Wildfire ravages California, divers try out the life aquatic, Typhoon Nari lashes South Korea, more.

A bear, a beheaded caribou, a cigarette-smoking deity, and other wild wonders stalk our selection of winning pictures from the latest Banff Mountain Photography Competition.

Deadly cobra guards $125,000 sandal, Russia detonates "father of all bombs," Ethiopia rings in year 2000, more.

Spaceport America's futuristic terminal is designed to serve as an eco-friendly museum and resting place for visitors and space tourists.

A two-headed turtle celebrates his tenth birthday, locusts plague Yemen, surfers in Africa attempt new record, and more.

Renowned balloonist Steve Fossett remains missing after taking off in Nevada in a single-engine airplane Monday morning without filing a flight plan.

See a roundup of this week's news: Lunar eclipse seen over Sydney, eight-year-old runs across China, Burning Man lights up Nevada, and more.

See a roundup of this week's news: New neutron star discovered, German police test gyrocopter, Egyptians seek sand treatment, and more.

See a roundup of this week's news: India celebrates its 60th year of independence, London's Big Ben gets a cleaning, Mexico's Saint of Death gets a makeover, and more.

See a roundup of the week's news: coal mine collapse in Utah, record-breaking battery-operated car, giant sea bloom, and more.

Three Mexican students beat teams from Canada and the United States to take the gold at the eighth National Geographic World Championship.

Take a virtual tour of Rome circa A.D. 320, and compare the city's digital re-creations with modern photos of the real-life monuments.

When complete, this truly salt-of-the-earth accommodation will welcome visitors to Bolivia's remote Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt desert.

See a roundup of the week's news and events: Britain's adventurer swims at the North Pole, heat wave sweeps Europe, fishers hook an ancient fish, and more.

See a roundup of the week's news and events: Indonesia's Mount Gamkonara rumbles, snow falls in Buenos Aires after 89 years, Boeing launches its 787 Dreamliner, and more.