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The week in photos 22/7/11

A look at the week's most striking photos from across the globe

A pair of twin boys had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming trapped on a window grid in Yulin, southern China's Guangxi Province. The two young boys climbed out of the window onto the grid after being left home alone while their parents went to work

Death-defying stunts went on display this week at the Extreme Sports Show, held in Oxford. Here a dirtbike stunt rider drives through fire at top speed.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki oversees the burning of around five tonnes of tusks and ivory which were seized in Singapore in 2002. It came as Kenya marked the 'African Elephant Law Enforcement Day'.

Here a leopard attacks a forest guard at Prakash Nagar village near Salugara, on the outskirts of Siliguri, India. The animal had strayed into the village area and mauled several villagers, including three guards, before being caught by forest officials, according to news reports.

Offering vast views across London, this art installation from creative minds Bompass and Parr has made it possible to sail across Selfridges’ rooftop. The ‘Voyage of Discovery’ exhibition is open until this Sunday and includes a waterfall, dyed green water and 12 small sailing boats

Two players struggle for footing at the World Swamp Soccer championships. The tournament was held in Hyrynsalmi, Finland this week.

Russian military have implemented a plan to fool enemy forces by constructing life-size inflatable replicas of fighting fleet. It is hoped that these distractions will be able to decieve satellite scopes and thermal imagery.

In what was another convincing deception this week, an American blogger spotted that this Apple store in Kunming, China is not in fact genuine. After realising that the iconic Apple logo was not as it should be she also noted that the store was not listed on the tech giant's website. Staff 'all genuinely think they work for Apple' according to the blogger, BirdAbroad

A tunnel under construction collapsed in Dalian leaving 12 workers trapped in the tunnel. No casualties were reported and rescuers have managed to get in contact with the trapped workers.

Green algae continues to spread in waters off China's east coastline, this time swamping Qindao's popular beachside. Although the green algae is not poisonous, it can hinder fisheries industry and tourism in affected area

Beekeeper Wang Dalin wears tens of thousands of bees on his body with goggles and corks up his nose for extra protection.

Previously unseen photos of The Beatles went on auction this week and managed to sell for an astonishing £224,000. Photographer Mike Mitchell snapped the fab four when he was just 18, restoring the photos from February 1964 for a handsome windfall

Vicious flooding hit the Nanjing region of China this week with cars swamped by a tide of water.

Wishing you a wonderful Weekend, and a week full of Love and Light

“Love so joyfully and freely given can never be taken away. It is never truly gone.”
― Cameron Dokey, Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella"

Anugama - Spiritual Environment (Healing) 1986 [HD]

http://youtu.be/xt--HC67JOY

“Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot be readily understood except on the basis of faith and hope because there is often a larger purpose which we do not always understand. Peace comes through hope.”
― James E. Faust

Pictures of the week

A Greek firefighter runs to help a colleague as a forest fire rages in Marathon near Athens (Reuters)

Iranians gather on the street to pray during Eid-al-Fitr celebrations (Rex)

A newborn albino wallaby takes a look at her new surroundings at Gumbuya Park in Victoria, Australia. (Rex)

The financial district in Shanghai, China, where the world's second tallest skycraper, the 632m Shanghai Tower, is nearing completion. (Reuters)

The sky over is illuminated by lightnings near Goerlitz, Germany. (PA)

Bathers in the Volcano de Tutumo El Totumo mud volcano are left fully caked in mud (Rex)

Hands up! Newborn panda cub Yuan Zai puts her paws in the air during a routine health check. (Rex)

A lab-grown meat burger made from Cultured Beef, which has been developed by Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands.(PA)

A Greek army helicopter drops water over a forest fire in Marathon near Athens August 5, 2013. A wildfire fanned by strong winds raged near Athens on Monday, damaging homes and sending residents fleeing, fire brigade officials said. Reuters witnesses said the blaze had damaged at least three homes at a hamlet by the town of Marathon - the site of the historic 490 BC battle between Athenians and Persians about 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of the Greek capital.REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (GREECE - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Lance Bombardier James Simpson of the Royal Artillery, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, during a training session in woods near Otley, Leeds, ahead of the Spartan Race, in which he is competing in September. (PA)

A female polar bear looks down from a cliff at birds below in Spitsbergen, Norway (Rex)

An aerial image shows the flooding chaos over Herne Hill, south London, caused by a burst water main. (Rex)

How to see comet PanSTARRS over the UK this week

Sky-watchers in Europe could catch a glimpse of a visitor from very deep space this week - the comet PanSTARRS will be bright and visible until March 18.

• This photo of PanSTARRS was taken by Markus Mugrauer in Santiago de Chile on March 6th using a Canon D10

Sky-watchers in Europe could catch a glimpse of a visitor from very deep space this week - the comet PanSTARRS will be bright and visible in our skies until March 18 this week.

Binoculars are recommended to catch the comet, which will be faintly visible on evenings this week, around sunset, according to Sky and Telescope magazine.

The comet will not return in our lifetimes - its orbit around the sun is thought to take 106,000 years.

PanSTARRS is now at its closest to Earth and being lit up brightly by the light of the Sun.

It was first detected in 2011, when it was 1.2 billion miles from Earth.

The comet - a lump of ancient ice - is thought to have come from the Oort Cloud, a cloud of icy objects the edge of our solar system, almost a light year from the sun.

Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere captured spectacular images from Mexico, Uruguay, Chile and New Zealand last week.

Comet Pan-Starrs as seen from Mount Dale, Western Australia (AP/Nasa)"Our good views should begin around March 13th, when the crescent Moon is there to point the way," says Alan MacRobert,senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine.

"Before then the comet was too near the horizon. It will start fading later this week, so if the sky is clear, don't miss your chance."

“The best time to look is about 30 to 45 minutes after your local sunset time. This narrow window of viewing time comes after twilight fades enough for the comet to show through at all, but before it sinks too low and sets.”

“On Wednesday March 13th, you'll see a thicker crescent Moon higher up. Watchers in Europe should look below it by about the width of your fist at arm's length. On Thursday the 14th, look two fists below the Moon and perhaps a bit to the right. After that, the comet will gradually move to the right from evening to evening as it begins to fade.”

Dr Pedro Lacerda, of Queen’s University Belfast says that UK watchers may catch a glimpse at around 6.45: “The coma at the head of the comet should be visible to the naked eye but to see the tail may require the use of binoculars. The most visible features will be its tail and bright coma.

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 12: The comet PanSTARRS, above and to the right, passes over the Stratosphere Casino Hotel …

“Those features originate in the nucleus of a comet, a solid lump of dirty ice which, heated by sunlight, sublimates and feeds the diffuse cloud of gas and dust that gives the comet its fuzzy appearance – the coma. Then, light and other particles from the sun push part of the coma away from the nucleus to form the tail which gives comets their spectacular appearance.”

“Comets are important as frozen relics of the formation of our solar system. Before plunging into the inner solar system they spend most of their lives beyond Neptune at temperatures below negative 220 C. For that reason comets retain ices of the ingredients that were present when the planets were born and that are long gone from the surfaces of the much warmer asteroids, for example.”

7 photos that reveal what families eat in one week

In a new series of photos, families worldwide pose with one week’s food supply.

How much food does your household go through in a week? What are your go-to family meals? And how much do you spend on food? You can get a glimpse of how others answered these questions in Oxfam’s new photo series, which depicts people from around the globe with one week’s food supply for their families.

Building on an idea that originated with 2005′s Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, the new images feel especially timely now, when reports about half of the world’s food going to waste vie for space with news about rising global food prices. According to a recent article accompanying some of the photos in the UK Independent, “There is deep injustice in the way food is grown and distributed … the world’s poorest people spend 50-90 percent of their income on food, compared with just 10-15 percent in developed countries.”

As you can probably guess, the families’ diets differ depending on where they live. But if if there’s one common thread that links these images, it’s that we all have to eat. We all face challenges and successes when it comes to feeding our families. And we can all help to make the food system fairer for everyone.

So check out seven highlights below. Then tell us in the comments: What does your week’s food supply look like? How does your family measure up?

Shahveller, Azerbaijan

Photo: David Levene/Oxfam
Mirza Bakhishov, 47, his wife, Zarkhara, 37, and two sons, Khasay, 18 and Elchin, 15, own a small plot of land where they grow cotton and wheat as well as animal feed. “Our small cattle and poultry [are] everything for us. All our income and livelihood is dependent on them,” said Bakhishov.

Vavuniya, Sri Lanka

Photo: Abir Abdullah/Oxfam
Selvern, 70, far right, and her daughters have been members of Oxfam’s local dairy cooperative for four years. Her youngest daughter Sukitha, second from right, works at the cooperative and is also trained as a vet. Selvern gets up at 5:30 every morning to help her daughters milk their cows; she sends most of the milk to the co-op with Sukitha and uses the remainder to make cream and ghee for the family.

Mecha, Ethiopia

Photo: Tom Pietrasik/Oxfam
A week’s food supply for Wubalem Shiferaw, her husband Tsega, and 4-year-old daughter Rekebki includes flour, vegetable oil, and a paste of spices called berbere. Tsega works as a tailor, while Wubalem follows a long local tradition and supplements her income with honey production. An Oxfam-supported cooperative helped Wubalem make the transition to modern beekeeping methods, which produce greater yields.

Yegeghus, Armenia

Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos
The Josephyan family from with their weekly food supply, which includes wheat flour, dried split peas, sugar, and cooking oil. The family supplements their diet with eggs laid by their chickens and wild greens from the fields.

London, UK

Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam
Ian Kerr, 30, with his family and a week’s food supplied by a charity food bank. Ian left his job to become a full-time carer to his disabled son Jay-J, 12. Also pictured are his daughter Lillian, 5, and mother-in-law Linda, 61. Kerr says the family’s favorite food is spaghetti Bolognese, but Lillian says her favorite is Jaffa Cakes.

Kaftarkhana, Tajikistan

Photo: Andy Hall/Oxfam
BiBi-Faiz Miralieba and her family, from left to right: son Siyoushi, 11, niece Gulnoya Shdova, 14, and children Jomakhon, 6, Shodmon, 9, and Jamila,13. Like many women in rural areas of Tajikistan, Miralieba is now the head of her household as her husband has migrated to Russia to find work.

Gutu, Zimbabwe

Photo: Annie Bungeroth/Oxfam
Ipaishe Masvingise and her family with their food for the week, which includes grains and groundnuts as well as fruits like pawpaw and oranges. Masvingise, a farmer, said she sells extra grain from her harvests to pay for school fees and medical costs, and to support members of her extended family who don’t own their own land.

Beautiful Pictures

towering red dust storm gathers over the ocean, ahead of a cyclone approaching Onslow, West Australia, on January 9. The remarkable photo was captured by tug boat worker Brett Martin, 25 nautical miles from the town of Onslow. (AFP)

Killer whales surface through a breathing hole on January 9. The creatures were trapped under sea ice in Canada's Hudson Bay. Up to a dozen whales were feared to be stuck, however winds later pushed the ice away from the coast. (Reuters)

Snowfall at the ruins of the Roman Temple of Bacchus in the historic town of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on January 10. An unusual chill swept across the Middle East recently, bringing heavy snow and freezing conditions in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Syria and Palestine. The weather has claimed at least 17 lives across the region (Reuters)

Tammy Holmes and her grandchildren clutch each other as they seek refuge under a jetty on January 4 after wildfires consumed their home in Dunalley, Tasmania. The photo was taken by their grandfather, Tim Holmes. The family survived but their house, which Mr Holmes built himself, was destroyed. (Sky)

A twilight view of London from the top of the Shard, the tallest building in western Europe. The skyscraper, which is 1,013ft tall, opens to the public on February 1. Visitors will be able to reach the 72nd floor of the 78 floor building. (Reuters)

A 'lion' caused panic in Virginia, America when it was spotted loose on the streets. When police investigated it turned out to be 'Charles the Monarch' - a labradoodle whose fur had been shaved to look like a lion (SWNS)

Unexplained readings from the Cassini probe, which orbits Saturn, hint that blocks of ice might bob on the surface of the lakes of liquid methane on Titan. NASA believes that life could lurk in the ice - but it would be very different from life on Earth as the lakes are composed entirely of liquid ethane and methane. (NASA)

Andrejus Rascinski, aged nine, from Birmingham, waits to perform in the under-14s competition at the European Elvis Championships on January 6. Over 70 Elvis impersonators, decked in sequins and well-groomed sideburns, flocked to Birmingham to take part in the competition. (PA)

Photographer Reinhard Dirscherl took this extraordinary snap of a whale shark, which looks like it is about to eat a diver in Indonesia. The 47,000lb shark is not dangerous to humans, instead preferring to snack on plankton (Caters)

Pictures of the Week

Roaring past in front of a wall of fire, the Tinstix of Dynamite team perform at the Melbourne International Airshow. The team mix dramatic flying techniques with fire displays to put on a stunning show (Alex Coppel / Newspix / Rex Features)

Tang Yuan, an Alaskan Malamute dog, is only 38 days old - but weighs a hefty 20kg. Nicknamed 'Fluffy Rice Ball' the adorable animal is well insulated against the cold and snow in Songyuan, north-east China's Liaoning Province. Owner Wang Xian says he doesn't feed Tang Yuan too much - his pet just happens to grow very quickly. "A lot of people said I abused the dog for making it so fat, but its fluffy hair makes it look big." (HAP/Quirky China

The driver of this car smashed into the Sevenoaks branch of Specsavers making the message of the company's advert - "Should've gone to Specsavers" - all the more poignant. Although the branch was open at the time luckily no one was hurt. An ominous looking red liquid seeping out from under the vehicle was reported to be brake fluid or coolant (Ben Bridges/Rex Features)

Prince Harry engages with a partially sighted child at St Bernadette's Centre for the blind in Lesotho. The centre is supported by his charity Sentebale and was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. It helps vulnerable children in Lesotho get the support they need to lead healthy and productive lives. Prince Harry was in Lesotho for the first time since 2010 to inspect the work of his charity and raise funds for a new project (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Dutch company Mars One plans to start a colony on the Red Planet in 2023. The firm already has 8,000 emails from more than 100 countries volunteering for the programme. The eventual goal of the company is a colony of 80,000 people at the cost of a mere $36billion (£16bn)

Aesha Mohammadzai was 18 years old when her husband cut off her nose and ears as punishment for running away from his family's abuse. The Afghan fled to America and her mutilated face was the memorable cover of 'Time' magazine in 2010. The image shocked the world and brought to light the abuse suffered by Afghan women. Aesha has since successfully completed reconstruction surgery and lives with an adopted family in America. The 23 year-old has urged women who suffer from abuse to: "Never give up and don’t lose hope" (Dan Martland/ITV)

Australian entrepreneur Clive Palmer has unveiled ambitious plans to build a replica of the Titanic and repeat the route the doomed liner took when it sank in 1912. Mr Palmer said 40,000 people had already registered interest in tickets for the maiden voyage of 'Titanic II'. He is funding the project entirely on his own, but insists the near-identical replica will be a 'ship of dreams' and a 'blockbuster' (Blue Star Line/Reuters)

Sorry, this looks like who? This waxwork, apparently of football legend Pele, is one of many celebrity 'lookalikes' up for auction at David Lay Auctions in Penzance, Cornwall. A collection of life-size lookalikes are going under the hammer in March. Although they used to take pride of place in Madame Tussauds, London, the waxworks bear only a slight resemblances to their real-life counterparts and are now seen as novelty items (SWNS)

Have a wonderful Weekend, and week ahead Dear Friends and Members of Shamballa. Love and many Blessings. Melodie

Chinese New Year is a foodie heaven

Culinary delights and recipes of the Chinese Spring Festival

By James Lawrence | Yahoo! Contributor Network

Yahoo! Contributor Network - The famous Peking Duck!

Chinese New Year is a foodie heaven

China is famously obsessed with food, and at no other time is this more apparent than during the country's New Year or Spring Festival.

This centuries old traditional of marking the end of the winter season is today still a family-focused affair.

Different regions embrace their own traditions of marking the start of the spring and ensuring that good fortune and prosperity will be enjoyed by their loved ones with the giving of Hong Bao (red envelopes filled with money).

Yet, despite the regional variation, one factor does unite every family across China and Chinese communities across the globe, which is, of course, the importance of food.

Indeed, when probing the background of this colourful and vibrant festival, it's worth remembering that this is a land where work, play, romance, business and family all revolve around good nosh.

Meals are not simply about satisfying hunger, they are a vital part of the Chinese social fabric: business deals are struck and friends are made over Dim Sum and Peking Duck.

It is literally always considered the first priority during social occasions - when the Chinese meet their usual greeting is 'Ni Chifan le ma?' - 'Have you eaten yet?'

So, unsurprisingly the key element of the Chinese New Year involves families gathering to feast on New Year's Eve, before enjoying a week-long holiday, celebrating the arrival of spring with fireworks, parades, and more fireworks! The festival begins on the stroke of midnight on the first day of the Chinese lunar month, and can fall anywhere between January 20 and February 19. The ancient Chinese lunar calendar dictates that the New Year begins on the first night of a new moon after the sun enters Aquarius. In the UK this year it will fall on February 10th.

The origins of this festival in the Chinese Calendar are complicated, but in essence popular myth states that in Ancient China a monster known as Nian would devour villagers on New Year's Eve, until a God disguised as an ordinary man asked Nian to devour other monsters in the region, before departing together. The villagers, grateful for being given a peaceful existence, were told to use fire and the colour red to warden off any beasts that should return. This is, of course, an entertaining yarn but ultimately no one really understands for definite the historical origins of the festival.

But then, most Chinese won't worry too much about how it all began and will just enjoy the colourful celebrations and New Year's Eve feasting that involves such treats as duck, lobster (especially in the south) and of course, the vital spring rolls.

For those of you who are planning to celebrate at home, here are some of the more traditional dishes and festive treats to serve on New Year's Eve:

Chūn juǎn recipe (Spring Rolls)
Arguably the most famous Chinese dish of all, spring rolls are named precisely because they are traditionally consumed during the New Year celebrations. You can buy the pastry today at supermarkets, as starting from scratch is quite a messy effort! Vary the filling as you like and feast on this delicious Chinese treat.

Jiaozi recipe (Chinese Dumplings)
The ubiquitous Chinese dumplings are always served over the Spring Festival and originally hail from Northern China, where traditionally the pastry is shaped as money, to bring good fortune and wealth for the year ahead. Making them from scratch is something of a labour of love; requiring time and a lot of patience but again, you can purchase them from select stores. If you are going to do it the hard way, make a large batch and freeze them in advance for your party.

Beijing Kaoya recipe (Peking Duck)
Everyone's favourite Chinese dish, Peking Duck at its finest is simply exquisite: tender, aromatic duck breast wrapped in pancakes accompanied by plum sauce is a moreish proposition. No wonder it soon disappears from the table at restaurants! Purists will say that only in Beijing can you sample the real deal: in the Chinese capital the ducks are roasted in ovens fired up with fruit tree wood. For the rest of us, try the recipe above.

Lo hon Jai recipe (Buddha's Delight)
A fantastic vegetarian dish that consists of over 18 different types of vegetables cooked in soy sauce until they are tender, sometimes with the addition of seafood or egg. The ingredients vary depending on which region is doing the cooking. The above recipe is a classic version of the dish.

Niangao recipe (Chinese New Year Pudding)
The perfect way to end your New Year's Eve feast, Niangao is a rich, sticky, rice pudding that is most often consumed in Eastern China. It is not hard to make and will impress your sweet toothed guests no end. It can be baked or steamed, depending on your preferences but baking is easier, as you don't have to stand fretting over the stove.

Màn màn chī!
Celebrating Chinese New Year in London
Also, don't forget the New Year's Eve parade in London, which begins in Trafalgar Square at 10:00am on Sunday.

There will also be performances from local schools and community groups on a stage in Shaftesbury Avenue and naturally, food stalls and festivities galore in China Town.

Finish the day with the glorious Fireworks display at 5:55pm.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year is a foodie heaven