Our world in photos: December 13
Brooklyn Eagle Staff
December 13, 2024
CALIFORNIA — Nature’s revenge — though safe at the moment, horses seem stressed and reckless: They gallop in an enclosure at Swanhill Farms as the Mountain Fire burns in Moorpark, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. As of Friday, Southern California firefighters have made progress against the wildfire that ignited on Wednesday and destroyed 132 structures, mostly homes, and damaged at least 88 other buildings. Worsening the wildfire’s spread were fierce wind gusts that, only on Friday, began to abate and allow for firefighting.
One woman, whose house was destroyed except for a rock wall she had built, told the Associated Press that she was able to rescue her horses and other pets. “I have my family, and I have my animals, so I’m OK. I will rebuild,” said Maryanne Belote, who had lived in her home 50 years before the Mountain Fire destroyed it.
TOKYO — A dramatic pair’s move that is de rigueur: Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba of the Netherlands compete in the pairs short program at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating series competition in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. The pair both compete for the Netherlands, though Danilova is Moscow-born, according to the International Skating Union website. Danilova, now 22, enjoys photography, drawing and reading when she has some free time. When he isn’t on the ice, 26-year-old Tsiba enjoys football and meditation, among other activities.
A total of 60 skaters and couples are representing 16 countries in men’s, women’s, pairs ice dance competitions in the Grand Prix, whose next round takes place the weekend of Nov. 15-17 in Helsinki, Finland.
VALENCIA — Nature’s revenge — canoers not on holiday, but searching for bodies: Members of the V battalion of the military emergency unit, UME, use a canoe to search the area for bodies washed away by the floods in the outskirts of Valencia, Spain, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. Valencia’s soccer team, which was trailing in the Copa del Rey, has found a new purpose and use for their stadium: a staging area to help flood victims. According to the Associated Press, the soccer club has teamed up with the Valencia Food Bank, and the stadium became “a deposit for food and basic needs.”
Meanwhile, the Spanish Emergency Military Unit, or Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME according to its Spanish-language abbreviation), was formed on Oct. 7, 2005, to enhance the national government’s capacity to respond to emergencies. The unit is organized for flexibility and quick response. Since its first activation in 2007, the UME has responded to emergencies more than 500 times, more than 400 of which were forest fires and more than 50 floods/rescues, according to the Consorseguros Revista Digital, an e-magazine.
GERMANY — Just a dog and his trophy: A Russian Hunting Sighthound is seen beside a trophy during a competition at a dog show in Dortmund, Germany, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. Named the Hund & Pferd Dortmund, the annual fall show, running this weekend, is a Champions exhibition and trade fair for those who love canines and/or equestrian activities. Organized by the Association for German Canine Behaviour, this fair is one of the largest and most diverse of its kind in Germany, dedicated to showcasing a wide range of topics and activities centered around the world of dogs and horses.
Fair highlights like “Dogs & Fun,” the “Day of the Dog”, and the prestigious “German Winner Show” offer participants and spectators more than just best-of-show; they focus on the special bonds that humans have with these animals.
CUBA — Nature’s revenge — with a destroyed banana plantation in the background, children find distraction: Children play on a road next to a banana plantation that was destroyed after the passage of Hurricane Rafael, in Guira de Melena, Cuba, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. Cuba has had several weeks of disasters, including a prolonged electrical outage that resulted from the island nation’s energy crisis.
Cuba is a major harvester of bananas, plantains and cassava. These are also used in making flour. The banana crops have been hit hard by the Fusarium Wilt disease.
BUCKINGHAM — Not a graveyard, but large-scale remembrance: Visitors walk through the large-scale art installation, representing 1,475 silhouettes of Second World War military personnel, at Grecian Valley near Buckingham, England, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. Titled “For Your Tomorrow,” this memorial installation of soldiers pays tribute to those killed in the D-Day landing on June 6, 1944, in the 80th anniversary year of the strategic campaign that moved the Allies closer to victory.
The creator of For Your Tomorrow – the People’s Tribute is community artist Dan Barton, according to the Discover Buckingham website.
The closing day of the exhibit, Nov. 11, is significant for another reason. Nov. 11, 1918, marked the Armistice that ended the First World War, in which some six million members of the Triple Entente (of Allied Forces) died in action.
ABU DHABI — A very unusual finish: Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark loses grip of his club as he tees off at the 17th hole during the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. He and his twin brother, Nicolai, both compete and reportedly use Callaway irons.
The 23-year-old Rasmus Højgaard is considered one of the more impressive ball strikers on tour, averaging over 310 yards with his driver.
TOKYO — A strong arm holds together this high-speed move: Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia compete in the pairs short program at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating series competition in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. The two skaters, who paired up in spring 2023, have become the first Georgian pair team to win a medal at the ISU European Championships (silver in 2023) and to win an ISU Junior Grand Prix event (Cup of Austria 2023).
Berlava is the 2022 ISU World Junior Pairs Champion with previous partner Karina Safina. They were the first Georgian skaters to win an ISU Championship title.
