The Big Picture http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/ News Stories in Photographs from the Boston Globe en Copyright 2009 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:52:20 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The Honduran coup d'etat Earlier this year, the unpopular president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, introduced a referendum as a first step toward drafting a new constitution. Opposition to the referendum was strong, with the Honduran Congress, Supreme Court and military all declaring it illegal. Zelaya fired the head of the military for not providing support for the referendum - but was thwarted by the Supreme Court, who deemed the firing illegal, and reinstated General Romeo Velasquez to his post. On Sunday, June 28th, the Honduran Army, under orders from the Supreme Court, stormed the presidential residence, arrested president Zelaya and put him on a plane to Costa Rica, then took possession of the residence. The head of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, then assumed the role of Interim President of Honduras. Internally split, Hondurans have taken to the streets both in support of Zelaya and in opposition to his return. International reactions have been unanimously negative, the action condemned as a coup by the UN, the Organization of American States, the U.S. and every other country in Latin America. Efforts are underway now to resolve the issue, with great international pressure on Honduras. (35 photos total)

Supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya clash with soldiers near the presidential residency Tegucigalpa, Monday, June 29. 2009. Police fired tear gas to hold back thousands of Hondurans outside the occupied presidential residency as world leaders from Barack Obama to Hugo Chavez appealed to Honduras to reverse a coup that ousted the president. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_honduran_coup_detat.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_honduran_coup_detat.html Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:52:20 -0500 Iraq takes a step toward sovereignty Six years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the government of Iraq set aside Tuesday as a national holiday, celebrating "Sovereignty Day" as U.S. troops, on schedule, pulled out of all major Iraqi cities - the first phase of a full withdrawal scheduled for the end of 2011. Many residents of these cities took their cues from Iraqi officials and security forces and celebrated the day in streets, parks and at home - despite the hot weather, remaining doubts about the capabilities of Iraqi forces, several deadly bombings, and the fact that no U.S. troops actually left the country. Nearly 130,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, providing continued support until 2011. As of today, the Department of Defense has identified 4,308 American service members who have died since the start of the war. (33 photos total)

Iraqis celebrate in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, June 29, 2009, to mark the milestone of U.S. troops leaving Iraqi cities, fireworks colored Baghdad's skyline and thousands of people attended a party in a city park late Monday where singers performed patriotic songs. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/iraq_takes_a_step_toward_sover.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/iraq_takes_a_step_toward_sover.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:04:12 -0500 Glastonbury 2009 Over the weekend, approximately 190,000 people made their way to Worthy Farm in western England to attend the 2009 Glastonbury Festival. Attendees came to see performances at what is billed as "Europe's largest open-air music festival" on many stages over four days - headliners included Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and a reunited Blur. Rainy weather did little to dampen the mood, as attendees enjoyed themselves in tent cities, concert performances, dance tents, and the surrounding countryside of Somerset, England. Collected here are a handful of images from this year's festival. (33 photos total)

Festival-goers walk through a camping area in the early hours of the second day of the annual Glastonbury Festival near Glastonbury, England on June 27, 2009. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/glastonbury_2009.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/glastonbury_2009.html Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:09:09 -0500 Recent scenes from the ISS Earlier this week, NASA released an amazing photograph of an eruption of Sarychev Peak Volcano, taken by astronauts aboard the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). Seeing that great photo prompted me to dig into the archives and see what other imagery I could find from recent NASA archives. Collected here are a handful of photographs of Sarychev Peak Volcano, and more, taken by astronauts aboard the ISS over the past few months. (35 photos total)

High above Russia's Kuril Islands, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) look down on erupting Sarychev Peak Volcano (plume in center, left) on Matua Island and its brownish ash mixing with cloud cover downwind on June 12, 2009. Part of the ISS, a Soyuz module, is visible in the foreground. (NASA/JSC) [Google map]
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/recent_scenes_from_the_iss.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/recent_scenes_from_the_iss.html Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:33:54 -0500 Soccer in South Africa South Africa is currently hosting the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, an international soccer tournament held every four years. The Confederations Cup is regarded as a dress rehearsal for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, also hosted by South Africa - the first World Cup to be held in Africa. Expectations are high as preparations, stadium construction and planning for both tournaments have recently picked up pace. With soccer fever sweeping through the country, you'll find here some recent scenes of South Africans enjoying football as both participants and fans. (28 photos total)

Children play soccer in a field in Erasmia township on June 23, 2009 in Erasmia, South Africa. (Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/soccer_in_south_africa.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/soccer_in_south_africa.html Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:35:53 -0500 A troubled week in Iran In the ten days since Iran's disputed presidential election, street demonstrations have taken place every day. Iranian citizens, supporters of opposition candidates, continue to take to the streets and document what they encounter there, despite explicit government bans, the danger of arrest (many hundreds placed in custody), or possible physical harm (at least 19 deaths so far). Iranian officials maintain their stance that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the undisputed winner, and have increased restrictions and pressure on opposition members, protesters, foreign media and communication networks as they work to regain control. President Barack Obama recently stated that the government of Iran should "recognize that the world is watching." Many of the photographs here were taken and transmitted at great risk in the past week, in the hopes that others would be able to see and bear witness. [ previously on Big Picture: 1, 2, 3 ] (38 photos total)

Supporters of Iran's presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi face off against riot police during a demonstration on June 20, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. Thousands of Iranians clashed with police as they defied an ultimatum from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for an end to protests over last week's disputed presidential election results. (Getty Images)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/a_troubled_week_in_iran.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/a_troubled_week_in_iran.html Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:58:59 -0500 Dance around the world We humans are natural dancers. Dances can be celebrations, or for praise, or for an audience - or just a simple act of letting the rhythm move your body. Dancers can communicate ideas, preserve cultural identities, strengthen social bonds, or just have a lot of fun. Collected here are recent photographs of us, human beings around the world, professional and amateur, in motion for all of the reasons above and more. (39 photos total)

A dancer from the English National Ballet performing 'Ballets Russes' at Sadler's Wells poses in her 'Dying Swan' costume designed by Karl Largerfeld on June 16, 2009 in London, England. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/dance_around_the_world.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/dance_around_the_world.html Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:15:14 -0500 Israeli Settlements in the West Bank Relations between the Israeli government and the Obama administration have become tense lately over the issue of growing Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Nearly 300,000 Israelis now live in such settlements, alongside some 2.5 million Palestinians. The tense disputes over the settlements touch on religious and historical claims, local and international laws, and, of course political disagreements. The settlements range in size and permanence from "wildcat" outposts made of plywood shacks to established cities of tens of thousands. The international community views over 100 of the settlements as illegal under international law. Despite calls from the U.S. for a complete freeze on expansion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that, though Israel would not build any new settlements and would dismantle unauthorized outposts, it would still allow building within existing settlements to accommodate "natural growth." Collected here are some scenes from West Bank settlements over the past few months. (37 photos total)

A Palestinian worker walks through a construction site of a new housing project in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem, Sunday, June 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/israeli_settlements_in_the_wes.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/israeli_settlements_in_the_wes.html Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:07:17 -0500 Iran's continued election turmoil After the relatively free (if sporadic) flow of news, tweets, video and photographs from Iran the past several days, today saw a tighter clampdown, with the government officially banning foreign media from covering rallies and taking further efforts to block online communications. Though photographs from inside Iran are now more rare, there are still a few available. Collected here are three mini-collections: images of reactions from Iranians abroad and the international community, images of pro-Ahmadinejad rallies from Iran (allowed under current restrictions), and several photos from continued rallies held today in support of reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi. (27 photos total)

London, England - Iranian protesters hold a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy in central London on June 16, 2009. (SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_continued_election_turmo.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_continued_election_turmo.html Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:54:52 -0500 Iran's Disputed Election Following up from last Friday's entry about Iran's Presidential Election, Tehran and other cities have seen the largest street protests and rioting since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Supporters of reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, upset at their announced loss and suspicions of voter fraud, took to the streets both peacefully and, in some cases, violently to vent their frustrations. Iranian security forces and hardline volunteer militia members responded with force and arrests, attempting to stamp out the protests - meanwhile, thousands of Iranians who were happy with the election outcome staged their own victory demonstrations. Mousavi himself has been encouraging peaceful demonstrations, and called for calm at a large demonstration today (held in defiance of an official ban), as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has just called for an official inquiry into accusations of election irregularities. (Update: several photos of injuries from gunshots at today's rally added below) (38 photos total (plus 3))

A supporter of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi shouts slogans during riots in Tehran on June 13, 2009. Hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared winner by a landslide in Iran's hotly-disputed presidential vote, triggering riots by opposition supporters and furious complaints of cheating from his defeated rivals. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:28:43 -0500 Iran's Presidential Election Iranians went to the voting booth today, Friday, June 12th, for their 10th presidential election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Their decision today is largely whether to keep hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power for four more years, or to replace him with a reformist more open to loosening the country's Islamic restrictions and improving ties with the United States. Ahmadinejad's leading opponent is Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former Prime Minister of Iran. Mousavi's campaign was propelled in recent weeks by young voters using high-tech campaign tactics (over 66% of Iranians are under the age of 30). Iran's presidential elections are tightly controlled, and, once elected, the office holder has limited power, but it remains the highest position determined by popular vote. Collected here are several photos from the past few weeks in Iran. (35 photos total)

A supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad displays her hand painted with the Iranian flag, also used as a sign for his party, at his final election campaign rally, on Azadi street in western Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, June 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_presidential_election.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_presidential_election.html Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:13:48 -0500 Children in Pakistan According to Pakistani authorities and the UN, at least 3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have now been registered as a result from recent fighting and on-going military operations against the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat, Buner, and Lower Dir districts. Refugee families are often made up of only women and children, the older men staying behind to care for their homes and crops. UN humanitarian chief John Holmes issued a desperate appeal for hundreds of millions of dollars to help those who have fled the war, warning that the U.N. can only sustain its current aid efforts for one month. Photographers in the area have captured many powerful images of those affected, some of the most striking focused on children, from which I've collected 38 here for you. (38 photos total)

Hamida, a six-year old internally displaced girl who fled a military offensive in the Swat valley region, sits outside the food distribution tent at the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Yar Hussain camp in Swabi district, about 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Pakistan's capital Islamabad June 9, 2009. (REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/children_in_pakistan.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/children_in_pakistan.html Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:01:05 -0500 Mercury and MESSENGER The planet Mercury is the smallest of the inner planets (4,880 km/3,032 mi in diameter), and the closest to the Sun (58 million km/36 million mi - or 3.2 light minutes). It was visited by the Mariner 10 spacecraft twice in the 1970s, and about 45% of the surface was mapped. On August 3rd, 2004, NASA launched a new mission to Mercury, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging probe (or MESSENGER). MESSENGER is now in the last stages of multiple gravity-assist flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury, en route to an insertion into orbit around Mercury in March of 2011. In just two flyby encounters, MESSENGER has already greatly increased our knowledge about Mercury's surface features. As you look at Mercury in the new images below, keep in mind that it has minimal atmosphere, gravity about 1/3 of Earth's, and surface temperatures ranging from -183 C (-297 F) in some polar craters to 427 C (801 F) at high noon (Mercury's solar day lasting 176 Earth days). (20 photos total)

As NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft receded from Mercury after making its closest approach on January 14, 2008, it recorded several mosaics covering part of the planet not previously seen by spacecraft. The color image shown here was generated by combining the mosaics taken through three filters (infrared, far red and violet). These three images were placed in the red, green, and blue channels, respectively, to create the visualization presented here, creating a false-color image that accentuates the subtle color differences on Mercury's surface. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/mercury_and_messenger.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/mercury_and_messenger.html Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:46:26 -0500 Remembering Tiananmen, 20 years later Yesterday, June 4th, 2009, marked the 20th anniversary of the military crackdown on student protesters gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. Beginning in April of 1989, thousands of students and other citizens started gathering in groups large and small, protesting many issues, centered on a desire for freedom and democratic reform. By mid-May of 1989, hundreds of thousands of protesters occupied the square, staging hunger strikes, and asking for dialogue. Chinese authorities responded with a declaration of martial law, and sent soldiers and tanks from the People's Liberation Army, preparing to disperse the crowds. Late on June 3rd, 1989, the tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled into the square, killing and wounding many, mostly civilians - estimates vary widely, from several hundred to several thousand dead. The first 17 photos below were taken in 1989, the rest are from this year, as people remember the events, the ideals, and the fallout from that fateful day. (32 photos total)

This file photo taken twenty years ago on June 2, 1989 shows some of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese gathering around a 10-meter replica of the Statue of Liberty (center), called the Goddess of Democracy, in Tiananmen Square demanding democracy despite martial law in Beijing. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of protesters were killed by China's military on June 3 and 4, 1989, as communist leaders ordered an end to six weeks of unprecedented democracy protests in the heart of the Chinese capital. (CATHERINE HENRIETTE/AFP/Getty Images)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/remembering_tiananmen_20_years.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/remembering_tiananmen_20_years.html Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:51:49 -0500 Cyclone Aila Cyclone Aila began as a disturbance on May 21 in the Bay of Bengal, strengthening quickly to a Tropical Cyclone with windspeeds gusting up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Aila made landfall soon after, bringing heavy rains, wind, and an enormous storm surge of seawater that pushed inland, damaging or destroying hundreds of thousands of homes in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. Over 300 people are confirmed to have died, with more than 8,000 still missing. Surviving residents are now receiving aid, mourning the lost, beginning to rebuild - and some are leveling criticism at their own governments, asking why stronger storm defenses were not in place. According to the Associated Press, some 2.3 million people were affected by Aila. (29 photos total)

A woman, displaced from her home by a huge storm surge caused by cyclone Aila, carries food distributed by an NGO in Satkhira in southwestern Bangladesh June 2, 2009. (REUTERS/Andrew Biraj)
]]> http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/cyclone_aila.html http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/cyclone_aila.html Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:34:59 -0500