. on June 29, after a deployment in Iraq.
Just an awesome moment that I felt needed to be shared.
Enrique Castro-Mendivil / Reuters
A fisherman prepares his net before fishing at Pucusana's port in Lima, Peru on June 29. Fishermen and devotees of Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen, took part in celebrations on Wednesday to mark Saint Peter's Day in the hope of good catches for the rest of the year.
Eric Keith / AP
This aerial photograph taken near the Iowa/Missouri state line shows floodwaters mixed with sediment water on Wednesday, June 29, 2011. The Missouri River has been rising for weeks because of heavy rains and snow melt along the river's headwaters, forcing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to open flood gates, sending massive amounts of water downstream along the Missouri River system.
Yawar Nazir / Getty Images
A handicapped Hindu makes his pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Caves, one of the most revered of Hindu shrines on June 29 near Baltal, India. More than 5,000 Hindu devotees, braving sub-zero temperatures, began the hike over glaciers and along paths overhanging gorges to reach the sacred Amarnath cave housing an ice stalagmite, a stylized phallus worshiped by Hindus as a symbol of the god Shiva.
Yawar Nazir / Getty Images
Hindu pilgrims make their pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Caves on June 29. The Kashmiri Mountains near Srinagar are 12,500 feet above sea level. About 200,000 Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in this year's two-month pilgrimage, during which large numbers of Indian paramilitary soldiers and policemen are being deployed along the route as protection from attacks by militants who have been fighting for independence of Kashmir since 1989.
Yawar Nazir / Getty Images
A Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, smokes a traditional chillam (pipe) filled with opium as he makes his pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Caves on June 29.
Yawar Nazir / Getty Images
A Hindu worships in front of an ice stalagmite called a Shiva Lingam.
Yawar Nazir / Getty Images
Hindu pilgrims congregate in a camp during their pilgrimage on June 29.
Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
Yingluck Shinawatra grabs roses as she shakes hands with supporters at a rally during her election campaign on June 29, 2011 in Burirum, Thailand. Thais go to the polls on July 3 to vote in a tight race between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrats and the red shirt followers of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.
Less than a week before Sunday’s general election, opinion polls unanimously suggest that Thailand is likely to get the first female prime minister. Only a few months ago she was nowhere near the political limelight. But it’s not hard to see why Yingluck entered into politics with a bang and is rising quickly to the country’s top job.
Her last name is Shinawatra. She shares it with her older brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, the two-time elected prime minister who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, and is now living as a fugitive from Thai justice in Dubai
Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
Supporters of Yingluck Shinawatra reach out to shake hands with her after a rally during her election campaign on June 29, 2011 in Surin, Thailand.
Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
Yingluck Shinawatra jokes with the media while onboard a train, June 29, near Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand.
The New York Times' David Dunlap talks about the never-before-seen pictures of Adolf Hitler and the man who took them.
For more, The New York Times Lens blog tweets:
@nytimesphoto
Here's the NY Times account of the Nazi photo album that was crowd sourced on Lens this week. By Barron and Dunlap. http://nyti.ms/iKZp5z
Lane Hickenbottom / Reuters
A row of homes near Tekamah, Neb. are surrounded by floodwaters on June 29, 2011. Missouri River floodwaters lapped at a nuclear power plant north of Omaha and have cracked more defenses downstream after weeks of sustained pressure on levees running hundreds of miles.
Reuters reported today that flooded cities along the Missouri River look to dry skies for relief.
Forecasts are favorable over the next several days in the northern Missouri River basin and the Souris River Basin, where Minot, N.D. residents battled flooding that forced evacuation of a quarter of the city.
It may take two or three weeks before the Souris River is back in its original channel. That outlook is based on "a perfect world with no rain," said U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Lieutenant Col. Kendall Bergmann.
See continuing coverage of the flooding in our slideshow.
The scenes depicted in these pictures seemed pretty chaotic for military training, but it’s impressive that the rebels have begun to organize even while they continue to fight Gadhafi’s forces.
Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
New Libyan rebel recruits take part in a three-week course at a facility for new fighters in Benghazi on June 29, 2011.
AP reported several days ago that Libyan rebels are struggling with lack of discipline and training.
The Misrata rebel military council said it has been encouraged by the young rebels' bravery but discouraged by the difficulty in organizing them and overcoming their tendency to disobey. That's been a recipe for hundreds of unnecessary deaths.
"Every day the fighters know there are red lines not to cross. But they don't have proper training. They are not proper soldiers, so they sometimes advance without orders from the military council," said Misrata military council spokesman Ibrahim Beatelmal.
Thaier Al-Sudani / Reuters
Rebel fighters demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony in Benghazi on June 29.
Thaier Al-Sudani / Reuters
Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
New recruits are trained on how to secure buildings and conduct security raids.
Yves Logghe / AP
Brazil's Cristiane falls during the group D match between Australia and Brazil at the Women's Soccer World Cup in Moenchengladbach, Germany, June 29, 2011. Brazil defeated Australia 1 - 0 .
See continuing coverage of the Women's World Cup
EPA
Lightning strike survivors of Runyanya primary school rest at a hospital in Kiryandongo, some 130 miles north of the capital Kampala, on Wednesday, June 29. Lightening struck the Runyanya primary school in Kiryandongo late Tuesday as pupils sheltered from a heavy downpour, instantly killing 18.
Here is an interesting read on last night's fatal lightning strike in Uganda.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House on June 29, 2011 in Washington, DC. Obama started the news conference by discussing the economy, before fielding questions about the War Powers Act and his authority to continue military support in the NATO-led offensive against Gadhafi forces in Libya and the ongoing budget negotiations with Congress.
It’s funny what doing home renovations makes you sensitive to. After hanging too many doors, painting too many walls, installing too many window treatments, and building too much furniture – I find myself noticing interior design and decorations more than I probably should.
Every time I see an event or a press conference in the White House I pause and think to myself that it looks overly ornate. It doesn’t look “American” to me.
Related
China hosts Sudan in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
Read the story about President Obama's Tuesday press conference or watch the video below.
NBC's Jim Miklaszewski joins msnbc to discuss President Obama's latest comments on the war in Afghanistan as well as NATO's military presence in Libya.
Stringer/egypt / Reuters
Protesters are seen in front of smoke after burning a police booth in front of the Interior Ministry in Cairo on Wednesday, June 29. Police in central Cairo fired tear gas on Wednesday at hundreds of mainly young stone-throwing Egyptians demanding that trials of former senior officials from the discredited Mubarak era proceed faster. Clashes broke out late on Tuesday in an area of the capital where some families of the more than 840 people killed in the uprising that led to President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow in February held an event to honor those dead.
Reuters
A protester takes cover during clashes with riot police in front of the Interior Ministry in Cairo.
Nasser Nasser / AP
Egyptian protesters use a liberated riot police gear for protection during clashes with security forces, unseen at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Wednesday.
Asmaa Waguih / Reuters
A protester runs away from tear gas in Tahrir Square in Cairo on Wednesday.
msnbc news services report:
CAIRO — Egyptian security forces clashed for a second day in Cairo with hundreds of youths demanding that the country's military rulers speed up prosecution of police officers accused of brutality during mass protests that forced Hosni Mubarak to step down. More than 1,000 people were injured in the fighting at Tharir Square, a senior official said.
In scenes reminiscent of the 18-day uprising that ousted Mubarak early this year, riot police deployed around the Interior Ministry building fired in the air or used tear gas as demonstrators threw rocks and firebombs. Continue reading.
Liu Jin / Getty Images
Sudan's leader Omar al-Bashir (center-left) and Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (center-right) meet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on on June 29. Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, is on a four-day visit to China.
Read more about Omar al-Bashir's visit to China in the AP's latest story and on NBC News' Behind the wall blog.
msnbc.com news services report from ATHENS, Greece:
Greek police clashed with protesters trying to block the way into parliament on Wednesday as signs grew that the government would succeed in passing a sweeping austerity plan demanded by international creditors.
With Greece risking bankruptcy if the measures are blocked, parliament was expected to vote in the afternoon on the mix of spending cuts, tax increases and privatizations to be implemented as conditions for a massive bailout by the European Union and the International Monetary
Fund . Continue reading.
Aris Messinis / AFP - Getty Images
A protester shouts in front of riot police during a 48-hour general strike in Athens, Greece, on June 29. Protestors clashed with police, who fired tear gas early on June 29, several hours before the Greek Parliament was to vote on an austerity package.
Panagiotis Tzamaros / Reuters
Policemen chase protesters during an anti-austerity rally in Athens on June 29.
Aris Messinis / AFP - Getty Images
Protestors clash with riot police in Athens on June 29.
Panagiotis Tzamaros / Reuters
Policemen clash with protesters during an anti-austerity rally in Athens on June 29.
Thanassis Stavrakis / AP
A riot policeman strikes a demonstrator as protesters try to prevent deputies from reaching the Greek parliament in central Athens on June 29.
John Kolesidis / Reuters
A bleeding protester is treated following clashes with the police in Athens on June 29.
Filippo Monteforte / AFP - Getty Images
People carry an injured fellow protestor during violent clashes with riot police in front of the Greek Parliament on June 29.
See more images of recent protests in Greece on PhotoBlog.
Elmer Martinez / AFP - Getty Images
A tranvestite poses during a gay pride parade in Managua, Nicaragua, on June 28.
Wong Maye-E / AP
People are dwarfed by a clump of "Supertrees" seen against the financial skyline of Singapore on June 29.
According to AP, Singapore's "Supertrees" are environmentally sustainable vertical gardens displaying tropical flowering climbers, ferns and epiphytes. Ranging from 25 to 50 meters in height, the construction of the trees is part of a government effort to make the city center greener.
William West / AFP - Getty Images
Melbourne Zoo's newest primate baby, a three week-old Colobus monkey, is held in the arms of her mother Clover, in Melbourne on June 29, 2011. Keepers have not been able to determine the sex of the newborn monkey which is pure white and won't display any black markings until it's several months old. Black and White Colobus Monkeys, native to Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya, have seen their populations suffer from the fur trade during colonial times, but now the greatest threats to their survival are the loss of their habitat and the bushmeat trade, the large-scale hunting to supply meat to towns and cities.
See more great animal pictures in our Animal Tracks slideshow.
Nasser Nasser / AP
An Egyptian protester kicks a tear gas canister during clashes with security forces at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt early in the morning on June 29. Egyptian security forces firing tear gas clashed with protesters in central Cairo late Tuesday.
Omar Sobhani / Reuters
A NATO helicopter approaches the roof of the Intercontinental hotel in Kabul early in the morning of June 29. At least 10 Afghan civilians were killed when suicide bombers and heavily armed Taliban insurgents attacked the hotel frequented by Westerners in the Afghan capital late on Tuesday, Afghan officials said.
Mike Gullett / AP
Building material debris collected from homes and businesses destroyed by the tornado that struck Joplin, Mo, is dumped at Jordan Disposal Service, Galena, Kan., on Tuesday, June 28, 2011. The landfill has around 350 truck loads of building materials being dumped there daily.
Cleaning up after the tornado is still keeping people busy in Joplin. Here are images of the tornado's impact previously published on PhotoBlog.
Rogan Ward / Reuters
Fishermen remove sardine from their nets during the annual sardine run at Warner Beach some 40 km (25 miles) north of Durban, June 28, 2011. The east coast of South Africa sees an annual migration of sardines shoaling up the coastal line.
Rogan Ward / Reuters
Fishermen remove sardine from their nets during the annual sardine run.
Rogan Ward / Reuters
Fishermen bring in the nets during the annual sardine run.
Here's a story about the sardine run and another about the hazard presented to swimmers by sharks feeding on the sardines.
Mariana Bazo / Reuters
Peruvian prisoners representing "Bolivia" arrive for their own Copa America soccer tournament at Castro-Castro prison in Lima, Peru on June 28. About 250 inmates at the Castro-Castro penitentiary will participate in their mock Copa America Argentina 2011 soccer championship, which will last for one month in Peru. The country's jail authority runs the tournament to help prepare inmates for life on the outside.
Mariana Bazo / Reuters
Peruvian prisoners dressed in Paraguay jerseys attend their own Copa America soccer tournament at Castro-Castro prison.
Mariana Bazo / Reuters
Peruvian prisoners, representing Bolivia and Argentina, fight for the ball on the concrete floor of the prison yard.
Martin Mejia / AP
Inmates gather around and watch a match.
It's fun to see what soccer (football) fans will do to show their love of the sport.
Related links:
Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal via AP
Flames from the Las Conchas Fire move toward Los Alamos, N.M. in the Jemez Mountains, Tuesday June 28, 2011. The vicious wildfire spread through the mountains driving thousands of people from their homes as officials at a government nuclear laboratory tried to dispel concerns about the safety of sensitive materials. (AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Eddie Moore)
Here's the latest news about the fire.
GeoEye via AP
This June 25 satellite image provided by GeoEye shows flooding due to the cresting of the Souris River in Minot, N.D. Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman says demolition might be the only solution for nearly one-fifth of the homes in the city that have been damaged by Souris River flooding.
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