An Iraqi smoked a cigarette in one of the control rooms of the Iskandariya power plant Wednesday in Iskandariya, Iraq. Built in the early 1980s, the plant provides a significant amount of electrical power. Neglect under Saddam Hussein’s regime and Gulf War U.S. airstrikes are blamed for its current state of decline. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
Small, red lanterns were set up Wednesday to welcome tourists at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. The lanterns are for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox. (China Photos/Getty Images)
The caskets of Summer Garas and her four children sat below a monitor showing a family portrait Wednesday at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla. Their bodies were found Jan. 12 in their apartment. Ex-convict Steven Durcho, 25, is accused of strangling his ex-girlfriend and her children. (Chris Landsberger/Associated Press)
Farmers used their tractors to block traffic Wednesday on a highway linking Athens to Thessaloniki, Greece. They protested over falling commodity prices for a second day in a row. (Sakis Mitrolidis/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
“Human weights” posed in line in order from the heaviest to the lightest person Wednesday in London. The British gym Gymbox is trying to make working out fun by ditching dumbbells for people. The “weights” range from the “Dainty Dwarf” to the “Super Human.” (Stephen Hird/Reuters)
People waited in line Wednesday at a Los Angeles newsstand to buy papers and magazines the day after President Barack Obama’s inauguration. (Nick Ut/Associated Press)
A soldier stood at attention at a war monument in Stavropol, Russia, during a ceremony Wednesday marking the city’s liberation from Nazi Germany’s army. (Eduard Korniyenko/Reuters)
Earthquake survivors arranged their new Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, China, home Wednesday. Reconstruction work has accelerated in the province. Authorities said more than 15 million houses were damaged in the May 12, 2008, earthquake. (China Photos/Getty Images)
Palestinians salvaged possessions from a home in Johr El-Deek, Gaza Strip, Wednesday. One man, at left, was seen reflected in a mirror. Israel completed a troop pullout from the Hamas-ruled area, ending a 22-day offensive that killed more than 1,000 Gaza residents. (Jerry Lampen/Reuters)
Russia’s Anna Chakvetadze slipped into a split during her match against Australia’s Jelena Dokic at the Australian Open tennis tournament Wednesday in Melbourne, Australia. Ms. Dokic pulled off an upset to beat Ms. Chakvetadze. (Daniel Munoz/Reuters)
Zimbabwean Pastor Wilson Mugabe broke down in tears Wednesday during the launch of a hunger strike campaign in Johannesburg. Mr. Mugabe said Zimbabweans were already on a “forced fast by the government.” The country has been plagued by food shortages, cholera and hyper-inflation. (Themba Hadebe/Associated Press)
A frog weighed down a banana leaf in a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, garden Wednesday. (Zainal Abd Halim/Reuters)
Austrian troops prepared the famous men’s downhill course, “Hahnenkamm,” before official practice during the FIS World Cup in Kitzbuhel, Austria, Wednesday. (Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
People gathered in Bucharest’s Great Synagogue Wednesday to remember Jewish people who were killed during the 1941 Iron Guard fascist party revolt. About 800,000 Jewish people lived in Romania before World War II; half of them died during the war or were sent to concentration camps. The present-day population of Jews in the country has dwindled to about 6,000. (Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press)
An Israeli soldier waited Wednesday at a southern Israel bus stop close to the Israel-Gaza border. The last Israeli troops left the Gaza Strip before dawn Wednesday. (Bernat Armangue/Associated Press)
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama danced during the Western States Inaugural Ball Tuesday in Washington. It was one of many balls the first couple attended following Mr. Obama’s inauguration. (Chip Somodevilla/Bloomberg News/Landov)
January 16, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
Mourners carried the body of Hamas Interior Minister Said Siam Friday at his funeral in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. Mr. Siam, a security forces commander, was killed Thursday in an Israeli airstrike. Israel said Friday it was close to winding up its offensive against Hamas. (Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Nicola Minichiello and Jackie Gunn of Britain sped down an ice track Thursday during the second run of the two-women Bobsleigh World Cup in the Swiss mountain resort town of Saint Moritz. Germany’s Sandra Kiriasis and Berit Wiacker won gold. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)
Chinese police officers checked counterfeit license plates confiscated during a crackdown on unlicensed cars in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, China, Wednesday. (Associated Press/Color China)
People gathered around lighted candles Friday in Itami, Japan, to remember thousands of victims of an earthquake that hit Japan’s port city of Kobe 14 years ago. (Associated Press/Kyodo News)
Veterinarians prepared the Budapest Zoo’s oldest gorilla, Liesel, for an operation Thursday. In a rare surgery, the 32-year-old gorilla had a tumor removed from her uterus. (Reuters)
Trash collectors warmed up before starting their shifts in Lausanne, Switzerland, Friday. The 12-minute warm-up sessions were introduced to minimize job injuries. (Dominic Favre/European Pressphoto Agency)
A South Korean man cleared snow at the main gate of the Yi dynasty Deoksu Palace Thursday in Seoul. The unexpected snowfall caused a traffic jam in the capital city. (Jung Yeon-Je/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
An Israeli soldier jumped off an armored vehicle carrying Israel’s 60th-anniversary flag Friday on the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip. The soldiers had just returned from duty. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press)
January 15, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
Passengers slept as they waited to board trains at Dalian Railway Station Thursday in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. The Ministry of Railways expects to serve a record 188 million passengers for the Spring Festival. (China Photos/Getty Images)
Germany’s Michael Roesch swept away snow before competing in an International Biathlon World Cup event in Ruhpolding, Germany, Thursday. (Oliver Lang/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
U.S. soldiers of the 926th Engineer Brigade prayed before going out on a humanitarian mission Thursday in Baghdad. (Erik de Castro/Reuters)
A man watched smoke rise from the United Nations headquarters after it was hit during an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Thursday. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed outrage over the incident. (Hatem Moussa/Associated Press)
Media-right activists lighted candles in front of a portrait of slain Sri Lankan newspaper editor Lasantha Wickramatunga during a vigil Thursday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was gunned down Thursday, and was known for being critical of the government. (Buddhika Weerasinghe/Reuters)
Youths protested Thursday in front of the Russian Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, over the gas dispute that left many without heat when Russia stopped pumping supplies through the Ukraine. The countries are expected to hold talks Jan. 17. (Genia Savilov/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A 3-year old llama named Socke sniffed its owner, Nicole Doepper, in Muelheim, Germany, Wednesday. The animal has lived indoors with Ms. Doepper since it was injured by other animals, forcing a leg amputation. (Ina Fassbender/Reuters)
Whooper swans were pictured in Qinghaihu Lake in Garila, Qinghai Province, China, Thursday. (China Photos/Getty Images)
A villager ran from a bull during a festival on the outskirts of Madurai, India, Thursday. The bull-taming event is part of South India’s harvest festival of Pongal. (Babu/Reuters)
A United Nations worker tried to extinguish fire billowing from an Israeli strike Thursday on the United Nations headquarters in Gaza City. The U.N. said three workers were hurt. Meanwhile, Hamas rockets landed in residential parts of Be’er Sheva, Israel. (Mohammed Saber/European Pressphoto Agency)
Smoke streamed from chimneys in subzero weather in Montpelier, Vt., Thursday. The cold snap that blew through the nation’s midsection expanded to the Northeast. (Toby Talbot/Associated Press)
Divers from Qingdao Underwater World performed in Qingdao, China, Thursday, wishing people good luck for the upcoming Chinese New Year. (Xinhua/Landov)
Palestinian medics sent a wounded man who was hurt in an Israeli strike to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Wednesday. More than 1,000 Gaza residents have died in the offensive. (Xinhua/Landov)
Protesters waved a Bulgarian national flag during an antigovernment protest at the Bulgarian Parliament Thursday in Sofia. Thousands called on government officials to resign over alleged corruption and inefficiency. (Petar Petrov/Associated Press)
An electric-rickshaw driver stood atop a vehicle Thursday in Kathmandu, Nepal, demanding the government give more access to electricity. Hundreds of drivers staged a rally in front of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s office after Nepal increased daily power cuts to 16 hours from 12 hours. (Narendra Shrestha/European Pressphoto Agency)
Residents traveled by rubber boat Thursday to collect possessions from their flooded houses in Jakarta, Indonesia, after heavy rains. (Irwin Fedriansyah/Associated Press)
January 14, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
A Palestinian boy who fled his home during Israel’s offensive waited to receive food at a United Nations school in Jabalya, Gaza Strip, Wednesday. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon renewed calls for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire. (Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
A man pulled a decorated cow near a bonfire as part of the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti in Bangalore, India, Wednesday. (Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press)
Traditionally dressed security personnel welcomed guests to the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India. One part of the palace is a five-star hotel. (Vijay Mathur/Reuters)
Manager Gisela Olsson posed in a cockpit suite during a media preview in the Jumbo Hostel at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport Wednesday. The Boeing jet was converted into a 25-room hostel and cafe, with the cockpit serving as a deluxe suite. (Fredrik Sandberg/Scanpix/Reuters)
Police officers held weapons at a commuter train stop Wednesday in Lisle, Ill. Service was halted for 90 minutes during a search for a gunman, which was prompted by a Secret Service agent whose metal-detector questions raised a ticket agent’s suspicions. (Rich Hein/Chicago Sun-Times via Associated Press)
Riot police took cover behind their shields after throwing tear gas at students who were demonstrating Wednesday in Caracas, Venezuela, against a constitutional amendment that would allow President Hugo Chavez to be indefinitely re-elected. The National Assembly is expected to green light the change. (Juan Barreto/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
NASA moved space shuttle Discovery to its launch pad Wednesday in Cape Canaveral, Fla., ahead of a Feb. 12 launch that will kick off the U.S. space agency’s last full year of shuttle missions before the fleet is retired in 2010. (Matt Stroshane/Getty Images)
An Israeli youth carried the remains of a rocket fired from Gaza after it landed Wednesday near Kibbutz Nir Am, just outside the northern Gaza Strip. (Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)
Protesters clashed with riot police Wednesday outside the Bulgarian Parliament in Sofia. About 2,000 demonstrators were protesting against corruption and slow economic reforms. There has also been anger about gas being cut off due to a dispute between Russia and Ukraine. (Oleg Popov/Reuters)
A child flew a kite Wednesday in Mumbai’s Nehru Nagar slum. The neighborhood is the setting of the Golden Globe-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire.” (Punit Paranjpe/Reuters)
A woman cried after finding her husband’s name Wednesday on a list of people missing after a ferry sank Sunday off Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island. About 267 people were initially believed to be on board, however, officials said Wednesday 103 more might have been present. Weather is blamed for the sinking. (Yusuf Ahmad/Reuters)
Dusseldorf Opera House ballet dancers rehearsed Wednesday for “The Nutcracker,” a perennial holiday favorite, at the Maestranza Theater in Seville, Spain. (Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)
An Islamist insurgent held a machine gun at a Mogadishu, Somalia, stadium Wednesday. Clashes between insurgents and Ethiopia’s last remaining troops in Mogadishu left at least 14 civilians dead Wednesday. Insurgents also fired on Somalia’s presidential palace after Ethiopia withdrew many of its troops. (Ismail Taxta/Reuters)
A man covered himself with a banner depicting Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit during a protest Wednesday in Tel Aviv calling for Mr. Shalit’s release. He was abducted by Palestinian gunmen from Gaza in 2006. (Sharon Perry/Reuters)
People who fled their homes during Israel’s offensive waited to receive food at a United Nations school in Jabalya, Gaza Strip, Wednesday. Also Wednesday, Egypt awaited word on whether Israel would accept a proposal, which Hamas agreed to, for a 10-day cease-fire. The Palestinian death toll has passed 1,000 in the conflict. (Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
A worker pulled a cow figure at the International Green Week Berlin on Wednesday. The exhibition fair for the food, agriculture and horticulture industries runs from Jan. 16 to Jan. 25. (John Macdougall/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Young trainees pulled a parachute at a civilian military camp organized by South Korean Special Warfare Command in Seoul on Wednesday. The camps are meant to strengthen South Koreans physically and promote national security awareness. (Jo Yong-Hak/Reuters)
Slovenia’s Andrej Jerman practiced for the men’s downhill challenge of the FIS World Cup in Wengen, Switzerland, Wednesday. Switzerland’s Didier Cuche clocked the fastest time. (Joe Klamar/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
January 13, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
A child gathered flour at food distribution center in Buhimba refugee camp Tuesday near Goma, Congo. More than 1 million people are believed to have been displaced by fighting between rebel forces and the government. (Lionel Healing/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Bosnian people searched for food and other provisions Tuesday at a garbage depot as extremely low winter temperatures persisted in the region. (Amel Emric/Associated Press)
Would-be immigrants walked to police buses Tuesday after being safely brought ashore by the Armed Forces of Malta. More than 100 people were rescued Sunday after finding themselves in choppy waters while en route to Europe from Africa. (Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)
People waited for a government job center to open Tuesday in Madrid. The number of people out of work topped 3 million for the first time ever in December, and the government warned the situation may get worse. (Philippe Desmazes/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A small herd of Texas longhorn steers was guided down a street during the kickoff parade for the 103rd annual National Western Stock Show Tuesday in Denver. (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)
Dacia-Renault car plant employees rallied Tuesday in Mioveni, Romania, in support of a new government tax to register imported second-hand cars. The tax is meant to bolster locally manufactured cars. (Mihai Barbu/Reuters)
A police officer swimming under the ice looked through a frozen lake during an exercise Tuesday in Boennigheim, Germany. (Sascha Schuermann/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Runner Keith Golke, of Minneapolis, went jogging around Calhoun Tuesday — on the coldest day in Minnesota since 2004. An Arctic blast has descended on much of the Midwest, with record-breaking lows approaching minus 40 degrees in parts of North Dakota. (David Joles/Star Tribune via Associated Press)
A White House staff member walked away with a portrait of outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush Tuesday in Washington. President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in Jan. 20 as the 44th president. Mr. Obama is lobbying lawmakers for the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout funds. (Jason Reed/Reuters)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.), right, and the committee’s ranking Republican Sen. Richard Lugar (R., Ind.), left, greeted secretary of state nominee Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D., N.Y.) Tuesday on Capitol Hill prior to her nomination hearing. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)
From left to right, Bavarian State Prime Minister Horst Seehofer, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel posed Tuesday during a Berlin news conference. Germany approved the largest fiscal stimulus package in Europe — more than $80 billion — in extra spending and tax cuts through 2010. (Johannes Eisele/Reuters)
Hindu devotees took a dip Tuesday during the annual Makar Sankranti festival at a natural hot spring at Tatapani, India. The festival celebrates the sun’s journey into the northern hemisphere. (Anil Dayal/Associated Press)
Fajar Taslim, center, a 35-year-old Singaporean English teacher of Pakistani heritage, sat in a jail cell with other defendants as they awaited their trial on terrorism charges Tuesday in Jakarta, Indonesia. The accused Jemaah Islamiyah members allegedly killed a Christian schoolteacher and plotted to bomb a cafe. (Tatan Syuflana/Associated Press)
An explosion from an Israeli airstrike was seen in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday. Israeli troops advanced into the Gaza suburbs, despite cease-fire pleas from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The fighting has killed more than 900 Gaza residents and about 13 Israel residents. (Abdalrahem Khateb/Associated Press)
Suspected child Somali insurgent fighters relaxed with guns at a Mogadishu military base vacated Tuesday by Ethiopian troops. Ethiopia withdrew its forces overnight, raising fears that a power vacuum would ensue. (Feisal Omar/Reuters)
Japan’s ex-Financial Services Minister Yoshimi Watanabe announced his departure Tuesday in Tokyo from the Liberal Democrats Party. Unpopular Prime Minster Taro Aso’s grip over his party appears to be weakening ahead of an election this year. His approval rating is below 20%. (Issei Kato/Reuters)
An employee walked at gas export monopoly Gazprom’s Sudzha, Russia, pumping station Tuesday. Little or no Russian gas flowed to European Union countries via Ukraine, despite an agreement by Russia to resume supplies Tuesday. The nations blamed each other, with Russia saying Ukraine failed to open export pipelines. (Denis Sinyakov/Reuters)
A girl smiled as she walked on a road as snow fell Tuesday in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Ahmad Masood/Reuters)
The U.S. Army’s newly acquired neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV) were displayed Monday at Fort Myer, Virginia. The Army plans to lease thousands of NEVs. (Molly Riley/Reuters)
January 12, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
Wang Chuanfu, Chairman of BYD Co., waited for a press event to begin Monday at the Detroit International Auto Show in Michigan. The company is working on an electric car. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Former President Jimmy Carter was asked to pause to allow his speech to be translated from English to Chinese at a dinner Monday celebrating 30 years of China-U.S. diplomatic relations in Beijing. (Elizabeth Dalziel/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Ismael Fernandez, 6, stood inside a church Monday that is being used as a refuge for Costa Rican earthquake survivors. Rescue workers using dogs were threatened by mudslides Sunday as they searched among collapsed houses for survivors. (Juan Carlos Ulate/Reuters)
Taxi driver Jordan Marero leaned on his 1952 Pontiac Catalina as he waited for passengers in Havana Monday. Cuban officials said they are ending a nearly decade-long ban on new licenses for private taxis, and they will even let cabbies set their own fares. (Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press)
A man sat atop a decorated elephant in Jaipur, India, Monday. (Vijay Mathur/Reuters)
A child slept as his mother shucked mussels on Muara Baru Beach in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday. (Beawiharta/Reuters)
The media waited around Bernard Madoff’s New York building Monday. A judge allowed the disgraced money manager to remain free on bail Monday, rejecting an attempt by prosecutors to send him to jail for mailing more than $1 million in valuables to family and friends over the holidays. (Seth Wenig/Associated Press)
A general view of the U.S. Capitol was seen Sunday during a rehearsal for the Jan. 20 inauguration ceremony for President-elect Barack Obama. (Jason Reed/Reuters)
President George W. Bush paused during his final news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House Monday. Mr. Bush bid farewell to the White House press corps, saying he knew they always tried to do their best even if they “misunderestimated” him. (Jason Reed/Reuters)
Vice President-elect Joe Biden visited Iraq Monday, arriving in Baghdad following trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mr. Biden met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and other officials, but made no public statements. His son is serving in Iraq with the Delaware National Guard. (Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris had make-up applied before appearing Sunday on the CBS television show “Face the Nation.” Mr. Burris planned to stay in Chicago Monday while attorneys headed to Washington to urge the Senate to accept his appointment to fill the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. (Paul Beaty/Associated Press)
College students held a vigil Sunday in Katmandu, Nepal, in protest of the government. Citizens will be allowed only eight hours of electricity a day because of low water levels in reservoirs that drive hydroelectric plants. (Binod Joshi/Associated Press)
An Israeli man blew a shofar, which is a ram’s horn, near Kibbutz Nir Am as plumes of smoke rose above the northern Gaza Strip Sunday. Israeli warplanes moved closer to the heart of the densely populated part of Gaza Monday. (Jerry Lampen/Reuters)
Palestinian girls, who fled their homes with their families during Israel’s offensive, looked out of a window at a U.N. school in Jabalya, Gaza, Monday. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)
A Palestinian walked inside a house that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike Monday in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli troops fought fierce gun battles with Hamas fighters, keeping military pressure on the group. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)
A house that was destroyed by a landslide was pictured Sunday in Cinchona, Costa Rica. Rescue workers spent the day combing through other damaged homes after last week’s deadly 6.1-magnitude earthquake. (Juan Carlos Ulate/Reuters)
A U.S. soldier prepared to attach a cargo sling to a Chinook helicopter at Forward Operating Base Bostick Sunday in eastern Afghanistan. (Bob Strong/Reuters)
A mother was held by her son after locating her daughter’s name on a list of passengers who were on a ferry that capsized Sunday in a cyclone off Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island. More than 200 passengers and crewmembers are believed dead. (Yusuf Ahmad/Reuters)
A passenger carried his belongings Monday at a railway station in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. The country expects 2.32 billion people to travel around the traditional Spring Festival holiday, also known as the Chinese New Year. (Reuters)
People enjoyed the frozen Lac de Joux at Le Pont in the Jura region of Switzerland Sunday. The lake is a popular skating spot during the winter months. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
January 9, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
Marines saluted at the funeral of Lance Cpl. Alberto Francesconi, 21, Friday in New York’s Bronx borough. Mr. Francesconi was the first American casualty this year in Afghanistan. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
A man slept outside a World Food Program tent in Kibati, Congo, Friday. More than a million people are believed to have been displaced by violence between the government and dissident Gen. Laurent Nkunda’s fighters. (Lionel Healing/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Personnel at Colombia’s National Museum carried a painting by artist Enrique Grau Friday in Bogota. Authorities said 425 paintings from national and international artists have been lost to drug traffickers in the nation in the past 10 years. (Mauricio Duenas/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Rep. Milton Patterson (D., Chicago) was surrounded by reporters after the Illinois House of Representatives voted Friday to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Mr. Patterson was the only member to vote against impeachment. (Seth Perlman/Associated Press)
A bride waited to enter the chapel of Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, Friday. About 150 marriages take place at the hotel’s chapel each winter; the structures melt away in the spring. (Olivier Morin/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A man worked Friday at the Washington site of President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration. Mr. Obama takes office Jan. 20. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)
Motorcycle riders waited their turn Friday to fill up at a Lucknow, India, gas station. A fuel crisis ended as the government called in troops to load tankers and threatened to imprison union leaders, who were on strike for three days. Workers at the state-run oil firms were demanding better pay. (Pawan Kumar/Reuters)
University students hung portraits in Panama City, Panama, Friday as part of Martyrs’ Day. They honored 21 students killed by U.S. forces in 1964 when they tried to raise a Panamanian flag next to a U.S. flag at a U.S. Army base. (Arnulfo Franco/Associated Press)
Workers put the finishing touches on a windmill turbine at a wind farm in Fruges, France, Friday. The farm is capable of producing 140 megawatts of energy — enough to power some 150,000 households. (Pascal Rossignol/Reuters)
A worker arranged red lanterns Friday atop the ancient South Gate of Xian City Wall in Xian, China, to mark the upcoming Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox. (China Photos/Getty Images)
An exhibitor polished a Luxury Crystal Benz, a Mercedes-Benz customized with 300,000 Swarovski crystals that was on display Friday at the Tokyo Auto Salon in Chiba, Japan. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)
A security guard adjusted his collar Friday at the offices of Satyam Computer Services in Hyderabad, India. The company’s shares have plunged on an admission this week of inflated profits. (Krishnendu Halder/Reuters)
Pure 1,000-gram gold bars, produced by South Korea’s LS-Nikko, were stacked Friday at a Seoul dealer. Gold prices have soared on strong demand due to the local currency’s sharp depreciation. (Kim Jae-Hwan/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A BMX rider jumped over graffiti work reading “Stop Israel’s War Crimes,” Friday in a London park. Artist “Solo” created the graffiti. (Carl De Souza/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A girl played with a dog in the suburbs of Sofia, Bulgaria, Friday as the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute entered another day. The countries are in a pricing dispute, with Russia refusing to ship supplies through the Ukraine until monitors are in place to prevent Ukraine’s alleged theft of supplies meant for Europe. (Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A U.S. military helicopter crewmember wore a face mask with skull design while flying on a mission in Baghdad Friday. (Erik de Castro/Reuters)
Israeli soldiers kept an eye on Palestinian demonstrators Friday at the West Bank checkpoint of Kalandia. Israel continued its military operations Friday, despite a U.N. Security Council cease-fire resolution. More than 700 Gaza residents have died in the conflict. (Marco Longari/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Residents of Karachi, Pakistan, watched as ambulances transported the bodies of fire victims Friday. A blaze in the port city’s slums late Thursday left at least 38 people dead, including children and women. (Rehan Khan/European Pressphoto Agency)
A homeless man smoked a cigar while keeping warm near burning cardboard boxes Friday in Skopje, Macedonia. Gas heating returned to thousands of homes across the frozen Balkans Friday, as Germany and Hungary provided gas amid a Russia-Ukraine pricing spat. (Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters)
January 8, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
A police robot checked a Palestinian man’s body for explosives. Israeli authorities said the man was killed while trying to set a gas station on fire Thursday in Mishor Adumim, West Bank. (Guy Assayag/Associated Press)
President George W. Bush visited second-graders at General Philip Kearny School in Philadelphia Thursday while talking about No Child Left Behind. (Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Farmer Wu Yulu rode in a rickshaw pulled by his self-made robot near his home on the outskirts of Beijing Thursday. Mr. Wu, who started building robots in 1986, made his latest invention out of materials found in trash piles. (Reinhard Krause/Reuters)
A passenger boarded a train through a window at a railway station in Changzhi, Shanxi Province, China Thursday. China’s railway stations are busy this week, as millions of migrant workers travel home for the Spring Festival holiday. (Reuters)
American driver Robby Gordon steered his Hummer through the sixth stage of the 2009 Dakar rally between San Rafael and Mendoza, Argentina, Thursday. (Gabriel Bouys/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A man with syringes and a spike inserted in his forehead performed Thursday in a nightclub for the first-ever Singapore Tattoo Show. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)
A spectator followed the Qatar Open semifinal tennis match between Andy Roddick, of the U.S., and Romania’s Victor Hanescu Thursday in Doha, Qatar. Mr. Roddick beat Mr. Hanescu, 6-3 6-2. (Hassan Ammar/Associated Press)
Pope Benedict XVI delivered his annual address to the Vatican Diplomatic Corps Thursday in Vatican City. The pope said military options were not a solution in the Middle East, and he called for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire. (Vincenzo Pinto/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Workers removed Christmas decorations Thursday from a Barcelona shopping center next to a sign advertising a 60%-off sale. While the usually busy holiday shopping season is over, retailers across the globe still hope to lure consumers. (Josep Lago/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A man was seen behind a frost-covered trolley bus Thursday in Sofia, Bulgaria. The country is struggling to adapt to a gas shortage after Russia cut its deliveries through the Ukraine in a price dispute. (Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
James Silvey posed for a picture next to Cindy, a chimpanzee, during Edinburgh Zoo’s annual head cout Thursday in Scotland. (David Moir/Reuters)
Supporters watched as the Marine One helicopter carrying President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush took off Thursday from the White House. (Larry Downing/Reuters)
An ice-glider slid over a frozen Lake Velencei off the coast of Gardony, Hungary, Thursday. Ice enthusiasts practiced for an upcoming race. (Bela Szandelszky/Associated Press)
Researchers at Tokyo’s Waseda University demonstrated Thursday how “Twendy-One,” a robot designed to help elderly and disabled people, could manipulate delicate objects. A robotics team gave Twendy-One four-fingered hands capable of holding items without crushing them. (Issei Kato/Reuters)
Security kicked a demonstrator Thursday in Bethlehem, West Bank, after he threw stones in protest of Israel’s Gaza offensive. Meanwhile, the conflict continued with militants in southern Lebanon firing a handful of rockets into northern Israel. (Eliana Aponte/Reuters)
A man rested on a mattress on a floor in Belgrade, Serbia’s, only state-run homeless shelter Thursday. Officials said their resources are maxed out as temperatures continue to drop, causing the homeless to seek shelter. (Marko Djurica/Reuters)
January 7, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
From left to right, former President George H.W. Bush, President-elect Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were photographed Wednesday at the White House. The leaders had a meeting with Mr. Obama, who takes office Jan. 20. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Ghana’s President John Atta Mills, of the opposition party National Democratic Congress, was inaugurated Wednesday in Accra. (Luc Gnago/Reuters)
Israeli soldiers mourned their fallen comrade, Staff Sgt. Alex Mashavisky, Wednesday in a Beersheba, Israel, military cemetery. He died Jan. 6 during operations in the Gaza Strip. (Ariel Schalit/Associated Press)
A near-naked Anima Naturalis activist sat in a cage Wednesday in Tarragona, Spain, to protest the use of animals in circuses. The temperature was around 37 degrees Fahrenheit. (Gustau Nacarino/Reuters)
Rachel Moore, whose gloved hands are seen, counted penguins Wednesday at Bristol Zoo Gardens in Bristol, England. The zoo is undertaking a head count of every animal, comprising more than 450 species from tiny insects to gorillas and other creatures. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
An E.ON Natural Gas Storage Company engineer checked pipeline pressure Wednesday in Hajduszoboszlo, Hungary, near the Ukrainian border. Hungary started using its reserves after Russia stopped all shipments through the Ukraine Wednesday. Russia and Ukraine are in a pricing spat. (Bela Szandelszky/Associated Press)
Men covered themselves in mud Wednesday for Ashura religious festival in Khorramabad, Iran. Muslims all over the world are mourning the slaying of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson some 1,300 years ago, during the first 10 days of the Islamic month of Moharram. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters)
Pakistani Shiite Muslims held knives on chains as they prepared to whip themselves during a Moharram procession in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday. At a Baghdad procession, thousands of Shiite men sobbed, cut their scalps with daggers and whipped their backs to mourn Imam Hussein. (David Guttenfelder/Associated Press)
A police officer stood guard Wednesday outside a Mumbai mosque as a Muslim boy looked on during a demonstration against Israel’s military strike in Gaza, which has killed close to 700 people. (Arko Datta/Reuters)
An Israeli soldier walked down a road along the border with Gaza Wednesday during a temporary cease-fire. Israel has agreed to a daily three-hour cease-fire to open up a humanitarian aid corridor. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
An elderly Cambodian smiled and posed for a picture Wednesday at Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium during events celebrating the fall of the communist Khmer Rouge regime 30 years ago. (David Longstreath/Associated Press)
A Palestinian girl, who fled with her family during Israel’s offensive, looked out a window at a U.N. school in Jabalya, Gaza Strip, Wednesday. Israel also studied a proposal Wednesday by Egypt and France for a cease-fire with Hamas. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)
A boy reached out to touch frozen fountain water in Trafalgar Square in London Wednesday as the mercury dipped to a chilly 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit. (Matt Dunham/Associated Press)
A group of Gelada monkeys huddled together Wednesday for body heat at Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart, Germany. The species is native to Ethiopia. (Michael Latz/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
People marched with national flags during a religious procession Wednesday to celebrate Orthodox Christmas in Tbilisi, Georgia. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar. (David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters)
France’s Amelie Mauresmo screamed after defeating Julie Coin in the second round of the Brisbane International tennis tournament Wednesday in Brisbane, Australia. The Australian Open, which starts Jan. 19, is up next. (William West/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
January 6, 2009 Published ~ 3 years ago.
Pictures of the Day
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) was ceremonially sworn in Tuesday in Washington. She was surrounded by her grandchildren and the children of Congress members during the first sesson of the 111th Congress. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Children wore camel costumes at the Three Kings Day Parade Tuesday in New York. The parade celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, marking the Biblical story of the visit of three kings to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Shiite Muslims took part in ritual ceremonies Tuesday in Karbala, Iraq, on the eve of the climax of a 10-day mourning period marking the death of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson. More than 50,000 foreigners have converged on the city. (Mohammed Sawaf/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Russian Ilja Rosliakov jumped during the qualifications for the first stage of the Four Hills championship Tuesday in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Robert Michael/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A deer foraged for food as the sun set over Knutsford, England, Tuesday. Much of the United Kingdom has been enduring a heavy frost and sub-zero temperatures. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Dieter Depping, of Germany, steered his Volkswagen during the fourth stage of the 2009 Dakar Rally between Jacobacci and Neuquen, Argentina, Tuesday. Carlos Sainz won the stage to keep the lead in the race. (Gabriel Bouys/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
Skiers used a chair lift to get to the Fichtelberg peak in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, Tuesday. Bitter cold is gripping Germany and much of the rest of Europe. Temperatures have been plumetting as low as minus 14.8 degrees Fahrenheit there. (Uwe Meinhold/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
A bugler played “Taps” during the funeral for U.S. Army Spc. Stephen G. Zapasnik, of Broken Arrow, Okla., Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Mr. Zapasnik was killed Dec. 24 when his Humvee rolled over in Iraq. (Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press)
A man hit a volleyball on Sydney’s Manly Beach Tuesday as area temperatures soared to a scorching 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit. (Rick Rycroft/Associated Press)
A boat was stuck on a frozen lake in Espoo, near Helsinki, Finland, Tuesday. (Alessandro Della Bella/European Pressphoto Agency)
Edo Firemanship Preservation Association members displayed their balancing skills atop bamboo ladders during a fire brigade demonstration Tuesday in Tokyo. (Yuriko Nakao/Reuters)
The faithful sang and danced in the Tundzha River in Kalofering, Bulgaria, Tuesday for Epiphany Day. An Orthodox Christian priest threw a cross into the river and the men dove in to retrieve it. It’s believed those who dance in the river will enjoy good health throughout the year. Epiphany Day was also celebrated in Greece, Romania and other countries. (Petar Petrov/Associated Press)
A man readied his weapons before practicing kung fu Tuesday in a Beijing park. (Christina Hu/Reuters)
A driver rested on top of a truck Tuesday in Ahmedabad, India. A nationwide strike by tens of thousands of truckers entered a second day, pushing up prices of some commodities and threatening to choke food supplies. The truckers are calling for cuts in taxes, tolls and diesel prices. (Amit Dave/Reuters)
A boy hung onto a goalpost near the Bekasi commuter rail line in the Tanah Abang area of Jakarta Tuesday. Hundreds of poor families have set up makeshift homes along the stretch of rail tracks. (Beawiharta/Reuters)
Hong Kong director John Woo spoke to the media Tuesday about his latest movie, “Red Cliff.” Mr. Woo is preparing to introduce his first Chinese-language film in 16 years. (Kin Cheung/Associated Press)
A Palestinian boy inspected building rubble after Israeli forces’ operations in Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said terrorist rocket attacks and weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza must end before Israel halts its offensive in the Palestinian territory. (Eyad Baba/Associated Press)
Pakistani Shiite Muslims beat their chests during a Muharram procession in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is observed around the world by 10 days of mourning in remembrance of the martyred Imam Hussein, the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson. (David Guttenfelder/Associated Press)
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Pictures of the Day - 2009 - PART 2
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.