Unearthed from the ruins of a 1,500-year-old, earthquake-hit Jerusalem building, the unprecedented marble figurine sports a short hairstyle indicating it depicts an athlete.

A landslide in Costa Rica, a giant wind turbine, and more in the week's best news photos.

Two 21-year-old climbers—including Rob Gauntlett, one of National Geographic Adventure magazine's 2008 adventurers of the year—died on the Alps' tallest mountain Saturday.

The aftermath of an earthquake, a friendly cow, and an ethereal Paris sunset are three of the six winners of the National Geographic International Photo Contest 2008.

See National Geographic News's most popular individual photos of 2008, including pictures of a giant stingray, a "smiling" sky, a lizard-snake standoff, and more.

See National Geographic News's most popular photo galleries of 2008, starring an "alien" squid with "elbows," an electric eruption, a welcoming whale, and other natural wonders.

Human trafficking protestors ride airport luggage belts, devilish creatures roam the streets of Germany, a white lion is born, and more in this week's best news photos.

Scientists are working to halt or even reverse the decline of one of the only coral reefs on the continental United States, near the Florida Keys.

All 122 passengers and crew were rescued, but an unknown amount of oil leaking into the fragile waters may pose an environmental threat, says a National Geographic grantee near the scene.

Venetians ride out the floods, Mumbai residents decry attacks, horse-betting returns to China, and more in this week's best news photos.

Archaeologists in Peru have discovered an Inca mummy and artifacts, including gold jewelry, near the ancient mountain citadel of Machu Picchu.

The Japanese fishing method of agiya, in which teams of fishermen dive into the ocean and drive schools of fish into a net, is dying out.

Smuggled puppies, raging fires, a Sistine ceiling, and more in the week's best news photos.

Aztec dance, a World War II reenactment, tragedy in Haiti, and more in the week's best news photos.