August 2 Photo Brief: Elephant burial, Kofi Annan steps down as UN-Arab League envoy and Day 6 at the Olympics
Local villagers of Assam bury an elephant, Russians celebrate Paratroopers Day, Kofi Annan steps down as the U.N.-Arab League mediator in the Syria conflict and more in today’s daily brief.
-
- The body of a female elephant is pushed by the local villagers for burial near Panbari railway station, about 31 miles east from Guwahati in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, August 2, 2012. A female elephant died on Wednesday after it was hit by a passenger train while crossing a railway track, forest officials said. (Utpal Baruah/Reuters)
-
- Local villagers prepare to bury the body of a female elephant near Panbari railway station, about 31 miles east from Guwahati in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, August 2, 2012. A female elephant died on Wednesday after it was hit by a passenger train while crossing a railway track, forest officials said. (Utpal Baruah/Reuters)
-
- Local villagers prepare to bury the body of a female elephant near Panbari railway station, about 31 miles east from Guwahati in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, August 2, 2012. A female elephant died on Wednesday after it was hit by a passenger train while crossing a railway track, forest officials said. (Utpal Baruah/Reuters)
-
- Local villagers prepare to bury the body of a female elephant near Panbari railway station, about 31 miles east from Guwahati in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, August 2, 2012. A female elephant died on Wednesday after it was hit by a passenger train while crossing a railway track, forest officials said. (Utpal Baruah/Reuters)
-
- Priests take part in a ceremony to commemorate Elijah the Prophet and to mark the Russian Paratroopers Day in Red Square, near the Kremlin in Moscow, August 2, 2012. The holiday for the Russian airborne troops, which coincides with the traditional religious holiday to commemorate Elijah the Prophet, widely marked in Russia and mostly known as the Ilyin Den or Ilya’s name day, has been celebrated since the Soviet era till today. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
-
- Russian paratroopers line up during a ceremony to commemorate Elijah the Prophet and mark the forces’ annual holiday in central Moscow, August 2, 2012. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
-
- Former Russian paratroopers cool down in a fountain as they celebrate Russian Paratroopers Day, an annual holiday, in Moscow, August 2, 2012. The holiday for the Russian airborne troops has been celebrated since the Soviet era till today. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
-
- A former Belarusian paratrooper makes the sign of the cross inside a monument commemorating victims of the war in Afghanistan, which involved Soviet airborne troops during the 1980s, on Paratroopers Day in Minsk, August 2, 2012. The holiday for the airborne troops is celebrated in most of the post-Soviet countries. (Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)
-
- A former Russian paratrooper kisses a woman during the celebrations for Russian Paratroopers Day, an annual holiday, at the Central Park in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, August 2, 2012. The holiday for the Russian airborne troops has been celebrated since the Soviet era till today. (Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)
-
- Russian paratrooper veterans cheer in a fountain in central Moscow on August 2, 2012, celebrating Russia’s Airbornes’ Day. (Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- A tattoo is seen on a former Russian paratrooper’s hand during the celebrations for Russian Paratroopers Day, an annual holiday, at the Central Park in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, August 2, 2012. (Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)
-
- U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan addresses a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva August 2, 2012. Former U.N. Secretary-General Annan is stepping down as the U.N.-Arab League mediator in the 17-month-old Syria conflict at the end of the month, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said in a statement on Thursday. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
-
- A man carries foodstuff he received at a relief center for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sanaa August 2, 2012. Around 8,000 of the IDPs who have fled fighting between Shi’ite rebels and government forces in northwestern Yemen have yet to return to their villages two years after the fighting ended. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
-
- Rebels from the “Tawheed Brigade” in Tal Rifaat, north of Aleppo, prepare to leave for battle against the Syrian army in Aleppo, early on August 2, 2012. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the army was fighting for the nation’s future as UN officials said the regime was using fighter jets against rebels armed with tanks. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- Sacred threads and “tika”, coloured powder and rice grains used as a blessing, are pictured during the Janai Purnima, or Sacred Thread, Festival at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu August 2, 2012. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
-
- A Nepalese Hindu devotee ( L) receives a Janai (sacred thread) from a Hindu Brahmin on the occasion of the Janai Purnima Festival, also known as Rakshya Bandhan, at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu on August 2, 2012. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- A boy receives a holy bath at the Bagmati River during the Janai Purnima, or Sacred Thread, Festival near the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu August 2, 2012. Hindus take holy baths and change their sacred threads, also known as janai, for protection and purification during the festival. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
-
- A Hindu priest blesses a devotee during the Janai Purnima, or Sacred Thread, Festival at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu August 2, 2012. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
-
- Owabi (R), a two-week-old monkey cub of the Cercopithecus roloway family, one of the 25 most endangered primate species in the world, is pictured with its mother, Nyaga, on August 2, 2012 at the zoo in Mulhouse, eastern France. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- A baby rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) plays with a tiger cub at a zoo in Hefei, Anhui province, August 2, 2012. (Stringer/Reuters)
-
- Chikita, a five-month-old tiger cat cub is pictured, on August 2, 2012 at the zoo in Mulhouse, eastern France. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- Lisimba (R), a two-month-old Hamlyn’s monkey cub of the Cercopithecus hamlyni family, is pictured with its mother, Karmina, on August 2, 2012 at the zoo in Mulhouse, eastern France. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- Residents view a whale shark that died on the shores near the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia’s southern coast of Java island at dawn of August 2, 2012 after being stranded in shallow waters overnight. Police and volunteers from Animal Friend Jogja (AFJ) prevented the local villagers from chopping up the 13-metre-long (42 ft) whale shark for its meat. Whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, are classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (Suryo Wibowo/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- Residents measure a whale shark that died on the shores near the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia’s southern coast of Java island at dawn of August 2, 2012 after being stranded in shallow waters overnight. Police and volunteers from Animal Friend Jogja (AFJ) prevented the local villagers from chopping up the 13-metre-long (42 ft) whale shark for its meat. Whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, are classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (Suryo Wibowo/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- Residents touch a whale shark that died on the shores near the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia’s southern coast of Java island at dawn of August 2, 2012 after being stranded in shallow waters overnight. Police and volunteers from Animal Friend Jogja (AFJ) prevented the local villagers from chopping up the 13-metre-long (42 ft) whale shark for its meat. Whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, are classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (Suryo Wibowo/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- The top of the sail of the boat of China’s Deng Daokun and Wang Weidong is seen before the first race of the men’s 470 sailing class at the London 2012 Olympic Games in Weymouth and Portland, southern England, August 2, 2012. (Pascal Lauener/Reuters)
-
- Rounds of ammunition are seen on a table as China’s Zhang Jian reloads during the men’s shooting 25m rapid fire pistol qualification round at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Royal Artillery Barracks August 2, 2012. (Sergio Moraes/Reuters)
-
- Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) watches Judo with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at ExCeL on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
-
- Great Britain post a new world record time during Men’s Team Pursuit Track Cycling Qualifying on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Velodrome on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
-
- Astrid Guyart of France competes against Elisa Di Francisca of Italy in the Women’s Foil Team Fencing semifinal against France on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at ExCeL on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Hannah Johnston/Getty Images)
-
- Stefan Hartel of Germany (L) in action with Darren O’Neill of Ireland during the Men’s Middle (75kg) on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at ExCeL on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Scott Heavey/Getty Images)
-
- Members of the United States team wait to receive their gold medals during the medal ceremony after the Women’s Eight final on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on August 2, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
-
- Lauren Boyle of New Zealand swims in her women’s 800m freestyle heat during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 2, 2012. (David Gray/Reuters)
-
- Germany’s Dimitri Peters competes with Russia’s Tagir Khaibulaev (blue) during their men’s -100kg judo contest semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 2, 2012 at the ExCel arena in London. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- Bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina of Russia, gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas of the United States and silver medalist Victoria Komova of Russia pose after the medal ceremony in the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Individual All-Around final on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
-
- Argentina’s Luciano de Cecco (R) and Facundo Conte react after a play against Poland during their men’s Group A volleyball match at Earls Court during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 2, 2012. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)
-
- Chen Long of China returns a shot against Peter Gade of Denmark in their Men’s Singles Badminton quarter final on day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Wembley Arena on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
-
- Salah Mejri (R) of Tunisia vies with Luis Scola of Argentina during the Men’s Basketball Preliminary Round match between Argentina and Tunisia on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Basketball Arena on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Mark Ralston – IOPP Pool /Getty Images)
-
- United States’ gold medalist Kayla Harrison reacts on the podium of the women’s -78kg judo contest of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 2, 2012 at the ExCel arena in London. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)
-
- Britain’s Catherine and William, the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge, applaud while Britain’s Andy Murray plays against Spain’s Nicolas Almagro a London 2012 Olympic Games men’s singles quarterfinal match at Wimbledon, in south London, on August 2, 2012. (Martin Bernetticarl Court/AFP/Getty Images)
Related Reading:
Frustrated Annan quits as Syria peace envoy
Hadeel Al Shalchi
Reuters
1:03 p.m. EDT, August 2, 2012
ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) – Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is quitting as international peace envoy for Syria, frustrated by “finger-pointing” at the United Nations while the armed rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad becomes increasingly bloody.
As battles raged on Thursday in Syria’s second city Aleppo between rebel fighters and government forces using war planes and artillery, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced in New York that Annan had said he would go at the end of the month.
“Kofi Annan deserves our profound admiration for the selfless way in which he has put his formidable skills and prestige to this most difficult and potentially thankless of assignments,” Ban said. Talks were under way to find a successor.
Annan’s mission, centered on an April ceasefire that never took hold, has looked irrelevant as fighting has intensified in Damascus, Aleppo and elsewhere.
Baltimore neighborhoods
Baltimore street photographers
Year in review
Freddie Gray: protests, aftermath
24 hours with...
A. Aubrey Bodine
Viewing Baltimore from above