-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/18/363-EpX5Q.St.156.jpeg|411The sun rises in Bugarath, a small village in the foothills of the Pyrenees on December 20, 2012 in Bugarach, France. Miviludes, the French Government's dedicated sect watchdog, are investigating the likelihood of apocalyptic sect activity or ritualized suicides due to the prophecy of an ancient Mayan calendar which also claims that Burgarach is the only place on Earth which will be saved from the apocalypse on the evening of December 21, 2012. (Photo by Patrick Aventurier/Getty Images)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/1hyRWj.St.138.jpeg|337BARABOO, WI -DECEMBER 20: Nick Goetz leans against his car tired from pushing it out of the snow during a winter storm December 20, 2012 in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The State Patrol had warned motorists to stay home as a paralyzing winter storm bore down on Wisconsin, the first significant snowstorm to hit southern Wisconsin in two winters. (Photo by Tom Lynn/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/18/77-1fRh5U.St.156.jpeg|416Zach Stead and his dog Tucker brave high winds, blowing snow and freezing temperatures while walking outside Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 in Springfield, Ill. The first widespread snowstorm of the season crawled across the Midwest on Thursday, with whiteout conditions stranding holiday travelers and sending drivers sliding over slick roads, including into a fatal 25-vehicle pileup in Iowa. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/29/1dc6xU.St.138.jpeg|424A Portuguese national airline, TAP, pilot walks under a company board at the Lisbon's Portela international airport, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. The Portuguese government has postponed the privatization of national airline TAP Air Portugal after the sole bidder failed to provide required financial guarantees. The government said Thursday that Brazil-based Synergy Aerospace offered to pay euro 35 million ($46.5 million) for TAP, invest euro 316 million ($419.3 million) in the company and take on the flag carrier's estimated euro 1.2 billion ($1.5 billion) debt. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/29/5IixR.St.138.jpeg|409Ariel Alexis Cajar, 12, from Saboga Island, looks at fishing boats anchored at the Panama bay in Panama City, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. A poll released Wednesday of nearly 150,000 people around the world says seven of the world's 10 countries with the most upbeat attitudes are in Latin America. In Panama and Paraguay, 85 percent of those polled said yes to all five, putting those countries at the top of the list. They were followed closely by El Salvador, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, Guatemala, the Philippines, Ecuador and Costa Rica. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/28/QNIb5.St.138.jpeg|416Hotel staff members wait to welcome scientists and technicians from the recent successful launch of a rocket that sent an artificial satellite into orbit at hotel lobby in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/28/1aYLbV.St.138.jpeg|416Hotel staff members wait to welcome scientists and technicians from the recent successful launch of a rocket that sent an artificial satellite into orbit at hotel lobby in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/27/YVmAr.St.138.jpeg|404In this Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012 photo, Mariam Darwish sits next to the bed of her four-month-old son, Fahed Darwish, who suffers a brain damage from a Syrian government airstrike, at an intensive care unit of a hospital in the village of Atmeh, Syria. Four-month-old Fahed Darwish is one of Syria's tens of thousands of war wounded: a missile slammed into his family home and shrapnel pierced his little skull. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/27/BEFsl.St.138.jpeg|416In this Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012 photo, Abdullah Ahmed, 10, who suffered burns in a Syrian government airstrike and fled his home with his family, stands outside their tent at a camp for displaced Syrians in the village of Atmeh, Syria. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/27/1jgfGv.St.138.jpeg|416A Syrian refugee, crosses illegally to Turkey on the border fence, in Cilvegozu, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/27/6IjSx.St.138.jpeg|355Syrian refugees, who fled their home in Idlib due to a government airstrike, look out of a vehicle's window just after crossing the border from Syria to Turkey, in Cilvegozu, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/27/1o4iJ.St.138.jpeg|428Delaware guard Trumae Lucas, left, tries to keep control of the ball as she is pressured by Maryland forward Alyssa Thomas in the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, in Newark, Del. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/26/1mq7lb.St.138.jpeg|407Indians participate in a candlelight vigil outside the hospital where the victim of a recent rape is being treated in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. The hours-long gang-rape and near-fatal beating of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi triggered outrage and anger across the country as Indians demanded action from authorities who have long ignored persistent violence and harassment against women. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/25/zdTlu.St.138.jpeg|424Children attend a Christmas gift distribution event at the national palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/25/195x5e.St.138.jpeg|414A chicken's head lays on an altar of offerings during a private ceremony at the Iximche archeological site in preparation for the Oxlajuj B'aktun in Tecpan, Guatemala Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. The Oxlajuj B'aktun is on Dec. 21, marking a new period in the Mayan calendar, an event only comparable in recent times with the new millennium in 2000. While the Mayan calendar cycle has prompted a wave of doomsday speculation across the globe, few in the Mayan heartland believe the world will end on Friday. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/25/abDH1.St.138.jpeg|428Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks speaks to the media and members of the public from a balcony at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Assange who faces extradition to Sweden over sexual assault, claims which he denies, took refuge in the embassy in June. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/26/8jMSe.St.138.jpeg|409Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, the second-longest-serving senator in history, lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Inouye was a Medal of Honor recipient who represented his state in the U.S. House and then the Senate, where he served for five decades. He died Monday evening at age 88 of respiratory complications. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/8YvyH.St.138.jpeg|416WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) lies in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol during a service December 20, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The late Senator had died at the age of 88 on Monday at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he had been hospitalized since early December. A public funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Friday for Senator Inouye, a World War II veteran and the second-longest serving senator in history. His remains will be returned and laid to rest in his home state. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/RnkVf.St.138.jpeg|433WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (C), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) (R), and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) participate in a news conference on Capitol Hill, December 20, 2012 in Washington, DC. The news conference was held to discuss the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations between House Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/17ei1G.St.138.jpeg|419WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) hugs Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) (3rd R) as Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (L) looks on as Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) lies in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol during a service December 20, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The late Senator had died at the age of 88 on Monday at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he had been hospitalized since early December. A public funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Friday for Senator Inouye, a World War II veteran and the second-longest serving senator in history. His remains will be returned and laid to rest in his home state. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/4RjMY.St.138.jpeg|416A police officer dressed in a Santa Claus costume, with the blue color representing the police, walks in Macacos slum after arriving in a police helicopter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. The Pacifying Police Unit, or UPP, organized for Santa to visit the pacified slum to hand out Christmas gifts to young residents. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/Hn4RF.St.138.jpeg|415CHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 20: Re-enactors from the Roman Deva Victrix 20th Legion parade through the city of Chester as they celebrate the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia on December 20, 2012 in Chester, England. Saturnalia was the mid-winter feast when Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of the god Saturn. Ancient Romans thought that celebrating Saturn would bring back the light and warmth of Summer. During the ancient festival there was a reversal of roles, with slaves wearing fine garments and sitting at the head of the table while they were waited upon by their masters. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/11InZC.St.138.jpeg|525LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 20: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks from the Ecuadorian Embassy on December 20, 2012 in London, England. Mr Assange has been living in the embassy since June 2012 in an attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual assault. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/23/RitFh.St.138.jpeg|405MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 20: Children look at the Myer Christmas window display on December 20, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Australian retailers are looking forward to an improved Christmas trading period when compared to recent years. Improved consumer confidence, interest rate cuts, and stabilising house prices point to a positive outlook for the current Christmas period. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/23/gU3bc.St.138.jpeg|525Early morning motorists travel west along I-70 and into a winter storm near Lawrence, Kan., Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Winter weather advisories are in effect for the area. The Midwest's first major snowstorm of the season was sweeping across several states early Thursday, shuttering schools, creating treacherous roadways and threatening to slow down one of the nation's busiest airports ahead of the holiday weekend. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/23/1pGRGd.St.138.jpeg|290In this image provided by NASA Tuesday Dec. 18, 2012 NASA's Cassini spacecraft has delivered a glorious view of Saturn, taken while the spacecraft was in Saturn's shadow. The cameras were turned toward Saturn and the sun so that the planet and rings are backlit. In addition to the visual splendor, this special, very-high-phase viewing geometry lets scientists study ring and atmosphere phenomena not easily seen at a lower phase. (AP Photo/NASA)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/22/1skFsr.St.138.jpeg|410Birds fly over the Latin Church of Visitation in the northern West Bank village of Al-Zababdeh, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Christians around the world will be celebrating Christmas next week. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/22/149AWh.St.138.jpeg|359A young Indian boy passes through morning fog on the outskirts of Jammu, India, Thursday, Dec. 20,2012. A cold wave has gripped large parts of northern India. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/22/1lYub2.St.138.jpeg|416Two Bangladeshi men walk to work during a half day strike called by Islamic political parties in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. More than two dozen Islamic parties in Bangladesh want the country to be governed by Sharia, or Islamic law. A coalition of five leftist parties want the Islamic parties to be banned because they oppose the constitutional provision that says Bangladesh be governed by secular law. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/21/17PYMU.St.138.jpeg|416Activists of Islamic political parties shout slogans as they try to enforce a half-day nationwide strike in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. More than two dozen Islamic parties in Bangladesh want the country to be governed by Sharia, or Islamic law. A coalition of five leftist parties want the Islamic parties to be banned because they oppose the constitutional provision that says Bangladesh be governed by secular law. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/21/123Pui.St.138.jpeg|414UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - DECEMBER 19: Martha Hernandez, Jenny Herrera, Solidar Hernandez and Betsy Hernandez attend singer Jenni Rivera's memorial ceremony held at Gibson Amphitheatre on December 19, 2012 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Toby Canham/Getty Images)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/21/SExQ.St.138.jpeg|424State Rep. Terry Backer, D-Stratford, right, bows his head as State Sen. John McKinney, R-Fairfield, left, addresses the House of Representatives and Senate as they meet together at the state Capitol for a memorial service for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting before a special session in Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/25/1bg6UX.St.138.jpeg|414A boy sits near the steps of a church a church before the memorial service for Lauren Rousseau in Danbury, Conn., Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Rousseau, 30, was killed when Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before killing himself. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/23/1hrpgo.St.138.jpeg|418NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 20: Boy scouts salute as a funeral procession for Benjamin Wheeler, 6, enters the Trinity Episcopal Church on December 20, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Benjamin, a member of Tiger Scout Den 6, was killed when 20 children and six adults were massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/18/507-Zs99V.St.156.jpeg|525Mourners depart a funeral for Benjamin Wheeler, 6, at the Trinity Episcopal Church on December 20, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Benjamin, a member of Tiger Scout Den 6, was killed when 20 children and six adults were massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. Six services were held for students and teachers in the Newtown area Thursday. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/24/XiqZF.St.138.jpeg|416WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (C) leads the first meeting of the working group to explore solutions following the Newtown massacre with (L-R) National Troopers Coalition Chairman Mathew Hodapp, White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Attorney General Eric Holder, National Association of Police Organizations President Thomas Nee, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Vice President Chief of Staff Bruce Reed and other law enforcement leaders from around the country and administration officials in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building December 20, 2012 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama put Biden at the head of the working group that was formed in the wake of the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S history. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
-
http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/12/20/22/28/grjUM.St.138.jpeg|403Vice President Joe Biden, flanked by the President of the National Association of Police Organizations and Boston police officer, Thomas Nee, left, and President of the Police Executive Research Forum and Major Cities Chiefs Association and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, right, speaks during a meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, in Washington. Biden is leading a task force that will look at ways of reducing gun violence. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Loading in additional galleries







