Pussy Riot punk group supporters place masks on a monument to WWII heroes to resemble its members at an underground station in Moscow, Russia. A judge has sentenced each of three members of the provocative punk band to two years in prison on hooliganism charges following a trial that has drawn international outrage as an emblem of Russia’s intolerance to dissent. (AP)
An Iranian woman holds a Palestinian flag as she shows her palm painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag during the ‘Quds Day’ rally, an anti-Israeli demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians in Tehran. (AFP)
Ghasiram Kisan feeds Buddu, a one-and-a-half year old sloth bear at the family’s home in Lakhapada, 350 km (218 miles) from Bhubaneswar, India. The wild bear, which was rescued by wildlife officials, wandered into the village as a cub following a herd of goats and had lived with the family ever since. (AP)
Artists work on a giant city map of Berlin on a concrete square in Berlin, Germany. The 50 by 50 meters (164 by 164 feet) large map will be opened for the public on August 25, 2012, for the 775th anniversary celebration of the founding of Berlin. (AP)
A month-old cotton-top tamarin, a species of monkey which originates from South America, is seen with its parents at their enclosure in the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem. Tamarins are on the list of the world’s 25 most endangered primates. (Reuters)
People attempt to climb greased and slippery poles, to which prizes and flags are attached, to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day in Jakarta. (AFP)
A combine cuts rice in a field near Tucker, Arkansas, USA, August 16, 2012. (AP)
Tibetan Buddhists and tourists view a huge Thangka, a religious silk embroidery or painting displaying the Buddha portrait, during the Shoton Festival at Zhaibung Monastery in Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. (Reuters)
Many galaxies are comparatively isolated, without close neighbors. One such example is the small galaxy known as DDO 190, snapped here in a new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. DDO 190 is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy as it is relatively small and lacks clear structure. (ESA/Hubble & NASA)
Jordy Smith of Durban, South Africa suffered a disappointing start to his Billabong Pro Tahiti campaign placing third during round one. Smith failed to emerge from the barrels he rode and was defeated by Kieren Perrow and Adrian Buchan (both of Australia). (AP)
