Thursday, December 22, 2011

The year in Pictures: Part II


The second collection of images from 2011 once again brought us nature at it's full force with floods, drought, wild fires, tornadoes and spectacular images of volcanic eruptions. The death of Osama bin Laden, the attack on a island in Norway by a lone gunman, continued fighting in Libya, and protests around the globe were a few of the news events dominating the headlines. -- Lloyd Young Please see part 1 from Monday and watch for part 3 Friday. (45 photos total)

A cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano near Osorno in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago, on June 5. Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on June 4, 2011, prompting evacuations for 3,500 people as it sent a cloud of ash that reached Argentina. The National Service of Geology and Mining said the explosion that sparked the eruption also produced a column of gas 10 kilometers (six miles) high, hours after warning of strong seismic activity in the area. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images) )


A plane dusted in volcanic ash June 7 sits grounded at the San Carlos de Bariloche airport, southern Argentina. The Puyehue volcano, dormant for decades, erupted in south-central Chile. (Alfredo Leiva/Associated Press) 

People react to the death of Osama bin Laden in Times Square in New York early May 2. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan on Sunday, President Barack Obama announced, ending a nearly 10-year worldwide hunt for the mastermind of the September 11 attacks. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) 

This official White House photograph made available May 2, 2011 shows US President Barack Obama (2nd left) and Vice President Joe Biden (far left), US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (right) and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd right) along with members of the national security team, as they receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, in Washington, DC on May 1, 2011. (Pete Souza/official White House photographer) 

Men injured by a suicide bomb attack in Charsadda are helped out from the back of a truck after arriving for treatment at the Lady Reading hospital in Peshawar May 13, 2011. A suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed at least 69 people at a paramilitary force academy in northwest Pakistan on Friday, in what Pakistani Taliban militants said was retaliation for the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in the country. (Reuters) 

A wounded woman is brought ashore opposite Utaoya island (in the distance) after being rescued from a gunman who went on a killing rampage targeting participants in a Norwegian Labour Party youth organisation event on the island, some 40 km southwest of Oslo, on July 22. At least 17 were killed in Friday's attacks in Norway, a bombing in central Oslo and a series of shootings on the island, and the figure could rise, a senior police officer said. Police had also found explosives on the island of Utoeya, where a gunman opened fire on young people at a summer camp organized by the ruling Labour Party, Sveinung Sponheim, acting commissioner for Oslo police, told reporters. (Svein Gustav Wilhelmsen/AFP/Getty Images) 

People gather outside Oslo City Hall July 25 to participate in a "rose march" in memory of the victims of a bomb attack and shooting massacre in Norway. (Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press) 

Halima Hassan holds her severely malnourished son Abdulrahman Abshir, 7 months, at the Banadir hospital on Aug. 14 in Mogadishu, Somalia. The US government estimates that some 30,000 children have died in southern Somalia in the last 90 days due to famine and drought. (John Moore/Getty Images 

Protesters clash with riot police during a 48-hour general strike on June 28 in Athens. Greece is set to come to a halt on Tuesday as protesters launch a 48-hour general strike against the bankruptcy-threatened government which is desperately trying to push through sweeping austerity cuts. As parliament votes on the drastic belt-tightening measures to unlock 12 billion euros ($17 billion) of blocked funds from the EU and IMF, unions have called on Greeks facing hefty tax hikes to stage mass demonstrations. (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images) 

Police detain protesters during clashes in Tbilisi May 26. Georgian riot police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon on Thursday to disperse several hundred opposition protesters demanding the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili, a Reuters reporter said. (Reuters) 

Somali refugees who recently crossed the border from Somalia into southern Ethiopia cluster between two food tents as they wait to be called to collect food aid at the Kobe refugee camp on July 19. Ethiopian authorities and non-governmental organizations have accommodated almost 25,000 refugees at the camp since it was set up less then three weeks ago. Thousands of Somalis have fled in recent months to neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya in search of food and water, with many dying along the way, as the region suffers what the UN has described as the worst drought in decades. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images) 

A painting of Amy Winehouse is left near the house in north London where the body of the English pop star was found earlier on July 23. Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse, whose struggle with drink and drugs overshadowed her sultry musical talents, has been found dead at her flat in north London, emergency services said. She was 27. (Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images) 

Katlyn Wilkins works on securing an American flag in a tree as she deals with the destruction caused by a massive tornado that passed through the town killing at least 139 people on May 29 in Joplin, Mo. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) 

Cars stand submerged in overflow water from the Wolf River on McMiller Road in Memphis, Tenn. May 10, 2011. After weeks of rising to historic levels the Mississippi River reached a crest just shy of the forecasted 48 feet at the Memphis gauge. "It's going to meander around that level for the next 24 to 36 hours," meteorologist Bill Borghoff said. "We're going to pretty much hold onto the crest for a while." (Mike Brown/Associated Press/The Commercial Appeal) 

Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center July 8, 2011 in Cape Canaveral, FL. This lift off is the last in the 30-year-old shuttle program. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) 

A butterfly hoaver over a flower as smoke rises around the Lee Valley Recreational area in the Apache National Forest during back burn operations as the Wallow Fire continues to burn June 12 in Big Lake, Az. The wild fire which is reported as 45 percent contained has spread over more than 600 square miles as it crossed the border into New Mexico, destroying over twenty structures, the majority in the resort town of Greer, and threatened thousands more. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) 

Billy Stinson (left) comforts his daughter Erin Stinson as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood before it was destroyed by Hurricane Irene Aug. 28 in Nags Head, NC. The cottage, built in 1903, was one of the first vacation cottages built on Albemarle Sound in Nags Head. Stinson has owned the home, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, since 1963. "We were pretending, just for a moment, that the cottage was still behind us and we were just sitting there watching the sunset," said Erin afterward. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) 

A weed grows out of the dry cracked bed of O.C. Fisher Lake on July 25 in San Angelo, TX. The 5,440 acre lake which was established to provide flood control and serve as a secondary drinking water source for San Angelo and the surrounding communities is now dry following an extended drought in the region. The lake which has a maximum depth of 58 feet is also used for boating, fishing and swimming. The San Angelo area has seen only 2.5 inches of rain this year. The past nine months have been the driest in Texas since record keeping began in 1895, with 75% of the state classified as exceptional drought, the worst level. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) 

A leopard attacks a forest guard July 19 at Prakash Nagar village near Salugara, on the outskirts of Siliguri, India. The leopard strayed into the village area and mauled several villagers, including three guards, before being caught by forest officials. The leopard, which suffered injuries caused by knives and batons, died later in the evening at a veterinary center. The forest guard being attacked was injured. (Associated Press) 

Japan's midfielder Homare Sawa celebrates scoring during the FIFA Women's Football World Cup final match Japan vs USA on July 17 in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. Japan won the cup 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after the final had finished 2-2 following extra-time. (Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images) 

Riot police walk in the street as a couple kisses on June 15, 2011 in Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver broke out in riots after their hockey team the Vancouver Canucks lost in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. (Rich Lam/Getty Images) 

The leading man, Spain's three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador (center) punches a fan dressed up as a doctor as he climbs Alpe d'Huez (1850 m) in the109,5 km and nineteenth stage of the 2011 Tour de France cycling race run between Modane Valfrejus and Alpe d'Huez ski resort, southeastern France, on July 22. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images) 

Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates a point against the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 12 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL. Jason Terry scored 27 points and Nowitzki finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Mavericks won 105-95 to take the best-of-seven championship series four-games-to-two to claim their first NBA championship in franchise history. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images) 

A calf jumps into the arena after the running of the bulls at the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona, Spain. (Ivan Aguinaga/Associated Press 

On July 5th a historic dust storm, or haboob, approaches downtown Phoenix, AZ. The wall of dust, which was estimated to be 70 miles long and over a mile high, moved at speeds of 35mph and had gusts up to 60mph. (Mike Olbinski Photography) 

Lightning strikes the CN Tower during a thunderstorm in Toronto May 29, 2011. (Mark Blinch/Reuters) 

Lightning strikes June 6th over the Puyehue volcano, over 500 miles south of Santiago, Chile. (Francisco Negroni/Associated Press/AgenciaUno) 

Police spray Ugandan opposition party leaders with coloured water during demonstrations in Kampala May 10. President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to crush the protests and blamed rising food and fuel costs on drought and global increases in oil prices. (James Akena/Reuters) 

An anti-British protestor confronts a cordon of riot police, during a demonstration against the first-ever visit to Ireland of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, in Dublin, May 17, 2011. The Queen set foot on Irish soil at the start of a historic state visit which will herald a new era in relations between Britain and the Republic. Politicians on both side of the Irish Sea have described the four-day event as momentous. (Niall Carson/Associated Press) 

Ratko Mladic makes his first appearance at the International Criminal Tribunal on June 3 in The Hague, Netherlands. Ex-Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladic will make his first appearance at The Hague war crimes tribunal after being declared fit to stand trial. Mladic was arrested a week ago after going into hiding for the past 16 years and is charged with atrocities committed during the Bosnian war. (Serge Ligtenberg/Getty Images) 

Riot police charge past burning buildings on a residential street in Croydon, south London Aug. 8. (Dylan Martinez/Reuters) 

People try to kick in the window of a jewelery shop near the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham, central England, as violence spread outside London Aug. 8. Violence and looting spread across some of London's most impoverished neighborhoods on Monday, with youths setting fire to shops and vehicles, during a third day of rioting in the city that will host next summer's Olympic Games. (David Jones/Associated Press) 

A boy scout, wearing a traffic police uniform, poses as traffic goes by on a street in Benghazi June 2. Boy scouts are volunteering as there has been a lack of traffic police officers since the political conflict in the country began. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters) 

A Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldier stands at attention during an Independence Day rehearsal in Juba July 5. (Goran Tomasevic/Reuters) 

Southern Sudanese celebrate independence from northern Sudan at midnight in Juba July 9. South Sudan became the world's newest nation, officially breaking away from Sudan after two civil wars over five decades that cost the lives of millions. (Pete Muller/Associated Press) 

Emergency personnel carry out rescue operations after two carriages from a bullet train derailed and fell off a bridge in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province July 24. At least 32 people died when the high-speed train smashed into a stalled train in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Saturday, state media said, raising new questions about the safety of the fast-growing rail network. (Aly Song/Reuters) 

A Muslim boy hangs on to the rope of a tent as he plays inside the compound of the Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque), on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, in the old quarters of Delhi Aug. 2, 2011. (Adnan Abidi/Reuters) 

Refugee children who fled unrest in Libya play on a tent at a refugee camp near the southern Libyan and Tunisian border crossing of Dehiba May 8. (Zohra Bensemra/Reuters) 

Pro-Palestinians protesters run from tear gas June 5 shot by Israeli troops, not seen, next to the border between Israel and Syria near the village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights. Israeli troops battled hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters who tried to burst across Syria's frontier with the Golan Heights, killing a reported 20 people and wounding scores more in the second outbreak of deadly violence in the border area in less than a month. (Oded Balilty/Associated Press) 

Policemen and residents run as waves from a tidal bore surge past a barrier on the banks of the Qiantang River in Haining, Zhejiang province Aug. 31. (China Daily/Reuters) 

Chinese students make their way across a flooded school compound June 18 walking along a row of chairs, in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province. More than one million people in China have been evacuated following downpours that have raised water levels in rivers to critical highs, and triggered floods and landslides. Summer rains have left at least 168 people dead or missing so far, and weather authorities warned that flood-hit areas across the southern half of China would experience a fresh round of heavy rainfall. (AFP/Getty Images) 

A Jewish boy runs next to bonfires May 21 during Lag Ba'Omer celebrations to commemorate the end of a plague said to have decimated Jews in Roman times in Bnei Brak, Israel. (Ariel Schalit/Associated Press) 

Canadian Forces soldier, Cpl. Ben Vandandaigue, plays on a drum kit on Forward Operating Base Sperwan Ghar June 24 overlooking the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (David Goldman/Associated Press) 

A rebel fighter poses for a photo as he sits on a two seater couch framed by a golden mermaid with the face of Aisha Gadhafi, the daughter of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, in her house in Tripoli, Libya Aug. 24. (Sergey Ponomarev/Associated Press) 

Rebel fighters fire a Grad rocket at the front line west of Misrata, Libya June 20. (Hassan Ammar/Associated Press) 

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