World coolest pix of 2012 week 02

World coolest pix of 2012 week 02

Week 2 of a new year is normally the week which brings humanity back to reality. The chores of every day life, good or bad. It’s difficult to pick out any news stories which stand out except the one about the US Marines and the dead Taliban insurgents.

A Sadhu or a Hindu ascetic smokes a bidi, a local cigarette hand-rolled with leaf tobacco, inside a makeshift shelter on the banks of the river Ganges in Kolkata January 6, 2012.

Hindu ascetics and pilgrims are making the annual trip to Sagar island for a holy dip, at the confluence of the Ganges river and the Bay of Bengal, during the one-day festival of Makar Sankranti on January 14. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Metropolitan Theophilos leads the Orthodox Christmas procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 6, 2012. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

An athlete competes in the 7.5 km women's sprint competition at the Biathlon World Cup in the eastern German ski resort of Oberhof January 6, 2012. Germany's Magdalena Neuner won the competition, Darya Domracheva of Belarus placed second and Olga Zaitseva of Russia placed third. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz

French Interior Minister Claude Gueant (R) shakes hands with a gendarme wearing camouflage gear during a visit at the Chinon Nuclear Power Plant in Chinon, central France, January 6, 2012. France will take new measures to tighten security around its 58 nuclear power plants, Interior Minister Claude Gueant told daily Le Parisien on Friday, after Greenpeace activists succeeded in entering two of them last month. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Freestyle jet-ski champion Jack Moule performs at the London Boat Show at the ExCeL centre in London January 6, 2012. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

Democratic presidential candidate Vermin Supreme, who is one of more than 40 candidates who are on the New Hampshire primary ballot for U.S. president in 2012, stands outside a campaign event by Republican presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in Manchester, New Hampshire, January 6, 2012. New Hampshire, where candidates are required to do nothing more than fill out a form and pay $1,000 to sign up, typically attracts a wide range of candidates. The New Hampshire Republican presidential primary election is on January 10. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Oldham Athletic's Tom Adeyemi (C) points to the crowd as he is restrained by referee Neil Swarbrick (R) and Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt after a fan shouted abuse at him during their FA Cup soccer match at Anfield in Liverpool, northern England, January 6, 2012. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Workers remove a trailer truck from an icy pond near Monticello, Minnesota, northwest of Minneapolis January 6, 2012. The Target trailer truck went off Interstate 94 and onto the pond, sliding 100 to 200 yards (91 to 183 meters) until it broke through the ice on Friday morning. The driver crawled out of the trailer and across the 6-inch-thick ice (15.25 cm) to safety, and was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries before he was released. REUTERS/Craig Lassig

A U.S. sailor from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100), part of the USS John C. Stennis carrier strike group, greets a crew member of the Iranian-flagged dhow Al Molai after rescuing the fishing vessel from pirates in the Arabian Sea in this January 6, 2012 handout photo. The U.S. aircraft carrier group that Iran warned not to return to the Gulf has rescued 13 Iranians held hostage for weeks by pirates in the Arabian Sea, the Pentagon said on Friday. The rescue operation took place on Thursday, when forces with the USS John C. Stennis carrier strike group received a distress call from the master of the Al Molai, who said he was being held captive by pirates. REUTERS/U.S. Navy photo/Handout

Eric Wong, managing director of a capsule bed manufacturer, poses in a modified capsule bed inside a showroom in Hong Kong January 7, 2012. The beds, which are modified for the Hong Kong market, have adjustable ceilings, a larger air conditioner and a TV. They are aimed at university students and budget mainland Chinese travellers visiting the territory and will cost $450 a month or $30 a night, according to the manufacturer. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney smiles while he is being introduced at a campaign stop at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Sven Kramer of the Netherlands reacts after he won the 5000 metres race during the European speed skating championship in Budapest, January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez gestures as he arrives at the Puerto Ordaz airport in the southern state of Bolivar January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

(From L to R) Russia's Ivan Anikin, France's Jonas Devouassoux and Norway's Christian Mithassel ski down the slope during their run at the FIS skicross world cup event in Sankt Johann, January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler

Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere (48) and Ottawa Senators center Kyle Turris (7) trade blows while fighting during the second period of their NHL ice hockey game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer

A girl, with her face painted in the colours of the African National Congress (ANC), poses for a photo ahead of ANC's upcoming centenary celebration in Bloemfontein January 7, 2012. South Africa's ruling ANC celebrates its 100th birthday on Sunday. The long-banned liberation movement took power in 1994 after Mandela negotiated an end to apartheid with the white-minority government. Capitalising on its role as the standard bearer in the fight against apartheid, the party has dominated politics since then, but bitter faction-fighting and accusations of rampant corruption have raised questions about how long it will continue to lead Africa's biggest economy. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

France's Christophe Blondeau rides his Yamaha during the seventh stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012, in Copiapo January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen

The stricken container ship Rena sits on a reef after it separated into two after being battered by waves the previous night, about 14 nautical miles (22 km) from Tauranga, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island January 8, 2012. The 47,230 tonne Liberian-flagged ship wedged on a reef off a popular New Zealand holiday spot has broken up but is still on the reef after running aground three months ago, maritime authorities said on Sunday. REUTERS/Maritime New Zealand/Handout

Visitors take pictures in front of a dragon-shaped lantern which has been set up for the upcoming Lunar New Year in Beijing, January 7, 2012. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. Picture taken January 7, 2012. REUTERS/China Daily

New leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, rides a horse in this undated still image taken from video at an unknown location released by North Korean state TV KRT on January 8, 2012. North Korea's state television broadcasted a new documentary of its supreme commander Kim Jong-un on his birthday, seen as an effort to idolize the young and untested leader. REUTERS/KRT via Reuters TV

A visitor feeds a food pellet to a giraffe in the Giraffe Centre near Nairobi January 8, 2012. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Candidate supporters rally outside a Republican presidential candidates debate in Concord, New Hampshire, January 8, 2012. REUTERS/Eric Thayer

Sacramento Kings' Donte Greene waits for team introductions before their NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Sacramento, California January 8, 2012. REUTERS/Max Whittaker

Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords (C), who suffered a head wound in the Tuscon shooting, smiles after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at a memorial service marking the anniversary of the shooting, at the University of Arizona campus January 8, 2012. Bells tolled, girls in white dresses danced and Giffords led a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on Sunday, one year after the shooting spree that killed six people and left her gravely wounded. REUTERS/Laura Segall

A Hindu devotee's feet are seen while he rolls on the ground during the first day of Swasthani Brata Katha festival at Saali River near Kathmandu January 9, 2012. The month-long festival is dedicated to God Madhavnarayan and Goddess Swasthani and involves the recitation of folk tales about miraculous feats performed by the two Gods, in many Hindu households. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

Living Goddess Kumari attends the Changu Narayan festival in Kathmandu January 9, 2012. The Kumari, a young pre-pubescent girl who is a manifestation of a Goddess, is worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal. The Kumari emerges from her temple about 12 times a year for religious occasions. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

Gymnasts practice during a training session before the Olympic gymnastics venue test event in east London January 9, 2012. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) is welcomed by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez (R) at Miraflores Palace in Caracas January 9, 2012. President Chavez dismissed a U.S. warning to avoid closer ties with Iran on Sunday, denouncing what he said was Washington's attempt to dominate the world as he welcomed Ahmadinejad to the Latin American nation. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Arsenal's Thierry Henry celebrates his goal against Leeds United during their FA Cup soccer match at the Emirates Stadium in London, January 9, 2012. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Demonstrators gather at a burning barricade during a protest against the elimination of a popular fuel subsidy that has doubled the price of petrol, at Gwagwalada on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital Abuja January 9, 2012. Police shot dead two protesters and wounded more than two dozen on Monday as thousands of Nigerians demonstrated against the axing of fuel subsidies in Africa's top oil producer and unions launched an indefinite nationwide strike. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

Migrant workers have an annual meal at a local construction site in Chengdu, Sichuan province January 9, 2012. More than 1,400 migrant workers took part in the annual meal to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. Picture taken January 9, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer

A heavy swell smashes the Panamanian-registered Tycoon into a cliff on Christmas Island, 2,800km (1,740 miles) west of Darwin, January 9, 2012. The cargo ship, which local media reports is leaking oil and fuel, was loading phosphate when heavy swells caused it to break from its moorings. Picture taken January 9, 2012. REUTERS/Lisa Preston

Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands performs on the horizontal bar in the men's artistic qualification round during the International Gymnastics competition in east London January 10, 2012. The competition is the second and final chance for gymnasts to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Spain's Nani Roma and co-pilot Michel Perin of France drive their Mini Monster during the 10th stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Iquique to Arica January 11, 2012. REUTERS/Jerome Prevot/Pool

A keeper looks inside the mouth of a South American sea lion at 'Tiergarten Schoenbrunn' Zoo in Vienna, January 10, 2012. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Demonstrators protest against the elimination of a popular fuel subsidy that has doubled the price of petrol in Nigeria's captial Abuja, January 10, 2012. Nigerians took to the streets on Tuesday in growing numbers on the second day of protests against a sharp increase in petrol prices, piling pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan to reverse his removal of fuel subsidies. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

A man writes Chinese characters on a footpath using water and a brush in central Beijing January 11, 2012. REUTERS/David Gray

Anti-riot police take cover behind shields after residents threw a Molotov cocktail during the demolition of shanties in Corazon De Jesus village in San Juan city, metro Manila, January 11, 2012. At least 12 people were injured during clashes on Wednesday as a demolition team attempted to clear the area to make way for a new city hall, according to local media. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Dutch citizen Joran Van der Sloot waits for his trial to begin at the courtroom in the Lurigancho prison in Lima January 11, 2012. Van der Sloot, who was arrested but never charged in the 2005 disappearance of 18-year-old Alabama native Natalee Holloway on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, has told police he killed 21-year-old business student Stephany Flores after meeting her in a casino in Lima. He may accept murder charges against him in a plea offer to judges on Wednesday in exchange for a reduced sentence, his lawyer said. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares

A resident carries his belongings as he is evacuated from his home in a landslide prone neighborhood of Saupcaia, 65 miles (104 km) northeast of Rio de Janeiro January 11, 2012. Thirteen bodies were found and another nine people still missing due to heavy rains since the New Year, according to the Civil Defense, as Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff created a national task force to work towards preventing floods and landslides. REUTERS/Ana Carolina Fernandes

A biker competes during the 11th stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Arica to Arequipa January 12, 2012. REUTERS/Philippe Desmazes/Pool

A giant light installation of the flag of Switzerland and a portrait of Adolf Guyer-Zeller, founder of the Jungfrau Railways, by Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter, illuminates the north face of the Jungfrau mountain, next to the Eiger (L) and Moench (C) mountains and above the Kleine Scheidegg (bottom), in the Bernese Oberland January 11, 2012. The installation commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the Jungfrau railway, which first began operations in the year 1912. The light left of the installation is Europe's highest railway station, the Jungfraujoch station, at an altitude of 3,454 metres (11,332 feet). REUTERS/Michael Buholzer

Manchester City's Samir Nasri (L) gestures to Liverpool's Jordan Henderson during their English League Cup semi-final, first leg soccer match at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northern England, January 11, 2012. REUTERS/Phil Noble

A still image taken January 11, 2012 from an undated YouTube video shows what is believed to be U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan. The U.S. Marine Corps said on Wednesday it would investigate a video showing what appear to be American forces in Afghanistan urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters. REUTERS/YouTube

A boy runs to receive alms from pilgrims near the banks of the river Ganges at Harwood Point, south of Kolkata, January 12, 2012. Hindu ascetics and pilgrims are making the annual trip to Sagar island for a holy dip, at the confluence of the Ganges river and the Bay of Bengal, during the one-day festival of Makar Sankranti on January 14. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri

Students arrange themselves into a formation of the Pongal Panai, or an earthen pot, as part of the Pongal festival celebrations in Chennai January 12, 2012. Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils across the country. REUTERS/Babu

Technicians work in the processing of silicone gel breast implant manufactured by the French company Sebbin laboratories in Boissy-l'Aillerie, northern Paris January 12, 2012. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

An anti-government protester is seen as Bahraini flags are held around her during an anti-government rally by al-Wefaq in Sanabis west of Manama, January 12, 2012. Thousands of anti-government protesters participated in the rally shouting anti-government slogans demanding the downfall of the ruling family. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Argentina's Eduardo Alan falls with his Yamaha during the 11th stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Arica to Arequipa January 12, 2012. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen

A woman is dragged away by police after she refused to leave from the front of the Apple store in the Beijing district of Sanlitun January 13, 2012. A crowd of a few hundred people gathered outside the store from early morning on the first day of sales in China for Apple's iPhone 4S, but police were called to disperse the crowd after one potential customer threw eggs at the front of the store. REUTERS/David Gray

Former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt, who was once the powerful chief of military intelligence (MI), smiles upon his release from house arrest in Yangon January 13, 2012. Political prisoners began to walk free from jails around Myanmar on Friday in an amnesty that officials said could cover a total 651 inmates, as one of the world's most reclusive states opens up after half a century of authoritarian rule. REUTERS/James YeAungThu

A woman exercises under rows of red lanterns used as decorations for the upcoming temple fair at Ditan park in Beijing January 13, 2012. The Ditan temple fair starts from January 22 to 29 to mark the start of the Year of the Dragon. REUTERS/Soo Hoo Zheyang

An instructor from the Tianjiao Special Guard/Security Consultant Ltd. Co, smashes a bottle over a female recruit's head during a training session for China's first female bodyguards in Beijing January 13, 2012. According to the company, the training session consists of 20 women, mostly college graduates, who will undergo 8-10 months of training to develop sufficient skills to become security guards. The company will then offer the best trainee a chance to attend the International Security Academy in Israel. REUTERS/David Gray