An Irish snorkeler gets bogged down, a Japanese polar bear takes a plunge, a bridge collapses in quake-ravaged China, and more in this week's best news photos.

Despite the slight mohawk, the bare-faced bulbul is the first known bald songbird in mainland Asia, conservationists say.

Jellyfish that can grow up to 6.5 feet wide and weigh 440 pounds are poised to invade Japan. They are Nomura's jellyfish, and scientists and fishers who recall the last major inundation in 2005 are bracing themselves for the next potential wave.

The country's first ever nationwide tiger survey is a heartening sign for the Bengal tiger, which has dropped severely in number throughout its Asian habitat, conservationists say.

Plucked from millions of images by a "Peas Corps" of volunteers, the tiny, round, green galaxies are forming stars at an exceptional rate, astronomers have announced.

Stare into space and it might stare back. This week's best pictures include a galactic "eye," an ocean-size cloud on Jupiter, rare angles on an eclipse, and more.

Rats with spinal cord injuries recovered motor function after being injected with a blue food-coloring derivative--possibly opening the door to the first major treatment for human spinal-trauma patients, a new study says.

The recently explored Son Doong cave, filled with poisonous centipedes and towering stalagmites, beats out the previous world-record holder for the largest single cave passage ever found, British explorers report.

See a "flash mob" fill a train station with feathers, a bogus beach beguile in Old Blighty, a moon rock return to space, and more in the week's best news pictures.

On July 22, 2009, the moon's shadow blotted out Taiwan and a chunk of southeastern China, as seen by an orbiting Japanese satellite.

The July, 22, 2009, total solar eclipse, the longest-lasting of the 21st century, darkened the skies over some of Asia's most densely populated regions.

From the limestone caves to the world's tallest waterfall—"the eyes of the planet" are on the finalists from which the seven natural wonders of the world will be chosen.

Dust devils create a "rainbow" on Mars, Jupiter gets a bruise, an astronaut sets a spacewalk record, and more in this week's best space pictures.

Although the hit took astronomers by surprise, its dark aftermath is still visible as a massive "bruise" on the gas giant's south pole.

Although the hit took astronomers by surprise, its dark aftermath is still visible as a huge new spot on the gas giant's south pole.