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NEW ARRIVALS: Our new arrivals are the latest collections to arrive at Aurora. If you would like to see more stories   * online, view the archived stories   * offline(traditional) contact us.     Urban Sprawl Marcus Doyle has always been interested in the way humans adapts to their natural surroundings and in turn the way nature adapts to the artificial. In this body of work he wanted to show various aspects of the landscape containing some form of man made element. He chose to shoot a lot of the images at night because the light source is always man made and immediately creates an artificial looking alien landscape with enhanced unnatural colors and surreal quality. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Meat Packing At the Cargill meat packing plant in Fort Morgan, Colorado, vaccinating the cattle for e-coli is one of the many measures taken to control the harmful-to-humans pathogens that can come in the process of slaughtering. Inspectors work hard taking core samples and scanning beef trimmings to be tested for e-coli and other contaminants. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Flamenco Passion Spain's deep south, Andalusia, gave birth to Flamenco. It was prohibited under penalty of death by the Catholic kings and later used by Spain during the French invasion to communicate news and political and military plans. Only during the Romantic age did Flamenco open up to the public and transform into the tradition we know today. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Oro Win Deep in the Amazon Basin of Brazil, the Oro Win are an indigenous tribe on the cusp of change. Only five native speakers of their traditional language remain, and as the words of their ancestors fade, so does much of their culture. By day, they live traditional native life; fishing, cooking, weaving baskets, yet modern technologies such as television, and electricity have been introduced. With one foot in the past and the other in the future, Aurora Photographer, Andy Richter, documented the present moment with the Oro Win at this picotal time in history. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Gaza Daily Life Gaza today is a land marked by war; physically and psychologically. Recently, the world's focus has been on the humanitarian crisis, however there are basic quality of life issues such as unemployment, and the lack of electricity and water. For many, everyday life is unbearable, and most Gazans wish to return to normal life and dream of a better future. "Behind every crisis there's an opportunity," says Ammar Al Yazegi, 27, "Even here in Gaza." Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Beyond a Spill James Balog gets into the visceral heart of the gulf spill catastrophe, an epic breakdown of technology and of the human response to the breakdown. From the source, to the fisherman, to the earth, Balog illustrates the entire episode as a bitter paradox; a fight of technology versus nature. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Introducing Renan Rosa Aurora Photographer, Renan Rosa, has traveled around the world, to nearly 40 countries documenting exotic places and beautiful people. Renan's photography uncovers human reality through calming and intimate portraits that explore ethnic and social diversities. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Training in Jordan Located in Amman, Jordan, the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) is a one-of-a-kind special ops training facility, designed to provide world-class training and instruction to US Armed Forces, Jordanian Armed Forces and other regional allies. It is the world's first and largest special forces counterterrorism training facility and provides high tech and fully-immersive training called "Real Combat." Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Hearing Around the World Aurora Photographer, Andy Richter, worked with The Starkey Foundation, whose aim is to bring the simple miracle of hearing to the developing world. The foundation has distributed hundreds of thousands of hearing aids in Africa and Asia providing many young people with the ability to hear for the very first time. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Little Big Men The Bambuti pygmies, live in the remote tropical rain forests in the heart of the Congo. A life in balance, between the forest and the roads, between customs and habits, which are the result of an extremely ancient wisdom and the forced contact with a “modernity” which is often transformed into abuses and exploitation. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Exorcism in the Congo Father Riccardo, a Saverian missionary, is 67. For the past 37 years he's lived in Congo and for the last 20 he's been carrying out a very special job: as an exorcist. Thousands of people frequent his home, receiving free advice and care. In return, Father Riccardo has many stories to tell: from houses burnt to the ground but with the image of the Virgin still intact, to scissors extracted from a patient's vagina. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Wings Over Africa A bird’s eye view over the spectacular landscapes of the black continent. An incredible safari on wings over archaeological wonders, national parks, herds of animals, unspoiled wilderness, hidden villages, tribes and natural masterpieces. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan Mohenjo-daro was built around 2600BCE and abandoned around 1500 BCE. It was rediscovered in 1922, and after massive excavations it has been discovered that Mohenjo-daro in ancient times was one of the most developed and advanced cities in South Asia. The planning and engineering uncovered showed the importance of the city to the people of the Indus Valley. Today, the Mohanas live like their ancestors, hunting birds wearing masks made from stuffed birds, have floating homes, and produce the same bricks in factories that were originally used to build the city. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Congo refugee The long-running conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been one of the deadliest in the last half century. Displaced people and host communities in eastern DRC require assistance beyond basic services, particularly livelihood and education programs. A decrease in violence in some parts of the DRC has allowed increasing numbers of displaced people to return home. However, infrastructure, particularly roads, remains poor, and returnees are often cut off from services and access to economic opportunities. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Gabon: The Lost Eden Gabon has two main resources, wood and oil. With logging as the country's main industry, the country's economy grew, however the industry also took a toll on the environment. In 2002, the president lowered the wood cutting quota creating 13 National Parks to try to restore Gabon back to it's natural state. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Greenland Ice Sheet The greenland ice sheet is a vast body of ice covering 660,235 square miles, roughly 80% of the surface of Greenland. James Balog has been documenting glaciers in the arctic for several years now, as visual proof of global warming. Scientists estimate that global warming will push the ice sheet over a threshold where the entire ice sheet will melt in less than a few hundred years. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Gulf Oil Spill It's one of America's biggest environmental disasters and the largest oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico since 1979. As experts scramble to stop the leak, Aurora Photographer, Blake Gordon goes behind the scenes to see local townspeople and fisherman in Louisiana are being effected and what efforts are being made to protect our nation's sacred coasts. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Introducing Still Pictures We are pleased to announce our newest partnership with Still Pictures. Their collection specializse in environmental, nature and development issues, as well as travel, wildlife and culture. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Quirimbas Time Machine These forgotten islands off the northern coast of Mozambique, once flourishing as the center of the Swahili kingdom and the province of the Islamic empire, are now abandoned. The colonial architecture of the islands slowly succumbing attacks by sea-salt and ficus roots. And they're also suffering by a gentle sadness which the Portuguese would define as "saudade", crystallized in time like a clock without hands. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Gorongosa, Dot-Com Gorongosa, in central Mozambique, was one of the first nature reserves to be created in Africa. In the Sixties, the variety of its fauna was such, that the Portuguese called it the "place where Noah landed the ark". A civil war, fiercely fought right within its boundaries, wiped out the animals. Today Gorongosa, returns to life, thanks in part to nature's amazing regeneration abilities, but also thanks to Greg Carr, an American former dot-com entrepreneur, who has invested 40 million dollars to restore the park to its original splendor. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     HIV AIDS in India India is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world, with over one billion inhabitants. Within this population, it's estimated that around 2.3 million people are living with HIV. Infection rates soared throughout the 1990s, and today the epidemic affects all sectors of Indian society, not just the groups such as sex workers and truck drivers, with which it was originally associated. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Patagonia The pristine Baker and Pascua Rivers, two of the world's wildest rivers in remote Chilean Patagonia, are the proposed sites for five new hydropower dams. From Cochrane to Villa O'Higgins, towns at the very edge of the Patagonian wilderness are at risk of loosing their remote beauty and cultural traditions if these dams and surrounding development are approved. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Pakistan Soccer Balls As the World Cup begins in South Africa, factories in the Pakistani city of Sialkot will produce the replica of Adidas's famous Jabulani soccer ball. Today, Pakistan produces 70% of all soccer ball sold in the whole world. Created and assembled by hand in factories, the last of their kind in the world, this industry is concentrated in the city of Siaklot, and as old as the British presence in the region. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Selective Seeing People often mistake Hafkenscheid's beautiful photographs for models, and for good reason. His use of tilt shift photography allows for a "toy-train set" appearance and interesting color affects. Hafkenscheid was given a toy train set as a young boy, and since has viewed model train catalogs as his "bible", where the colors are slighty off and have a "1950s postcard" feel - bright and sunny. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Sicily Sicily, the largest island in the mediterranean Sea and an autonomous region of Italy, has its own rich and unique culture, especially in regard to art, music, cuisine and architecture. Siciliy's culture is based on nearly 25 centuries of foreign domination, and its landscape is as diverse as it's culture with smoldering Mt Etna, miles of dazzling beaches and robust vineyards. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Congo's Illegal Charcoal Divided by civil wars, the Democratic Republic of the Congo must fight against the looting of its natural resources, among the richest on the continent. Gaël Turine follows guards in Virunga National Park as they combat the illegal production of coal. The Congolese Institute for the Preservation of Nature (CIPN) supplies local villages with machines which create vegetal bricks, a sustainable energy alternative which protects trees and vegetation inside of the Virunga park. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Liberia: Trying To Recover Liberia is Africa's oldest republic, but it became better known in the 1990s for its long-running, ruinous civil war and its role in a rebellion in neighboring Sierra Leone. Around 250,000 people were killed in Liberia's civil war and many thousands more fled the fighting. The conflict left the country in economic ruin and overrun with weapons. The capital remains without electricity and running water. Corruption is rife and unemployment and illiteracy are endemic. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Basic Training Basic Combat Training (BCT) is a training course that transforms civilians into Soldiers. Over the course of nine weeks these recruits participate in field exercises, marksmanship training, rappelling exercises, and weapon training. Most importantly, they learn how to work together as a team and what it takes to succeed as a Soldier in the U.S. Army. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Footballing Africa Football in Africa, is not just sport and leisure. African soccer players are treated like stars, and importat matches can paralyze the entire nation. Following the dreams of glory, millions of children run after battered footballs on improvised dust fields. Nowadays African soccer is a gold mine that produces champions and sport fairy tales, but subsequently also disappointments and ruthless failures. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Iceland Volcano Aurora Photographer and trained geologist, James Balog, has been documenting the rapidly declining glaciers of Iceland for years now for his project, The Extreme Ice Survey. Of particular interest to Balog were two glaciers, one flowing from the side of Eyjafjallajokull and another on the neighboring volcano Katla. In late March, when Eyjafjallajokull began to erupt, Balog managed to carve out a five-day trip to the island nation and captured the eruptions from a helicopter and from the ground, where Icelanders gathered to view the show. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Afghan Army To the east of Kandahar, the Shoraback base in the Afghan province of Helmand is home to 4000 soldiers of the Afghan National Army. A portion of these troops are members of a commando trained by American soldiers. In this territory, the struggle against the Taliban is an absolute priority. Helmand is a major entry point for insurgents organizing to the south in the Balouchistan region of Pakistan. In addition, this province is the largest producer of opium in Afghanistan. Like gold, the Taliban uses this drug to finance its insurrectional operations. The Diamond Force, the unit name for the commandos based at Shoraback, must respond daily to endless insurgent attacks while cooperating in engaged actions with the American Marines. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     France Seldom Seen Last February, Le Monde commissioned Martin Kollar to photograph a trip across six regions of France. In each one, his personal style mixes tragedy and comedy with images that hone in on moments that are ever so easily missed. However, once captured on film they stand out with a profound level of humanity. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Singapore: High Tech Powerhouse Singapore is a city with its head in the future and its soul in the past. In just 150 years, Singapore has grown into a thriving centre of commerce and industry. The per capita income for its 3.7 million citizens exceeds that of many European countries, the education and health systems rival anything in the West, government officials are largely corruption free, taxes are relatively low, sidewalks are clean, and its port is the busiest in the world with over 600 shipping lines sending super tankers, container ships and passenger liners out globally. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     A Look At Vietnam Today Welcome to a world where the colours are more vivid, where the landscapes are bolder, the coastline more dramatic, where the history is more compelling, where the tastes are more divine, where life is lived in the fast lane. This world is Vietnam, the latest Asian dragon to awake from its slumber. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Limmer Tradition Pete Limmer is one of the last great American custom bootmakers. His grandfather started the business (Limmer Custom Boots) in the Bavarian Alps in 1921, and Pete, like his father before him, has carried it on in New Hampshire since the 1970s. With 16 hours of labor put into each boot, Pete creates about 175 pairs a year, and although they take a month or two to wear in, they can last a lifetime. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Bangkok Colors Aaron Joel Santos is an editorial and documentary photographer based out of Hanoi, Vietnam. On a recent trip to Bangkok, Thailand, Santos documented the contrast of pop-culture and tradition through color, design, and structure. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Portraits of Richard Dumas Richard Dumas is not a portraitist, but a photographer. He is immediately recognizable by his somewhat dandy-like elegance and his intuition for strong and restrained contrasts. His pictures appear to be placed out of time, making them icons through the mystery of his images and their unexpected vibrations of light. This refined photography is nourished by literature, Portuguese cinema, and a rich breath of music ranging from jazz to rock. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Istanbul Kathryn Cook documents Istanbul, city of many influences, at the crossroads of East and West. Split by the Bosporus River, both riverbanks observe each other, they are in perpetual dialogue. Rather than a model of culture shock, Istanbul's history has been marked by contact between all sorts of civilizations. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     New Great Images from Axiom We have added some great images from our new partner Axiom. Axiom is the premier travel picture library in England, specializing in dynamic and unique images of people, landscapes and architecture from around the world. Stay tuned for more in the next coming weeks for a feature on our Travel Hub. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Poland in Mourning The Polish president Lech Kaczynski, his wife, and 94 members of an official Polish delegation died when the presidential plane crashed near Smolensk, Russia. The tragedy has struck the entire country. Since the announcement of the accident, the Polish people have come together in grief and meditation through gatherings, masses and ceremonies. In all cities of Poland, time seems to stand still. These acts of mourning and families comforting one another show a nation in a state of shock. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     In Memory of Lech Kaczynski Thousands of mourners, gather in front of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, following the death, in an airplane crash in Russia, of the Polish president Lech Kaczynski, his wife, the country's entire military leadership and numerous other political, civic and religious leaders. The plane crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk while the party were en route to attend commemoration of the 70th anniversary of a mass murder, near the town of Katyn, of thousands of Polish soldiers and intellectuals by the Soviet forces during World War II. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Chiapas, Mexico Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico, is as rich in history as it is in culture and natural wonder. The state of Chiapas remains largely unknown to travelers, which can lead to rich authentic travel experiences. Between visiting Mayan ruins to making your way through wild tropical jungles, there is a diverse range of adventure just waiting to be found. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Congo: Christian Church of the Holy Spirit Union In the heart of the forest in the Bas-Congo province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, daily life for the members of the Christian Church of the Holy Spirit is punctuated by prayer. Every six hours, men and women wearing hessian clothes gather to pray and sing, while others who have been selected by Tata Gonda, the spiritual head, perform curing sessions to mend adults and children of their sins. The clothes are sewn from hessian bags, which is a symbol of a renouncement of life's pleasures. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Kidnapped For Life In Svaneti, a remote region of Georgia situated in the Caucasus mountains near the Russian border, 1 woman in 3 is abducted. Before their forced marriage, they are sequestered in towers dating from the middle ages, and cut off from their families. Some women manage to escape, others prefer to marry to avoid tarnishing their family reputations. Today, the new generation has rejected these barbaric practices, and marry for love. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Caucasus Treasure Situated between 5,000 meter summits and ten hours by route from the Georgian capital, Svanetia, is a natural fortress. For centuries, its inhabitants have hidden in their homes treasures worthy of the worlds' greatest museums. Kings regularly sent their treasures to Svanetia to recuperate them after winning wars, and the Svans, as brave and faithful people, defended their treasures from invaders. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     A Look At Children Photographing children can be quiet an impossible feat, with their squirm bodies and energetic souls. Aurora photographer Winky Lewis has mastered the art, capturing the peaceful serenity of childhood, and evoking the viewer to reminisce upon their own past. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     From the Air Aurora photographer Kevin Horan is always trying to get the golden ticket of flying, no, not a complementary glass of champagne in first class, but a window seat. With no more physical effort than it takes to sit down at diner, we can zip above the clouds and stare out in awe at the tiny blue marble we all live on. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Windpark Until 2007, Germany was the world's largest user of wind power with an installed capacity of 22.3 GW that year. More than 19,460 wind turbines are located in the German federal area and the country has plans to build more. Sabine Vielmo documents the construction of a 2 megawatt wind turbine in Ketzin Germany. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Medoc Over the course of an entire year, photographer Jean-Luc Chapin paced up and down Sociando-Mallet property, in the North of Médoc, Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, capturing the evolution of the vineyard and the changing landscape throughout the seasons. Chapin's images with superb color and texture depict the atmosphere of the land as both wild and civilized. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Introducing Steven Kazlowski Known within the photography community for his skills of observation and his determination to capture an image even in extreme weather conditions Steven Kazlowski lives and travels frequently from Washington to Alaska, photographing the natural world. He is the only wildlife photographer to date who has extensively photographed the Alaskan polar bear and its critical Arctic coastal habitat, something he wishes to continue throughout the international Arctic - an area rapidly being affected by climate change. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Japanese Details From traditional rock gardens to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, from frozen tuna to rows of torii gates, Aurora photographer, Ron Koeberer brings a unique perspective of the culture, traditions and trends of Japan. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Pakistan Media Under the pressure of the Taliban and the government repression, the freedom of the media is jeopardized in Pakistan. According to the last report of Reporters without Borders, Pakistan is the country with the highest number of journalists killed in 2009. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Memory Denied: Turkey and the Armenian Genocide On March 4th, 2010, the US congressional committee passed a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide. "Memory Denied" explores the memory of the Armenian deportations and massacres that occurred during the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. Recognized as "genocide" today by more than a dozen countries, Turkey still vigorously rejects that claim. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Haiti Earthquake On Jan. 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck Haiti, reducing much of its capital to rubble. It was the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years. Huge swaths of the capital, Port-au-Prince, lay in ruins, and thousands of people were trapped in the rubble of government buildings, foreign aid offices and shantytowns. The devastation created serious obstacles to those attempting to deliver promised foreign aid. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Aftermath in Chile A magnitude-8.8 earthquake on Feb. 27, 2010, one of the most powerful earthquakes on record, devastated the country, which has some of the strictest building codes on the continent. The quakes were among the scores of strong aftershocks that have rattled Chile's interior and its coastline. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Containerization Throughout the world, Intermodal containers are used to move products and raw materials between locations and countries. Today approximately 90% of non-bulk cargo is transported by container, either by ship, train, freight or plane. In many parts of the world, the containers are recycled and used for sheet metal and homes. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Tropoje Albania The region of Tropoje, in northern Albania, at the border with Kosovo, is perhaps the most remote place in Europe. It is a region where the Kanun - a set of laws used from the 15th century and revived recently, after the fall of communism and the Kosovo war - dramatically mirrors some of the customs of the society. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Peshawar Pakistan For the past two years, the Taliban's terrorist attacks have claimed more than 2000 victims in Pakistan. These attacks are mostly located in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and its capital, Peshawar, where many deaths are caused by road-side bombs. The population is suffering and public opinion is putting the blame on the American military policy. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Antarctic Drama Antarctica is home to 90% of all the worlds ice, 70% of which is freshwater. The ice creates a dramatic backdrop against which live a remarkable diversity of sea life, including killer whales, nesting birds, the world's largest seals, Elephant seals, and Adélie penguins which have a counter-current system in their legs that keep their feet above freezing. These and many other amazing animals create our Antarctic drama. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Thomas Pickard's Travel Images Whether capturing magnificent aerial shots of exotic islands or getting up-close and personal with wildlife in the arctic, Aurora Photographer Thomas Pickard documents his subjects' beauty and originality in a dynamic and captivating way. Thomas has traveled to 35 countries, working extensively in the Arctic, India, Maldives, New Zealand, and Thailand. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Remembering Christian Poveda French photojournalist and documentary film-maker, Christian Poveda worked his whole life documenting politically contentious or dangerous subjects that others wouldn't touch. He is most notably known for his film La Vida Loca, which documented the lives of the El Salvador gang Mara, and led to his death in September of last year. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Recycling in Greece Greece is embarking on a long-term plan to overhaul its waste management practices. New technologies that meet the demand for disposal, energy generation, recycling, and building new, closed-loop systems that limit waste generation are needed to deal with an increasing burden of waste and recyclable materials. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Hungry Horse Montana At the far end of Montana, in middle America, lies the little town of Hungry Horse. Many of the towns 900 inhabitants work in other towns of the valley or are unemployed. Drug usage is a common escape from the loneliness and boredom of life, while others, leave school to join the army as an alternative way out. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Ostalgie Berlin Since 1989, a generation of young Germans has come of age without lasting memories of life in communist East Germany, yet a powerful sense of separation remains lodged in the country’s collective consciousness. Today, in 'Ostalgie' Berlin, a commercial market has developed with a somewhat blurred vision of the past, and without serious commemoration of the victims of the Communist regime. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     NYC Home Schooling Home schooling is a growing phenomenon in the US, where families make increasing use of a variety of study and teaching materials available via on-line research. Parents are able to pick and choose the methods that work best for them, their educational philosophies, and their children's needs. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Somalia's Struggle Continues Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991, when the former government was toppled by clan militias that later turned on each other. Somalia remains a raging battle zone today, with jihadists pouring in from overseas, intent on toppling the transitional federal government, TFG. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Norway's Arctic Wildlife Join Steven Kazlowski, as he journeys through Norway documenting arctic life for GHG, the coalition of science, environmental, nature, and documentary photographers who have spent the last several years focused on greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of those emissions on our planet. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Afton Almaraz's NYC Reflection “Not having lived in New York for very long, I felt compelled to try and tackle a long-term personal project that expresses the cultural fabric and attractions that define the city today." This work in progress comes from Aurora contributing photographer, Afton Almaraz. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Care and Relief In times of trouble, health professionals, organizations, and volunteers generously provide care and give relief to restore and revitalize individuals and international communities. There humanitarian efforts draw attention to the global need for advanced aid systems and treatments for all people. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Kabul Today Afghanistan's capital, Kabul is a refuge for many who flee from violence in search of a peaceful life and economic opportunities. However, the city has been repeatedly struck by suicide bombers and rocket attacks that usually kill more Afghan civilians than foreign soldiers. It is a harsh reality with little respite. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Salmon Country From the mountains of Alaska to the coast of California salmon are a biological phenomena that bind the entire region together. In recent years salmon runs have been devastated due to dramatic changes in their ecosystems. The nature conservancy is working to protect salmon and the habitats. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Chilean Huaso Like the gauchos, their colleagues east of the Andes, the Chilean huasos are skilled horsemen, honing their skills daily. Over the years, the huaso has come to signify much of the Chilean folkloric culture, and he is a vital part of parades, fiestas, and holidays. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Rio Beach The beach plays a big part in the minds of the people in Rio de Janeiro. It's not merely a place to absorb the sun's ray. It's a social circus, an important venue for sports and even business dealings. It's a people-watcher's paradise. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Liberia Still On The Edge Pep Bonet recently document life in Kingsville, Liberia, population 20,000, where women and children die for the want of a few bare medical necessities. Even before the war, Sierra Leone was the poorest country on earth. It is still in shambles. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Miss Plastic Hungary 2009 The first ever beauty contest for women who had plastic surgery took place in Budapest, Hungary. Hundreds of women registered to compete for the crown and the luxurious prizes. Any women who had had a beauty plastic operation on her body could enter. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     From Sun Salt Shallow lagoons that separate the city of Aveiro from the Atlantic. For more than 1000 years, Marnotos, the worker that produce salt through evaporation, work between spring and late summer. It's tough work with great physical effort done under intense sun. The last decades with the expansion of global competition, this labor intensive industry has suffered, even with a charm that lures tourists, the value is not enough to rescue the situation. In the new generation who will continue the tradition? Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Ikea Town Sixty years ago,Ingvar Kamprad was seventeen years old and sold matches. Kampgrad quickly founded his own company selling pens, furniture, socks... He names it Ikea, an acronym of his initials, that of his village and that of his farm. The legend is born. Today, Ikea has 267 stores in 35 countries, and revenue of 21 Billion euros. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Dubailand The announcement of Dubai's debt problems questions the achievement of its gigantic architectural projects. In Dubailand only two attractions are open, the Autodrome, and the Al Sahra Desert Resort. The workers who were in charge of making this dream come true are leaving the place empty. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     History, and tradition mix with technology With over 4 million people this 500 year old city blends history and tradition with new arrivals; a major hub for the information technology industry in India and the world's largest film studio, the Ramoji Film City as well as the Telugu Film Industry, the second-largest, known popularly as Tollywood. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Teuquelín Teuquelín is a tiny island near Chiloé in the south of Chile. The only people who live in Teuquelín are of the Peranchiguay family, who arrived about 200 years ago. They live completely isolated from the outside world. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Spark of Hope: Healing and Reconciliation in Modern Rwanda In late February 2007, photographer Chris Noble accompanied the artist and social activist Lily Yeh and members of her organization, the Barefoot Artists, as they visited their most extensive and ambitious project — the Genocide Survivor's Survivors' Village of Rugerero in western Rwanda. His role was to document Yeh’s work in Rwanda, as well as produce portraits of the genocide survivors (no apostrophe) living in Rugerero. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Hanks Aero Adventures Hanks Aero Adventures is a company that organizes and leads flying safaris through southern Africa. Photographer Adrian Bailey joined one of these trips as it went through Botswana's Okavango Delta. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Yawar Festival Every year, during Peru’s Independence Day, the Blood Fest is celebrated in the highland communities of Apurimac. This celebration symbolizes the clash between the indigenous people (condor) and the Spaniards (bull). Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Acharnai Olympic Village The “glorious Olympic village” in Acharnai hosted 17,000 athletes from all around the world during the 2004 Athens Olympics. Six months after the end of the Olympic games, it was transformed into an outlying suburb. Most buildings and houses were assigned by OEK, the Worker's Housing Organization, as primary residences for beneficiary families. Everything else that is taken for granted by most citizens, like banks, shopping malls, bars and restaurants, are a long distance away. All the plans for development of the village were not realized. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Mornos Lake: Water Shortage For many years, Athens has been facing water problems. The massive migration of the rural population to the capital in the 1970's increased the need for adequate water supplies. The solution was the construction, in the early 1980's, of Mornos Dam and the creation of Mornos Lake. Unfortunately, dry seasons and excessive water waste have reduced Mornos Lake's reserves causing great concern for the people of Athens. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Tihama: The Other Yemen Nestling at the foot of the famous Yemeni summits, the coastal plain of Tihama meets the Red Sea. Though Tihama has lost some of its grandeur, its contrast to the rest of Yemen is fascinating. With its sculpted cities of a glorious past and its abandoned villages of decorated huts, this little known region is pushing to stay alive. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Shanghai Photographer Christopher Herwig's series of images deals with the ultra modern city of Shanghai. Focusing on its new and ambitious developments, it prepares itself to host the 2010 World Expo. His explorations include traveling to a traditional silk factory in the nearby city of Suzhou and the ancient canal village of Xitang. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Gansu Gansu is a Chinese province located in the Northwest of the country. Aurora photographer, Christopher Herwig, took a trip along the old silk route. His series of images explores the province's capital Lanzhou, a city of 5 million along the Yellow River, the outpost fortress of Jiayuguan, and the deserts around Dunhuang. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Xinjiang Xinjiang is a Chinese province located in the far North West of the country. The Uyghur Autonomous Region has seen ethnic unrest in the form of riots between muslim Uyghurs and Han Chinese in the Summer of 2009, mainly in the capital of Urumqi. This series of images follows a trip along the old silk route and with the day to day life in the province's capital Urumqi, the desert oasis's of Turpan and Khotan, and the market towns of Kashgar, Yarkand and Kucha. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Taoudeni Salt Mine For centuries, Timbuktu in Mali has been living on the trade of salt coming from the mines of Taoudeni, a town just north of the city. They are working in the mines to pay back their debts to wealthy merchants in Timbuktu. They live in isolation and work in treacherous conditions. Yet, they cannot get out of the cycle of debt. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Life of Lignite and Cinder While most European countries are getting closer to alternative sources of energy such as sun and wind, there exists in Northerwestern Greece the most polluting power station of Europe, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This power station produces as much pollution as 3.3 million cars. Greece ranks second in Europe in lignite production and sixth in the world. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Working Towards Peace in Chad Since it’s independence in 1960, Chad seems to be locked in a destiny where power is taken at gunpoint and war is always on the horizon. Nevertheless, the streets of N’Djamena are filling up with public works, oil money is flowing, avenues are tarred, buildings are rising and farmers are attending to their job. As 11 million Chadians face enormous struggles from war and underdevelopment, they push forward with the hope for permanent peace in Chad. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Lamalera: Whale Hunting Village The Indonesian whale hunter village, Lamalera, mostly exists in the prayers of the Christian people of Lamalera. Lamalera's people have survived for hundreds of years only by the sea and it's fruits: little fish, manta, bottlenose dolphin and the fervently hoped for whale. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Roma Displacement in Serbia In August 2009, the government of Belgrade, Serbia began enforcing the resettlement of Roma from camps under the Gazela Bridge. Photographer Matt Lutton’s imagery documents the plight of impoverished people in a struggling nation. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Bill Pickett Rodeo In 2009, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo celebrates it's 25th Anniversary. The essence of the rodeo is to educate people from all over the world about the story of African American cowboys and cowgirls. More than 8,000 Black cowboys rode in the great Western cattle drives of the late 1860’s. The legendary Bill Pickett was the first black athlete to be honored in the Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 1971. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     East Germany Change In November 1989, photographer Stefan Enders photographed the fall of the Berlin Wall. This was not only a great historic day, it was a day for him as a Western German to remember. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Malaria in Sierra Leone Malaria is the number one killer of children and is hyperendemic in Sierra Leone. Currently, there is a promising vaccine being tested in Africa. In a trial, 65% of the infants vaccinated were less likely to contract malaria than a control group. If successful, the vaccine will be licensed in 2011. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     20th Anniversary: Fall of the Berlin Wall November 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Long regarded as an iconic symbol of the Eastern Bloc, the wall fell after the seemingly unrelated act by Hungary to remove its border defenses with Austria on August 1989. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     New Europe 2009 marks twenty years since the events which led to the disintegration of the communist system in Central and Eastern Europe. Almost 50 years of communist indoctrination had been imprinted in the landscape, economy and mentality of people. It is now clear that the relative homogeneity of the socialist Central and Eastern Europe is on the decline. This part of Europe is increasingly diversifying. Photographer Łukasz Trzciński tried to portray this New Europe through the prism of local attitudes which reflect the history and the current reality of a given country and yet are representative of the region as a whole. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Human Trafficking in India In August 2009 photographer Justin Vela began a new long term project on human trafficking with a series of images made in India’s Bihar state which runs along the eastern border with Nepal. In Bihar, parents often unintentionally sell their children to traffickers believing they are sending them away to learn new skills and improve their lives in big cities. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Sustainable Prisons The Sustainable Prisons Project is a partnership of the Washington State Department of Corrections and The Evergreen State College. Their mission is to reduce the environmental, economic and human costs of prisons by training offenders and correctional staff in sustainable practices. Equally important, they bring science into prisons by helping scientists conduct ecological research and conserve biodiversity through projects with offenders, college students and community partners. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Fall of the Berlin Wall Having decided to photograph West Berlin in 1979, Stéphane Duroy also wanted to understand Germany, the country that gave birth to Nazism, a unique phenomenon in history, generated by such a civilized nation. In 1989, ten years later, he took pictures of the fall of the Berlin wall. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Vibrant City of Cairo Experience Cairo through the eyes of Pascal Meunier. He takes you through a city that is firmly attached to it's historical roots, but home to a vibrant modern society. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Iraqi Refugees Struggle in the US In the past three years, about 26,000 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the United States. Many refugees thought they would never be struggling in America, but most are having a hard time finding work and making ends meet. For many refugees, their dream of living in the US has turned into a nightmare of dwindling benefits, money running out, and eviction notices piling up. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Mostar Divers Divers and tourists meet at Mostar's famous Old Bridge (Stari Most) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This bridge is the city and region's biggest tourist attraction and there are buses full of tourists coming in from Sarajevo and Dubrovnik, Croatia. For 25 euros, tourists can train to jump from the bridge themselves, under supervision from the "professional" Mostar divers known as the Mostari. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Iraqi Refugees in Denmark Many Iraqi refugees travel through Denmark to reach Sweden, one of few European countries that will still grant asylum to Iraqis. Having undertaken grueling journeys across the continent, often paying vast sums of money to smugglers, some end up in Danish refugee centers where they wait indefinitely for asylum in a country which has tightened immigration laws in recent years. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     North Korea Photographer Ake Ericson documented the totalitarian state of North Korea. It's citizens, and the few tourists who are let into the country, are strictly controlled. To be able to enter the country and take pictures requires ingenuity. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     German Democratic Republic in the 80's Photographer Jens Rötzsch caught the mood of a country heading for a revolution and captured the faces of the GDR in the 1980's. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Camp Bucca Thousands of Iraqis were held without charge by the United States at Camp Bucca on suspicion of links to insurgents or militants. By September 2009, many detainees were released because there was little or no evidence against them and Camp Bucca closed down Detainee Operations. The U.S. is preparing to turn over its detention system to the fledgling Iraqi government by early 2010. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Niger Desertification During the past 50 years, the desert in Yerimaran, Goudoumaria, Niger, Africa, has been growing. In the past 6 years, the desert has continued to advance so rapidly that villagers' ways of life are changing along with government programs being implemented. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Cuba Daily Life The classic images of this Caribbean Island are what draws in two million tourists each year. You can hear lively music being played, smell the rum and cigars, and feel the joie de vivre. But the fact that many Cubans are struggling to get by shows another reality of this country. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Bolivian Mennonites In Bolivia, a Mennonite settlement of 37 families was established between 1954 and 1957 in the neighborhood of the city of Santa Cruz, in the fertile plains east of the Andes Mountains. Mennonites follow the teachings of Menno Simons, a 16th Century religious leader from what is now the Netherlands. Their community lives traditionally, shunning modern technology and it’s ability to distract them from the path of Christ. It's estimated that there are around 15,400 Mennonites in Bolivia. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Rebirth of Tourism in Native Country A new generation of Native American entrepreneurs are making their influence felt in tourism with a renewed focus on authenticity. They are managing monuments and parks of the southwest from historic Acoma Pueblo, a mesa-top citadel dating back to the 12th century, to Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley in Navajo country. Though these destinations are frequented by far more foreigners than Americans, they are of the fabric of western history. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Marina Orlova Marina Orlova was a young, unremarkable Russian woman who graduated from state university and taught high school English. She moved from Moscow to Los Angeles to work as an au pair. A friend told her about youtube and she launched a website to teach the masses about the origin of English words. Her web casts looked amateurish and dull at first, but she polished up her routine and got her body in shape. Two years later, Marina Orlova is an internet sensation. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Micro Loans in DR Congo Aurora Photographer, Jason Florio, photographed and interviewed entrepreneurs in DR Congo. By providing very poor families with small loans to invest in their micro enterprises, FINCA’s Village Banking empowers them to create their own jobs, raise their incomes, build assets, and increase their families’ well-being. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Road from Manali to Leh The road from Manali to Leh is 475 km long and winds its way through the barren mountains of Northern India. Closed over the winter months due to winter snows, the road opens each year during the short summer season. For travelers, the road is a rough and dusty drive by jeep or bus along a road that is known for it's perilous blind corners, steep unforgiving drop-offs and headache inducing high-altitude mountain passes, such as Tanglang-La Pass at 5,360 metres. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Orphans of Swaziland The HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected almost every family in the Kingdom of Swaziland. The Country has the highest percentage of HIV-positive people in the world, with nearly 36% of those between the ages of 15 and 49 living with HIV. The issue of greatest concern is the number of orphans in Swaziland. With orphans in a country of just more than one million people, an estimated 220,000 people are living with HIV. More than 70,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Dinners on the Farm Prairie Fruits Farm in Illinois hosts dinners on the farm throughout the growing season. They feature all-local ingredients, and emphasize the diversity of food grown in central Illinois.  These dinners offer an experience that makes the distance from field to plate about as short as it can possibly be, which is exactly the point. The farm dinner trend has experienced a surge from coast to coast over the last few years and continued to be popular this harvest season.   Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Fiestas of Zumbahau In the ice cold Ecuadorian Páramo, the fiestas of Zumbahau echo off the steep canyon walls. The poor farmers save for years in order to throw giant parties. When the fiesta comes they spend everything they have saved and party for days. During this wild rage of festivities one will find that Catholic and pre-Colombian beliefs have been seamed together. Dancers representing the ancient Andean sun god move through the fiesta to the hypnotic rhythm of giant drums. Mother Mary and Mother Earth become one and the Indigenous people of the Andes celebrate the rituals they have been practicing for years. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Coney Island Coney Island, the peninsula on the southern edge of Brooklyn, has been a resort for well over one hundred years - to varying degrees of success and failure. As rumors circulate about corporate development coming to Coney Island, the history and myth surrounding this famous neighborhood remain fixed in New York’s collective consciousness. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Parkour: The Art of Moving Parkour is a physical discipline of French origin in which participants cover a distance, attempting to overcome obstacles they meet on their way. The key for this sport discipline is efficiency - the parkour practitioners should run over their route as efficiently and directly as possible. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Gaza Conflict Photographer Jan Grarup arrived in Rafah, Gaza, at the beginning of 2009. He documented the ongoing conflict and devastation inflicted there and in Gaza City. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Traditional Skiers of The Altay Mountains In the Altay mountains of China’s Xingjiang province, also known as the Uighur Autonomous region, people still follow in the footsteps of their Mongolian ancestors. Like their ancestors, these people live, ski and hunt using the same handcrafted skis and techniques they have for thousands of years. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     AIDS Vaccine Scientists are getting closer to discovering a vaccine against HIV. Led by professor Eric Sandstrom, Swedish scientists are now testing a unique HIV vaccine in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It's a vaccine more effective against the HIV that is predominant in Africa. Preliminary studies indicate this vaccine has the potential to reduce the risk of becoming infected. Members of the police force in the capital Dar es Salaam have volunteered as test subjects. They now belong to the first generation of Tanzanians that are well informed about HIV, its causes and how to avoid the virus. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The FBI At the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division headquarters, tucked away in the West Virginia hills near Clarksburg, some 3,000 employees quietly fight crime with a sophisticated computer network and access to the largest repository of fingerprints in the world. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Sacred Andes Photographer Krystian Bielatowicz traveled around Peru and the nearby Bolivian border region for three months to shoot and take part in various celebrations and customs of the indigenous Andean peoples. He went on pilgrimages lasting several days, observed life in a provincial parish and took part in the session led by curanderos – Peruvian shamans. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Purple Hearts Purple Hearts is a series of portraits and interviews with American military who returned from Iraq severely wounded. The project gives an intimate understanding of the human cost of war through the experiences of American soldiers. While their physical wounds are extreme, the primary focus of the visual reportage is the psychological condition and the struggle to find identity and purpose in the aftermath of war. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     U.S. Special Forces in Sahel Far from Iran and Afghanistan, there is a lesser known part of the world where US Special Forces fight against terrorism and Al Qaida. It is in a very remote part of Africa, in the huge, uncontrolled territory of the Sahel, a region north of Mali and Niger. After September 11th, the US settled a 5-year program called the Sahel Plan, involving 500 million dollars and several countries, Algeria, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Senegal, in order to train local units in the fight against terrorism. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     High Altitude People An interesting and vivid selection of portraits of Nepalese people in the Makalu-Barun Valley, home to many Himalayan Sherpas and mountain porters. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Explore Croatia Whether it is exploring one of the 1,185 barren limestone islands along the coast, sampling the mouth watering seafood, or taking in the sights at the Old City of Dubrovnik as the sun goes down, Croatia is a traveler's delight. Rich in history, culture and natural beauty, Croatia is fast becoming a must-visit European destination. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Vietnam's New Generation Vietnam's "New Generation" can be described by one word: driven. They sport the latest fashions, ride on motorbikes and chat on mobile phones. And, for better or worse, "MTV" now has faithful viewers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. But this "New Generation" is faced with many dilemmas along the way. How do its members balance family traditions and duties with the pursuit of their own dreams and goals? Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Home Project There is a well-known saying that home is where the heart is. It suggests that real homes, with all their contents, are representative of what is in our hearts, true reflections of our dreams, convictions and ideals. The Home Project shows empty interiors: bunks in a homeless shelter, monks' cells, circus caravans. Every one of these places reflects a portrait of their owners; it makes a statement of their life circumstances, interests, character and the state of their soul, perhaps better than the owner would be able, or would even like to. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Krumpers Krumpers are teens who perform an aggressive style of dance, called krumping, that helps to release anger and frustration in a positive way. The style of dance emerged from the streets of Los Angeles during the 90’s and is an outlet for these teens to escape gang life. Aurora photographer, Afton Almaraz, shot portraits of the kids who krump. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     8 Years Later 8 years after the invasion of Afghanistan, life goes on as does the war. In 2009, there has been the highest number of coalition forces' causalities since the beginning of the war in 2001. Kabul, the country's capital, has been attacked numerous times by suicide bombers, rockets and ambushes. Living in a country that has suffered over 30 years of war is difficult, but people still have hope and hang on to the dream of freedom.  Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Go West to California This project, by French photographer Guillaume Zuili, based on his travels and discoveries throughout the state of California. His images are filled with modern symbols and signs of the West. The result is a metaphorical portrait of California. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Uyghurs Uyghurs are a Muslim minority ethnic group living in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. They have long campaigned for independence from Chinese rule, and their separatist demands have led to bloodshed over recent years. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Chernobyl's Dead Zone More than 20 years after the Chernobyl accident, people's lives in the nearby towns are still greatly affected. In the "Dead Zone", the area which was evacuated after the nuclear catastrophe in 1986, people have begun to return. Although the area is still highly radioactive, more and more people are settling down in the "Dead Zone" regardless of the risks. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Purhépechas The Purhépechas are an indigenous people who live in the northwestern lake and mountain region of the Mexican state of Michoacan. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Yemen Female Counter-Terrorism Unit As a response to Al-Qaeda's strategy of using women's dress to avoid facing capture, the counter-terrorism unit has brought on female combat troops in Yemen. The use of female troops is necessary since the searching of women by male troops is strictly forbidden in Yemen. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     I See A Darkness "I See A Darkness" is a conceptual project started in 2005 continuing through present day by Matt Lutton. On the streets and byways of New York City, it is one man's reaction to a city of profound contradictions, the strongest being love and fear. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Srebrenica Memorial The Srebrenica Genocide occurred in July 2005 near the end of the Bosnian war when an estimated 8000 Bosniak men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb paramilitaries. Every year, on the anniversary of the tragedy, thousands from around Bosnia make a pilgrimage to the memorial site and cemetery in Potocari adjacent to the factory where many of the victims were offered protection by Dutch UN troops before the genocide. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Egypt, My Love Between Denis Dailleux and Cairo, it is a true love story : on one side, an insatiable fascination for this unique place, its mood, its magical lights and an unspeakable tenderness towards its inhabitants ; on the other, a natural generosity, a city which offers itself to this subjugated look, inhabitants full of spontaneous kindness. Denis Dailleux makes regular trips to Cairo, in an obsessive way. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Chad The conflict that erupted in Darfur in western Sudan has many dimensions to it: regional, national and international. It began in early 2003 between two armed rebel groups (the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement) and the Government of Sudan after the rebel groups attacked civilians, entire towns and Sudanese government facilities. By the spring of 2004 thousands of people had been killed and as many as a million more had been driven from their homes, causing a major humanitarian crisis in the region. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Sierra Leone Diamond Mining Sierra Leone has suffered from conspicuously constrained economic growth due to the lack of promoting development and not addressing the basic needs of the country's citizens. In spite of this negative development, the government believes the mining sector is the only sector that can easily contribute significantly to the economic recovery and development process of Sierra Leone. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Karczeby Karczeby is a project which presents a Polish village, focusing on the relationship between the human being and nature and on the essence of humanity in relation to the earth. It shows the people living in villages, their attachment to the land and respect for nature and also how hard work translates into the farmers' dignity. The Polish photographer Adam Panczuk has memorialized these people in a series of black-and-white pictures in a classic square format. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Haut du Lievre Haut du Lievre is a housing estate consisting of huge blocks of apartments rising above the city of Nancy, France. Built in the 1960s, it was a destination for citizens who wanted to rebuild their destroyed country after World War II. The Haut du Lievre was a symbol of new strength and hope for future development. As time passed, the unique estate became a place for illegal immigrants and disadvantaged people. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Opening of Syria's Doors The second half of the 20th century was a difficult time for Syria. The never-ending conflict with Israel and other regional conflicts caused bad relations with neighbors through the Middle East, as well as a deep economical crisis. After the death of charismatic President Nafez al-Assad, many economic reforms were made in Syria. Today, Syria is a country opening up to tourism and foreign investments, despite the ongoing political challenges of being in the heart of the Middle East. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Golden Astronauts In 2009, former Soviet-bloc countries are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. Paweł Althamer, a Polish artist decided to honor this significant time in a completely different way. He dressed as a golden astronaut in a golden plane with a golden crew. Under the name ’Common task’, the golden crew flew to Brussels to spread positive vibrations to everyone they met, as a symbol of Poland's comeback to democratic Europe. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Temples and Dzongs of Bhutan Bhutan has a thriving tourist industry that is growing exponentially. Everywhere you look, new hotels are being constructed. To tour Bhutan you must be accompanied by a Bhutanese guide. Most travelers are in groups, though you can travel alone as long as you have a Bhutanese guide. Many of the attractions in Bhutan are the ancient Buddhist temples and Dzongs, which are elaborate fortress architectures. There are seasonal festivals, where you can watch dancing and religious rituals as well as the local people in traditional dress. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Afghanistan Elections Afghanistan's second democratic presidential elections in conjunction with the provincial councils elections were held on August 20, 2009. The top three presidential candidates for this year's presidential election are Presidaent Hamid Karzai, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani. It's been said that 87% of the country's population has been registered to vote. Some have disputed the numbers and are accusing the current government of fraudulent activities. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Fishing for Red Gold Bristol Bay, Alaska is home to the largest sockeye salmon run on earth. Every summer thousands of fishermen work the waters of Bristol Bay in search of Alaska's 'red gold'. While celebrated as a shining example of successful fishery management, this giant salmon run is facing some of its greatest challenges yet. A proposed mine, called Pebble Mine, potentially North America's largest open-pit mine threatens salmon spawning habitat and the health of wild Pacific salmon populations in Bristol Bay. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Pilgrimage of San Juan de Los Lagos Thousands of pilgrims make a journey to San Juan de los Lagos every year. The small town is the second most visited pilgrimage shrine in Mexico. Most pilgrims come around February 2nd to celebrate Virgen de San Juan, arriving on foot, bicycle, and bus. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands are a chain of hundreds of small volcanic islands, forming a volcanic arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, that are remote and rarely visited. Most of the archipelago is considered Alaska, while the westernmost extension is a part of Russia. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Cape Town Beaches Cape Town is renown for having some of the best beaches in the world. Situated at the very tip of the vast African continent this city is blessed by two oceans that break on kilometer after kilometer of coastline; from the warm, welcoming waters of the Indian Ocean to the icy, bracing breakers of the Atlantic Ocean. There is something for everyone: beaches that are more suited to family fun, others that provide great waves for surfing and other water sports, beaches that are ideal for sunsets, and others that are perfect for swimming. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Consumerism in China The country's reputation as the world's factory still rings true, but increasingly the consumer goods churned out by Shenzhen's factories remain in China. International retailers have been expanding in China for decades. The country's enormous consumer class now draws the world's attention as a potential savior from the current economic turmoil. The domestic market here is the largest in the world, and the potential for expansion into China has become a major priority for many international companies. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Threat of Sand The Niger river, which flows over 1700 kms, is threatened by the sand. The fertile green land beyond its banks, which provides a living for thousands of people, is at risk of being engulfed by the desert. In 2006, villages started to plant trees as barriers to the sand. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border Under an agreement with Tajikistan, Russian border guards protect the border against drug smugglers and Islamic fundamentalist infiltrators. Drugs are mostly taken through Tajikistan into Russia. Afghan Taliban fundamentalists try to destabilize Tajikistan or move through Tajikistan into the Fergana valley of Uzbekistan to support the strong Islamic fundamentalist forces fighting the Uzbek government. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Nowa Huta: The Ghost of Communist Past In the late 1940's, Communist dictator Joseph Stalin came up with the idea to create a huge steel works and surrounding infrastructure in Poland. Nowa Huta was a district built in the 1950's to house 100,000 inhabitants. It was the first borough of its kind, built specifically to house a socialist secular population. Nowa Huta is an old symbol of modernity and progress and was the 'Polish socialist city of dreams'. It's story and the legacy of a socialist Poland is forever preserved in photographs from that era by Henryk Makarewicz. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Myanmar Behind Closed Doors Under years of political oppression, Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a country struggling to find it's freedom. Though, daily life continues beyond Myanmar's closed doors. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Portraits of Thailand's Transsexuals A Thai proverb states "when you meet a very beautiful woman, beware: she is probably a man". No other country in the world counts so many transsexuals so well integrated in society as Thailand. Visible and numerous - 150,000 in a population of 63 million these trans genders enjoy a particular status in a sexually tolerant Buddhist society which accepts them relatively well. As Professors, doctors, hair dressers, dancers, television presenters and much more, they integrate themselves like other women. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Born Behind Bars A look into the Santa Martha Acatitla women’s penitentiary in Mexico D.F., where babies born into the system are allowed to live with incarcerated mothers until they are six years old Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Dubai's Robot Jockeys Robot jockeys, controlled remotely by operators in cars driving along the track, race camels in Dubai. In 2004, robotic jockeys were used in response to the outcry against the use of small children as jockeys. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     The Last Dogfight In March, the people of Pakistan celebrate a national holiday called Pakistan Day. One of the most important celebrations of this day is the Last DogFight. The dogfight takes place only in the cold season to respect the dog's health. This happening attracts thousands of rural and tribal people from all over the four principal provinces. For the dog's owners this is a great chance to show their talent and to win a considerable amount of money. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Venetian Lagoon The Venetian Lagoon is the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Venetian language, Laguna Veneta - cognate of Latin lacus, "lake" - has provided the international name for an enclosed, shallow embayment of saltwater, a lagoon. It is around 8% land, including Venice itself and many smaller islands. The lagoon is the largest wetland in the Mediterranean Basin. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Kanun The Kanun is a set of laws used mostly in northern Albania and Kosovo from the 15th century until the 20th century and revived recently after the fall of communism in the early 90's. These rules have recently resurfaced in northern Albania. There are organizations that try to mediate between feuding families and try to get them to "pardon the blood", but often the only resort is for men of age to stay in their homes, which are considered a safe refuge by the Kanuni, or flee the country. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Finland's Oulanka National Park During the last Ice Age, the Oulanka River valley was shaped by the carving and eventual retreat of huge glaciers. They brought the seeds of Arctic plants that still grow in the park. Today, the Arctic winter is tempered by humid sea-winds brought by the Gulf Stream, encouraging luxuriant vegetation unusual for such a northerly region. Oulanka has the well-deserved reputation as the best scenery in Finland. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Tripoli Libya, Tripoli, the former Carthaginian trading post, is regaining its influence in the region.The city's old town is still unspoiled by mass-tourism, though it is increasingly being exposed to more and more visitors from abroad, following the lifting of the UN embargo in 2003. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     US Military Aaron Ansarov has traveled the world as a military photojournalist for more than 14 years. He has been recognized for many years as one of the most award winning photographers in the Department of Defense history. His pictures of life in the US military show a deep understanding and respect for the people who choose to serve our country as a career. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Wildlife Tourism in Namibia Tourism in Namibia is a major industry. Annually, nearly one million travelers visit Namibia. The stunning landscape and wild life can be experienced through luxury safaris with stays at beautifully designed camps. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Greece: Illegal Immigration For years, Greece has been the crossroad for thousands of illegal immigrants, passing through on their way to Europe. Each year the percentage of illegal entries rises, and with each increase immigrations laws become more strict. In 2008, Greek coast guard officers arrested 15,315 migrants at their attempt to enter the country illegally by boat. Many of the immigrants come from Afghanistan, Somalia and Kurdistan, in hopes of finding a new and better life. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall was built by the Roman Empire in AD 122 across the width of what is now northern England. The wall was built to prevent raids on Roman Britain and to improve economic stability and peace. A significant portion of the wall still exists today, particularly the mid-section, and for much of its length the wall can be followed on foot by Hadrian's Wall Path, which is open to walkers in the summer months. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Hakamas Singers in Sudan Hakamas are groups of women in Sudan who were actively associated with groups of fighting forces during the prolonged civil war in Sudan. Recognizing the influential role of the Hakamas, Unicef commissioned an on going project to work with these talented women to change their message from one that would incite fighting during the years of civil wars to one that promotes peace in current post-conflict times. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Toronto Newsgirls Toronto Newsgirls is Toronto's only all women boxing gym. Most women who are members of the gym have no previous boxing experience and this fight represents their first fight. Toronto Newsgirls is located in the basement of a warehouse in Toronto's east end. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Destination Yucatan Travel to the Yucatán Peninsula, a land caught between two worlds. There are the resorts and uber-tourist spots of Cancún and Playa del Carmen on one side and on the other are Mayan traditions and culture in places like Mérida. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     China's 1989 Student Revolt In 1989 several Agence Vu photographers documented the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The movement lasted seven weeks, from , Hu Yaobang death on 15 April until tanks cleared Tiananmen Square on 4 June. In Beijing, the resulting military response to the protesters by the PRC government left many civilians dead or severely injured. Here are their images. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Rwanda Prisons Nsinda Prison, Rwanda's largest prison, about 60 km. east of the capital, still holds 11,200 prisoners, primarily from the genocide. About a thousand of them go out each morning to work in nearby fields, growing what they eat. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Introducing India Pictures Partner agency, IndiaPicture, brings fresh images of the people and cultures of India. Among the vast range of images are a plethora of sections ranging from concepts to human emotions. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Tuckerman Ravine Warm spring days bring out skiers to Mt. Washington's Hermit Lake hut and shelters. The glacial cirque of Tuckerman Ravine is the attraction.Much of the terrain is extreme and done only by the most advanced skiers. Still many people come, some to sled, others to picnic and enjoy the sun and others to watch the skiers and the potential falls they may take. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Goz Beida Goz Beida is 70 kilometers from Chad's eastern border with Sudan's western Darfur Region.Thousands of refugees from Sudan live in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons)camps. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Kish Island- Vacation Iran Not what you would expect on the Persian Gulf shores of Iran, Kish Island is touted as a consumer's paradise, with numerous malls, shopping centers, tourist attractions, and resort hotels. The standard laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran are far more relaxed here, resulting in domestic tourism, as well as in international trade on the island. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Tehran Ski Resorts March 2009, Iran. Skiing and snowboarding is a popular pass time for young people of Tehran.Ski resorts like Tochal Mountain and Dizin are close by and easy to reach. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Soy Farming in Paraguay The industry of soy production in Paraguay has generated social conflict and devastation. Small farmers, who, after living for years on government-allotted forestland, have begun to be uprooted. The area has also reported extreme rates of cancer, birth defects, and miscarriages believed to be associated with high levels of pesticides being used to treat the crops. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Kunming City's Expansion Kunming City, capital of Yunnan Province in China, is finishing its 2005 to 2010 expansion. The plans are to nearly double in size, both population, to eight million people and in area. It hopes to be a trade, transport, financial and cultural center of Southeast Asia. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Jewish Quarter in Prague The Jewish quarter Josefov in Prague, the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, it has become one of Europe's (and the world's) most popular tourist destinations. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Ice Break Gulf of Finland Bitter cold bears down from Russia and locks the Gulf of Finland in ice. Parts of the Guld may be covered with ice for up to 120 days disrupting shipping lanes and that's when the Finnish icebreaker Sisu goes to work. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Hong Kong Rising Hong Kong, a city where East meets West, is a forward thinking country thanks to its hurry-hurry approach to everything, an ambitious appetite for technological advancement and an unshakable can-do attitude. Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong became the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China on July 1st, 1997. Today, it is free market economy that is one the most densely populous places in the world. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Elbrus Race Elbrus Race is a competition organized by Redfox, a russian outdoor brand. This race goes to the highest mountain in Europe, Elbrus Mountain, 5600 meters high. It is a difficult race because of the high altitude and extreme weather conditions; temperatures are from -20 or -25 º centigrade and winds near 40-50 Km/h on the summit with a wind chill factor of less than -40º Centigrade in most severe cases. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Quinceaneras in Cuba Photographer Claudine Doury caught the spirit of Quinceaneras, the rites of passage to adulthood, around Havana. Quinceaneras are coming of age ceremonies held on a girl's fifteenth birthday in Latin American cultures. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Oil Sands The once pristine land of Alberta, Canada is now the site of over 150 miles of oil sand mines. Some claim that this recently tapped reserve could provide over 8 times the US capacity for oil, while others point out that the cost of prosperity has destroyed habitats, polluted air and water, and is possibly related to a rise in cancer rates in the area. Explore how the land and people are being effected by the oil sands. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Illuminating Science From lasers to holograms, German scientists are exploring methods of harnessing light that could potentially change the way we work, sleep and relax. Let technology illuminate you at Aurora Photos. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Martin Puddy's China A fresh look at China through the eyes of Martin Puddy. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Tales from the Crypt No one really knows why the Sicilians mummified their dead but this lasting tribute is a fascinating portrait of that time dating back to 1599. Many of the bodies are dessicated, dried out for eight months. Washed and then redressed for display in the crypts. Some were dipped in arsenic or lime during periods of epidemics and a few were preserved by embalming. In Palermo they are on public view in the Capuchin Catacombs but many reside hidden under churches throughout Sicily. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Polar Bears The polar bear is a bear native to the Arctic Ocean. It has evolved to occupy a narrow ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting the seals which make up most of its diet. The polar bear is classified as a vulnerable and endangered species. Global Warming may simply kill of Polar Bears completely. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Bordeaux Wine Serge Picard captures the essence of the Bordeaux region of France, which is the second largest wine-growing area in the world. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Border Conservation The border that separates the United States from Mexico has become a significant controversy over the years, but the building of the border fence is stirring up a new issue. The proposed fence would devastate the rich culture and wildlife cooridor that this region represents. Many conservationists are working to promote awareness of the impact this construction. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Wind of Fire - Tierra del Fuego Once the sole domain of sheep farmers, the wind-whipped tip of South America is drawing a new generation of pioneers and adventure seekers. Get a taste of this exceptional part of Patagonia through the lens of Aurora photographer Peter Essick. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     China Punk Drumsticks count up to four and the wall of noise starts. Deep in an endless sea of concrete apartment buildings,a garage band's screaming at the top of its lungs. You've heard the music before, it's raw,unpolished, punk rock, but this time, it's in China. There's a burgeoning scene in China, and Beijing's where it's at. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Cordillera Darwin Ski Traverse From late October to early December, adventurers Kari Medig, Steve Ogle, and Dean Wagner attempted the first longitudinal ski traverse of the Cordillera Darwin. Located in the Tierra del Fuego region of Patagonia, it remains one of the least explored regions on earth. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Miao Keng Cave and The Dragon's Mouth Join Aurora’s photographer, Robbie Shone, into China’s Miao Keng, a 499-meter-deep shaft thought to be one of the largest in the world. Together with a team of six Russian adventurers he was the first in, making camp in the dry sandy horizontal passages at the bottom of the big shaft. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Los Angeles' Skid Row Los Angeles' Skid Row is home to thousands of people with no permanent place to call home. The sidewalks used to be lined with tents and makeshift shelters at every hour of the day. It's been a haven for drug dealers and prostitutes. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Saut D'eau Voodoo Festival Every summer, thousands of Voodoo practitioners make pilgrimages to numerous multi-day festivals throughout the small island nation. During Saut D'eau, one of the most famous and popular festivals, voodooists and Catholics from across Haiti and the American Diaspora flock to the quaint village of Ville Bonheur, near the country's center, to bathe and worship beneath the nearby Saut D’eau waterfalls where they hope to win the favor of various lwas, or spirits. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Mary and Martha With a majority of New England states passing laws allowing same sex marriage, and with the California Supreme Court about to make a decision, the tide seems to be turning on the issue of same sex unions. Aurora Photographer Ryan Anson has documented a committed couple, their marriage and the joyful addition of children to their family. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     James Balog Extreme Ice Aurora houses the unique glacier photography generated from the Extreme Ice Survey. Extreme Ice Now by Aurora Photographer James Balog has just been released to great reviews. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     New Days for Liberia After more than a decade of civil wars that left Liberia sacked and its population traumatized, Africa’s oldest republic now has a window of opportunity to remake itself from scratch. Stabilized by United Nations forces, rich in virtually untouched natural resources, and led by a charismatic president-- Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf , the first woman ever elected to rule an African country—Liberia may prove a test case in how to rehabilitate an African nation. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     4th Platoon - Afghanistan A U.S. platoon from 101st Airborne Division, 506th Infantry Regiment, had two districts to control, along with supporting other U.S. forces in the eastern Afghan province of Khost. Insurgents once had a grip on the area, a grip which tightened following the destruction of the U.S. compound during a suicide bombing. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>     Pakistan A nuclear power, a government under pressure, a neighbor to Afghanistan, all eyes today are on Pakistan. Read on View as Slide Show View Images/a>   <