In Focus, a News Photo Blog with Alan Taylor, from The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/
Acts of kindness in Istanbul, horses in the surf in Tenerife, teachers on strike in India, alpine competition in Austria and Italy, fashion in Paris, anti-government demonstrations in Venezuela, sled dog practice in Scotland, snowfall in Paris, pigeon fanciers in England, and much more.
Venezuela, which has been enduring a long-standing economic crisis, is now in the midst of a crisis of leadership. On Wednesday, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, declared himself the country’s “interim president,” until elections can be held, during a mass rally against the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Guaidó’s position as the new leader of Venezuela was quickly recognized by the United States, Brazil, Canada, and several Latin American nations. However, Maduro says he is not leaving, and he has the support of the Venezuelan military. Maduro also retaliated by breaking off relations with the United States, his biggest trade partner, and by giving U.S. diplomats 72 hours to leave the country. Protests flared up in Venezuela and other countries, among a widespread Venezuelan diaspora, calling for Maduro to step down, with some demonstrations in Caracas ending in violence. What comes next remains uncertain, as President Donald Trump has said “all options are on the table” regarding Maduro, and anti-government protests continue in Venezuela’s streets.
Judging for the seventh annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest, organized by the Underwater Photography Guide, has wrapped up, and the winning images and photographers have been announced. Duncan Murrell took Best in Show with a photo of the courtship behavior of spinetail devil rays. The contest organizers have shared with us some of the winners and honorable mentions below, from the 16 categories of underwater photography. Captions were written by the individual photographers and have been lightly edited for content.
Beijing Daxing International Airport is a massive complex built on the outskirts of Beijing, China, from more than 220,000 tons of steel, with a price tag nearing 14 billion U.S. dollars, and is set for completion in September 2019. The new facility—billed as the world’s largest single-terminal airport—will be Beijing’s second international airport, and developers hope it will relieve pressure on overtaxed existing travel options. By 2025, planners say Daxing will be able to carry as many as 72 million passengers a year.
Teachers on strike in Los Angeles, “Kiss a Ginger Day” in Ireland, icy purification in Japan, a terror attack in Nairobi, the Australian Open in Melbourne, heavy snow in Austria, fashion shows in Berlin and Paris, the “No Pants Subway Ride” in New York, and much more.
Teachers on strike in Los Angeles, “Kiss a Ginger Day” in Ireland, icy purification in Japan, a terror attack in Nairobi, the Australian Open in Melbourne, heavy snow in Austria, fashion shows in Berlin and Paris, the “No Pants Subway Ride” in New York, and much more
With a ceremonial start in Lima, Peru, on January 7, a group of 334 competitors started the 41st annual Dakar Rally: a 10-day, 3,000-mile (5,000 kilometer) off-roading adventure held exclusively in Peru this year. The vehicles—which include specialized cars, trucks, motorcycles, and quad bikes—are currently on stage 9 of 10 stages that travel south to Tacna, then back to Lima on January 17. Here is a look at Dakar 2019 in progress, as teams race to the finish line.
The current debate in the United States about building up and reinforcing the border wall with Mexico may have distinctly American roots, but the problems, and the controversial solutions, are global. Growing numbers of immigrants, terrorist activity, continued drug trafficking, and protracted wars have sparked the construction of temporary and permanent border barriers in many regions worldwide. Our own Uri Friedman wrote in his 2016 article “A World of Walls,” “Of the 51 fortified boundaries built between countries since the end of World War II, around half were constructed between 2000 and 2014.” Below, a look at some famous and some lesser-known barriers across the globe.
Heavy snow across Central Europe, a partial solar eclipse in China, the Procession of the Black Nazarene in Manila, a sheep rescue in Turkey, the 2019 Dakar Rally in Peru, Carnival season in Spain, a Transformer on the streets of Bogota, a frozen harbor in China, the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Christmas fire in Saint Petersburg, and much more
The term dinosaur comes from the ancient Greek root words deinos, or “terrible,” and sauros, or “lizard.” As our understanding of these prehistoric creatures has become more refined over time, attempts to create life-size models of them have, more or less, increased in accuracy and lifelike quality. Of course, many of the thousands of dinosaur statues in the world have been made with an eye more toward entertainment than accuracy. For your viewing enjoyment, a collection of photographs from the past century of large-scale mock dinosaurs, constructed to varying degrees of accuracy and based on what was known at the time.