The Year In Pictures: A Compilation

What better way to reflect on 2008 then through the year's photos? The year has been marked by some of the greatest events in the last decade: the U.S. Election, the Olympics, genocide, terrorism, war, natural disasters, economic crisis and much more. Here is a photographic compilation of 2008 from some of the world's leading publications. If you only have time for one, the Daily Beast collection is especially poignant.

BBC: Year In Pictures 2008

Daily Beast: The Year In Pictures

The New York Times: 2008- The Year in Pictures
Divided into sub-categories: The Election, The Nation, Sports, The World, Arts, Entertainment.

Slate: A Year of Pictures

Beijing Olympics Disaster Guide

Slate compiles a handy guide to potential crises that may or may not erupt in China in the coming weeks, while that nation hosts what will probably be the most interesting Olympics in recent memory even without the threats of festering political unrest ignited by dissident groups, terrorist attacks, suffocating smog, rolling blackouts... or a plague of locusts.

Slate: A Disaster Guide for the Beijing Olympics

Majora Carter in Olympic Torch Scuffle

Majora Carter '88 was involved in an incident with San Francisco authorities yesterday during the Olympic torch relay ceremony.

Carter, a notable Wesleyan alum and clearly an awesome individual, was selected as a torchbearer for part of the San Francisco relay due to her humanitarian work in New York City. AP:

At least one torchbearer decided to show her support for Tibetan independence during her moment in the spotlight. After being passed the Olympic flame, Majora Carter ['88] pulled out a small Tibetan flag that she had hidden in her shirt sleeve.

"The Chinese security and cops were on me like white on rice, it was no joke," said Carter, 41, who runs a nonprofit organization in New York. "They pulled me out of the race, and then San Francisco police officers pushed me back into the crowd on the side of the street."

From the Daily News:

"Apparently, I'm not part of the Olympic torch-bearing entourage anymore," Carter quipped.

Carter's maverick move was the most successful act of defiance in the cat-and-mouse game cops played with the thousands railing against China's crackdown on dissidents in Tibet and its unwillingness to denounce genocide in Darfur.

[EDIT 5:15 pm] A video of Carter explaining her feelings about the incident:

And another video of Carter speaking at a Free Tibet rally shortly after the incident.

Thanks to Izaak Orlansky for the tip, and Leah Lamb of Current Media for the video!