Top photos: 'Dogs Against Romney,' illegal coal mining and Westminster's winner
By Caitlin LearyThu, Feb 16 2012 at 8:00 PM EST
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
'Mitt is Mean!'
A pug name Sake sits inside his owner's backpack on Feb. 14 during a "Dogs Against Romney" protest outside the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York City.
The group is incensed that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney once confessed to placing his dog in a crate on top of the family car while driving to a vacation home.
Related on MNN: 'Dogs Against Romney' protests at dog show
* * *
Photo: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
Illegal coal mining
A villager washes himself under an open water pipe on Feb. 11 after days of scavenging coal from an open-cast mine in the village of Jina Gora, near Jharia, India.
Villagers in India's eastern state of Jharkhand make a few dollars a day by scavenging coal illegally from the dangerous open-cast coal mines. The area has become a hazard because of underground mine fires that have been burning for decades, prompting the government to relocate more than 2,300 families.
Related on MNN: 10 places ruined by man-made catastrophes
* * *
Photo: Feng Li/Getty Images
Valentine's Day art
A young couple gets their photo taken on Valentine's Day inside an interactive art installation called "You and Me" at the 798 Art Zone in Beijing.
The 798 Art Zone, also known as the Dashanzi Art District, is a thriving artists' community located in a 50-year-old decommissioned factory building.
Related on MNN: Valentine's Day kissing continues odd human tradition
* * *
Photo: Michael Nagle/Getty Images
Malachy the Pekingese wins Best in Show
Co-owner and handler David Fitzpatrick holds Pekingese Malachy on Feb. 14 after winning Best in Show at the Westminster dog show.
The first Westminster Kennel Club dog show was held in 1877, and it is now the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the U.S. — second only to the Kentucky Derby.
Related on MNN: 4 breeds that have never won it all at Westminster
* * *
Photo: NASA
Northern Lights stray south
The Aurora Borealis steals the scene as it wisps above the Midwest United States in this nighttime photograph taken on Jan. 25 from the International Space Station.
Related on MNN: Watch the aurora borealis in real time
* * *
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
False map turtles
Jensen, a 2-year-old false map turtle from the Mississippi River, sits in the palm of a keeper on Feb. 13 at the Blackpool Seaf Life Centre in Blackpool, England.
Jensen is one of 50 turtles confiscated by customs after the animals were illegally imported into Britain. The false map turtles, a common pet species, have since been placed in homes and are now adjusting to their new habitats.
Related on MNN: CDC issues new warning about salmonella from pet turtles
* * *
Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Duchess of Cambridge on Valentine's Day
Young children and their parents shake hands and exchange Valentine's flowers with Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge while she was visiting the Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, England.
Related on MNN: Mattel to issue William and Kate dolls for royal anniversary
* * *
Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Winter surfing
Simon Bilcock comes in from surfing at Coldingham Bay, an inlet in the North Sea, on Feb. 15 in Coldingham, Scotland. Advanced wetsuit material and technology has made surfing a year-round activity in chilly places like Dunbar and Thurso, allowing many dedicated surfers to take advantage of the better waves and less-crowded waters.
Surfing, which is one of the fastest-growing sports in Britain, is now a multi-million pound industry that employs thousands of people in the U.K. Although most people assume surfing in the U.K. began in the 1960s, it was in fact already starting to become a popular summer activity on British beaches by the end of World War I.
Related on MNN: Why you should run outdoors this winter — and how to enjoy it
* * *
Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
'Waste Not'
Valentine's Day visitors to the Barbican Art Gallery observe "Waste Not," an installation by artist Song Dong, in London.
"Waste Not," Song Dong's first major solo exhibition, is comprised of more than 10,000 objects collected by Song Dong's mother over five decades.
Related on MNN: 14 artists with a green message
* * *
Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The tying of 30 knots
Couples kiss during a group wedding ceremony on Feb. 14 on the green at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. The group wedding ceremony, where 30 couples tied the knot, was put on by the Palm Beach Country Clerk & Comptroller's office.
From left, Jonah Klemm-Toole kisses his new wife, Elena Pizano; Kenny Dornhoefer kisses his new wife, Jaya Ganaishalm; and Manuel Fuentes kisses his new wife, Monika Juarbe, after tying the knot.
Related on MNN: 2012 weddings will be greener, less expensive and more intimate
* * *
Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Singapore Airshow
The Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes glide below clouds on Feb. 14 during the opening day of the Singapore Airshow at the Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore.
The Singapore Airshow hosts more than 900 exhibitors from more than 50 countries. It's a showcase for more than 65 aircrafts.
* * *
