News stories about North Korea have been quite frequent recently, with their test launch of a rocket over Japan, withdrawal from nuclear disarmament talks coupled with a threat to restart their nuclear program - and their recent arrest and indictment of two U.S. reporters on its border with China. Even with all this attention, photographs from North Korea are still restricted and hard to come by.

One way around that has been for photographers to peer inside from across the border. Collected at the Big Picture are some recent photographs, looking into reclusive North Korea from the outside - and some of the reactions these observations induce.

Via The Big Picture.

It was announced today by Hint Magazine that the Japanese label Number (N)ine will be closing up shop. This comes as shocking news, especially after Miyashita's recent F/W 09' showing which was very well received by the fashion community. No real reason was given, asides from the rather ambiguous statement "when you’re finished changing, you’re finished." Whether this has anything to do with flaky investors (à la Obedient Sons) is yet to be known, either way, the line will surely be missed.

Number (N)ine was first established in 1996 along with KOOKS Ltd. by designer Takahiro Miyashita (1973). His debut collection was an instant hit with the Japanese public and within a year, Miyashita opened his first flagship store in Omotesando, Tokyo. It didn't take long for Miyashita to gain international acclaim with his de-constructionist, punk rock aesthetics and in 2003, the label opened it's first overseas boutique in New York. The following years saw Number (N)ine become a major contender on the runways of both Paris and Tokyo.

Via Hypebeast

Lamas and Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims participating in the Buddha Thangka unfolding ceremony at the Wutun Shang Tibetan Buddhist monastery on January 30, 2009 in Tongren County of Qinghai Province, China.

The Big Picture has compiled some stunning photographs of the event. Check it.

What a waste, seriously. On Monday (late pass, I know), the new Rem Koolhaas-designed building in Beijing's CCTV complex caught on fire after an unofficial fireworks display staged by CCTV officials (that made no sense). The building would have housed the soon-to-be-open-but-not-anymore Mandarin Oriental.

Megan had some interesting things to say about the current state of China's media democracy (or lack thereof) in light of this architectural tragedy. Also, be sure to check out The Huffington Post for a more comprehensive review of the incident.

Via The Big Picture.

Maira Kalman, blogger for the New York Times, begins a new series of columns about American democracy with an illustrated chronicle of her visit to Washington.

Check it.

In a bizzare turn of events, the Google Maps Street Car hit a baby deer today and recorded the entire event on Street View! The deer runs out in front of the car in one photo and then is seen on the floor in the next (pictured above). The data then ends for that road. I know this is supposed to be sad and all, but I just couldn't help but laugh when I saw this.

Edit: It appears as though Google pulled the images. Bastards.

Via Gizmodo.