New NASA Curiosity Mars Rover photo shows one of the clearest images of Mars surface ever taken

reuters:

Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj has won the Reuters Photo of the Year award for this image captured in North Korea in 2011.

“After days of excitement and lots of rare pictures in the provinces, I came back to Pyongyang without big plans for shooting in the capital. All I wanted were some moody general views of the city,” Sagolj wrote. “This is probably the easiest big picture I shot for a long time - it was taken from the window of my hotel room in Pyongyang early morning, just before the sunrise. I knew that portrait was there and I insisted with our hosts to get a room on a very high floor facing that direction. So, all I had to do is to wake up early in the morning, make a coffee, light a cigarette and make sure I exposed well. The scene has this eerie look for maybe 5 to 10 minutes, then the revolutionary songs and propaganda speeches from loudspeakers wake the city up.”

The photo shows a picture of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung decorating a building in the capital of Pyongyang on October 5, 2011.

See more of the best photos from 2011

life:

Snow monkeys enjoy a hot, steamy bath and some quiet communal time in Japan.

(see more — Japan: Land of the Rising Sun)

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

life:

In 1969, 27-year-old Capt. Muammar Gaddafi overthrew the king of Libya in a bloodless coup, promoted himself to Colonel, and declared the country a socialist state. Ever since, he’s remained one of the world’s most controversial leaders, and a man of profound contradictions. He describes Libya as a popular democracy, but his word is law. He has sponsored terrorists and violent revolutionaries, but has frequently acknowledged his actions while avidly courting Western approval.

see more — Gaddafi: The Last Supervillain?

newsflick:

America has lost its AAA rating as Standard and Poor’s downgrades it to AA+. See how different country scores compare. (Large)

(Source: newsflick)

theweekmagazine:

A star being gobbled by a massive black hole sends out a “mayday call,” and Earth receives it. This happens “only once every 100 million years.”

Photo: University of Warwick, Mark A. Garlick

newsflick:

Ugandan soldiers shoot at demonstrators, who pelt them with rocks from apartment buildings, during riots in Kampala on April 29. (Marc Hofer)

Ugandan army troops and police faced off against rioting demonstrators in downtown Kampala on Friday, the first time the Uganda’s growing protest movement had reached the country’s capital. Red Cross officials said at least one person was killed and 64 wounded.

Source

(Source: newsflick)

Elsheba Khan at the grave of her son, Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan. (Photo credit: Platon)

Gratuitous Picture of Chuck Thursdays