The Year In Photos

Ahead of Kosovo's declaration of independence - On January 8, German and Turkish troops practiced the defense of the Serbian Orthodox Archangel Cloister near Prizren, Kosovo. Approximately 2,200 German soldiers are currently deployed in Kosovo.

Three Iranian drug traffickers being hanged in the central city of Qom - Three Iranian drug traffickers hang limply from the nooses as it snows in a square in the central city of Qom, south of Tehran, on January 2. Iran hanged 13 convicted criminals that day, including the mother of two young children who had been found guilty of murdering her husband after discovering he was having an affair.

Members of the Russian youth movement Nashi protesting outside the European Commission office in Moscow - Members of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi (Ours) protest outside the European Commission office in Moscow on January 29. The group was protesting what they consider a drive by Estonia to make Nashi members persona non grata in the European Union's Schengen visa zone.

Incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili winning Georgia's presidential election - President Mikhail Saakashvili seen during his inauguration ceremony in the Georgian capital, Tblisi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin mets with his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic in Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) meets with his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic (right) at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 25.

Serbia's election campaign gets under way. - Serbian President and pro-Western Democratic Party (DS) presidential candidate Boris Tadic greets supporters during his final campaign rally in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 31. Tadic was reelected in the February vote.

Afghans protesting death sentence for journalist accused of blasphemy - Members of Afghanistan's Solidarity Party demonstrate against the death sentence they consider illegal handed down to young journalist Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, who was accused of blasphemy.

Ukrainian deputies clash during the opening of a new parliament session in Kyiv. - Ukrainian deputies of the pro-Russian Party of the Regions and Communist Party clash with pro-Western deputies of the Our Ukraine bloc and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc during the opening of parliament in Kyiv on February 5. Opposition deputies paralyzed parliament in protest against government plans to join NATO.

Anti-NATO balloons and national flags in Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada - Decorated with anti-NATO balloons and national flags, Ukraine's parliament yet again failed to convene after deputies of the Party of Regions faction blocked the presidium and rostrum early on February 13.

Ethnic Albanians celebrate Kosovo's independence in Pristina. - Kosovar Albanians wave Albanian flags during independence celebrations in Pristina, Kosovo, on February 17, after Kosovo's parliament proclaimed independence from Serbia.

A Kosovar child waves Albanian and U.S. flags after the Kosovo unilaterally declared independence. - A Kosovar child waves Albanian and U.S. flags after the Kosovo unilaterally declared independence.

Kosovar Serbs reaction to Kosovo independence - Kosovar Serbs throw stones at French KFOR soldiers in the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica on March 17. Three UN police officers and two NATO soldiers were wounded in an explosion as they stormed a courthouse occupied by Serbian protesters in the flashpoint Kosovo town, Kosovo police said

Armenian opposition supporters protest what they say was fraud in the February 19 presidential election. - Opposition supporters rally to protest alleged election fraud in February 19 presidential election in Yerevan on February 28.

RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondent Ruzanna Stepanyan at the postelection protests in Yerevan - RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondent Ruzanna Stepanyan on March 1 in front of the French Embassy, just before clashes broke out between police and demonstrators protesting the February 19 presidential election, in which opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. A state of emergency was declared in Yerevan later in the day on March 1.

An opposition supporter faces police amid clashes in Yerevan following a contested election. - An opposition supporter stands alone in front of a wall of riot police in central Yerevan on March 1. Police moved in early that day to break up protests against the results of the country's February 19 presidential election. Opposition supporters attempted to regroup later and clashes were reported.

Food prices rising - A shopper pays for food at a store in Vladivostok, February 22.

The New York Philharmonic orchestra performs in North Korea - Members of the North Korean audience listen to the New York Philharmonic orchestra led by Musical Director (conductor) Lorin Maazel during their inaugural performance in the North Korea capital, Pyongyang on February 26, 2008. The concert represents an unprecedented cultural exchange between North Korea and the United States, which labeled Pyongyang part of the "Axis of Evil" along with Iran and Iraq, prior to the US-led 2003 war.

Nesting dolls bear the likenesses of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin ahead of Russia's presidential election. - Matrioshka dolls whith the faces of Russian Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) are displayed on the table of the street souvenir vendor in St.Petersburg.

As Russians vote for a new president, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov dances in Grozny. - Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov (R) dances at the polling station in Chechen capital Grozny after the voting during the presidential elections 02 March 2008

Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev celebrate the latter's election victory in Red Square - Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and First Vice Premier and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (R) during the concert on the Red Square 02 March 2008

Russian riot police detain an opposition activist during a rally of Other Russia supporters. - At the March of Dissent in Moscow, Russian riot police detain an opposition activists during a rally of Other Russia supporters, 3 March 2008

Portraits of Dmitry Medvedev offered for sale in a Moscow store. - Portraits of Dmitry Medvedev offered for sale in a Moscow store, 14 March 2008

In Belarus special police forces detain protesters during an opposition rally in Minsk. - Belarus's special police forces detain protesters during an opposition rally in Minsk on March 25, 2008. Dozens of opposition activists were detained in the capital of Belarus on Tuesday as police beat protesters attempting to mark a nationalist holiday.

An Iranian woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Tehran. - An Iranian woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Tehran on March 14, 2008. Iran voted today in elections expected to tighten a conservative grip on parliament after a low-key campaign and the mass disqualification of reformist candidates by a hardline vetting body

Unrest in Tibet - The Dalai Lama condemned what he called China's "rule of terror" and "cultural genocide" in Tibet, calling for an international probe into unrest in his homeland. The unrest in the Tibetan captial of Lhasa, which began last week after the 49th anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule, is the biggest challenge to China's rule of the region in nearly two decades. Eighty people have been confirmed dead, the Tibetan government-in-exile said, contradicting the official account in China's state-run media that there were just 10 fatalities.

The Muslim World celebrates Norouz - Norouz celebration in Khujand, Tajikistan, 21 March 2008

Norouz celebration in Afghanistan - Norouz Day in Mazar-e Sharif. People usually make pilgrimage to Mazar Al-Sharif to celebrate New day in the town's shrine.

America embraces change. - Supporters stand and hold hands during a prayer while waiting on Democratic presidential hopeful US Senator Barack Obama to arrive and speak at a rally at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Selma, Texas, USA, 29 February 2008. The Texas Primary is 04 March 2008.

NATO summit in Bucharest - NATO leaders gather for their first formal working session on the second day of the NATO summit at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest on April 3, 2008. Georgia and Ukraine's efforts to obtain Membership Action Plan were rebuffed by NATO.

U.S. President George W. Bush (left) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin meet in the Bocharov Ruchei. - U.S. President George W. Bush (L) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin watch the sunset at the Bocharov Ruchei residence at the Black Sea, 6 April 2008. President George W. Bush arrived in Russia hoping to soften Russian President Vladimir Putin's opposition to US missile defence plans, but the White House downplayed talk of a breakthrough.

U.S. Roman Catholic officials greet Pope Benedict XVI upon his arrival in the United States. - Roman Catholic officials are escorted on the tarmac to meet Pope Benedict XVI upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, April 15, 2008 as the Pope starts his six-day visit to Washington and New York.

Pope Benedict XVI in Washington D.C. - Pope Benedict XVI stands before the crowd at National Stadium on April 17, 2008 in Washington, DC. The recently finished Nationals' baseball stadium became a "church for a day" when Pope Benedict celebrated the first of two huge open-air masses during his six-day visit to the United States.

Iranian soldiers march during the annual army day military parade. - Iranians watch soldiers march during the annual army day military parade in Tehran on April 17, 2008.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai escapes an assassination attempt. - Afghan military soldiers run to take up positions after gun fire was heard during a military parade in Kabul on April 27, 2008. President Hamid Karzai is safe after an attack on a parade of the Afghan military in Kabul.

The ongoing war in Iraq - An Iraqi woman weeps during the funeral of her relative who was killed during clashes between U.S. forces and Al-Mahdi Army in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq 23 April 2008. At least 16 people were killed and another 36 wounded in overnight clashes.

Yurya celebration in Belarus - Belarusian women wearing traditional dresses prepare the round loaf for the pagan Yurya celebration in the village of Pagost, 230 km from Minsk, Belarus, 06 May 2008. The tradition is devoted to bread and good future harvests.

Myanmar hit by tropical cyclone Nargis - Destroyed fishing boats lay in the port of Yangon after cylone Nargis on May 4, 2008. Myanmar residents awoke to devastation after tropical cyclone Nargis tore through swathes of the country, battering buildings, sinking boats and causing unknown casualties.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is inaugurated. - Newly elected Russian President Dmitry Medvedev walks to read an oath during his inauguration in the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, 07 May 2008. Dmitry Medvedev was elected a new Russian President 02 March 2008

Spread of technology in Russian rural areas - Old women look at a notebook computer in a village in Russia , 6 May 2008

China rocked by deadly earthquake. - One week to the minute after the earthquake, now reckoned to be 8.0 magnitude, the whole nation of China stopped to think of the more than 33,000 dead, 200,000 injured and five million homeless. The full extent of the damage unleashed near Beichuan at 14 28 on 12 May has yet to be assessed with at least 50,000 casualties expected in the final tally besides the financial cost for some of China's poorest people.

70 000 die in Chinese earthquake. - A Chinese couple carries the body of their primary school aged child away from the school (behind) that collapsed after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the town of Hanwang in Sichuan Province, on May 14, 2008. China's biggest earthquake for a generation left tens of thousands dead, missing or buried under the rubble of crushed communities, plunging the nation into an all-out aid effort. Troops and rescue teams struggled by air, land and water to reach areas of southwestern China stricken by the huge quake that demolished schools, homes and factories.

Opposition protests in Georgia after the parliamentary elections - Georgian opposition supporters demonstrate during a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, 22 May 2008. An independent exit poll showed the Georgian President's party was set to win the parliamentary election, but the opposition claimed victory and vowed to hold a major protest in the capital

Russian singer Dima Bilan wins Eurovision Song Contest - Dima Bilan (4th R with flag), flanked by Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton (2nd L) and Olympic figure skating champion Yevgeny Plushenko (2nd R) of Russia, celebrates after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 at Belgrade Arena early on May 25, 2008.

Violence inceases in Afghanistan. - Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers arrive as they walk a road with blood at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul on May 29, 2008. A suicide attacker blew up a car bomb near a US-led coalition convoy in Kabul on May 29, causing no serious injuries to the troops but killing three Afghan civilians, police and the coalition said.

Pakistani Taliban leader talks to the media. - On May 24, 2008, Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud (C) speaks to the media at his stronghold in the tribal district of South Waziristan near the Afghan border. Top Pakistani Taliban warlord Mehsud on May 24 said jihad, or holy war, would continue in Afghanistan, despite peace negotiations between the militants and Islamabad. "Islam does not recognise boundaries and jihad in Afghanistan will continue," he said.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission - The flat landscape is strewn with tiny pebbles and shows polygonal cracking, a pattern seen widely in Martian high latitudes and also observed in permafrost terrains on Earth. The polygonal cracking is believed to have resulted from seasonal freezing and thawing of surface ice. Phoenix touched down on the Red Planet at 4:53 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53 Eastern Time), May 25, 2008, in an arctic region called Vastitas Borealis, at 68 degrees north latitude, 234 degrees east longitude. This image was taken shortly after landing by the spacecraft's Surface Stereo Imager. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Gay parade in Moscow - In a gay parade in Moscow, a man attacks gay activist Aleksei Davydov, 1 June 2008

Antisecular demonstrations in Turkey - Demonstrators shout during a protest on June 6, 2008 in Ankara in front of the Constitutional Court a day after the court annulled a law allowing women to wear Islamic headscarves at universities. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan convened an emergency meeting with senior aides on June 6 after Turkey's top court upheld a ban on the Islamic headscarf in universities, dampening his party's hopes of surviving a pending closure case.

Ireland rejects EU Lisbon Treaty - Supporters of the 'no' vote celebrate after the Lisbon Treaty was rejected at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Dublin, on 13 June 2008.

A record-high bribe in Ukraine. - Special unit officers of Ukraine's Interior Ministry guard a $5.2 million bribe displayed for the media at a press conference by Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, Simferopol, 13 June 2008

Kyrgyz author and former diplomat Chingiz Aitmatov dies. - Kyrgyz author and former diplomat Chingiz Aitmatov, whose mythical novels and stories were widely acclaimed in the former Soviet Union, died at a clinic in Nuremberg in southern Germany. He was 79. Funeral service for Aitmatov at in the Ata-Beyit memorial cemetery on June 14, 2008.

Iranian police launch a new crackdown on un-Islamic dress. - Police inspecting clothes in a store in Tehran in a new crackdown aimed at forcing women to adhere to Islamic codes more strictly, 14 June 2008.

Spain wins Euro 2008. - Spanish players hold the trophy as they celebrate winning after the Euro 2008 championships final soccer match versus Germany, Vienna, 29 June 2008

Improving security in Iraq - Weapons seized by Iraqi security forces during recent operations in the Shi'ite enclave of Sadr City are on display at the 9th Iraqi Army Division headquarters in southeastern Baghdad, Iraq on Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Russian Patriarch Aleksy II speaks at the Archbishops Congress in Moscow. - The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II (C) speaks during the Archbishops congress in Moscow, Russia 24 June 2008. The congress is devoted to the improvement of the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church.

North Korea destoys the cooling tower in Yongbyun nuclear plant. - A TV grab taken from the South Korea's MBC broadcasting station as it announced the destruction of the cooling tower in Yongbyun in of North Korea, 27 2008. South Korea's political parties welcomed North Korea's destruction of its nuclear cooling tower, urging the communist regime to completely denuclearize to secure peace on the Korean Peninsula.

France takes over European Union presidency - Picture taken on June 30, 2008 in Paris of the new blue lighting of the Eiffel tower to mark the French European Union presidency. France takes the helm of the European Union on July 1, with President Nicolas Sarkozy still hoping to push through ambitious projects despite Ireland's rejection of the bloc's reform treaty.

French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt , three U.S. nationals, and 11 soldiers rescued from Colombia's FARC - French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt waves upon her arrival at the Catam air base in Bogota on July 2, 2008. Betancourt along with three US nationals and 11 other FARC hostages were released from their captivity by the Colombian Army.

Bombing of Indian Embassy in Afghanistan - Afghan security forces and medical personnel assist survivors at the scene of a suicide bombing outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul, 07July 2008

Czech Republic and Poland agree to host U.S. missile-defense system. - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and her Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg toast after signing the missile defense deal at Cerninsky palace in Prague, on July 08, 2008 describing it as a step forward for global security despite staunch Russian opposition. The accord permits the siting of a radar station on Czech soil as part of an extended US missile shield that Washington says is necessary to ward off potential attacks by so-called "rogue" states such as Iran. Russia has denounced the plan as a provocative threat to its own security, despite repeated US assurances.

Iran tests-fires new medium-range missiles. Or do they? - A combo of two handout pictures released by the news website and public relations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Sepah News, shows two different versions of the same photograph during a test-firing in an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert on July 9, 2008. One picture (top) shows three missiles taking off from a desert launchpad while a fourth remains in the launcher while an apparently digitally altered picture shows all four missiles rising into the air. A defence analyst said on July 10 that Iran had apparently doctored the photographs with one missile apparently added using elements from the smoke trail and dust clouds from two of the other missiles.

War crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic was captured. - Photo released July 22, 2008, of top war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic (R) at undisclosed location, before his arrest on July 21, 2008.

Radovan Karadzic faces trial at the UN tribunal in The Hague. - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic facing the United Nations (UN) court in The Hague, Netherlands on 29 August 2008

Food prices rise, pushing millions into hunger. - Afghan women try to get food donation from the World Food Program (WFP) in Kabul on July 21, 2008. Afghanistan's government and the United Nations launched a $404 million appeal on July 9 to help feed 4.5 million vulnerable Afghans.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn dies. - Candles throw light at the coffin with the body of the famous Russian author, Soviet dissident and Nobel literature prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn during the funeral ceremony at the cemetery of Donskoi Monastery in Moscow, Russia, 06 August 2008. Alexander Solzhenitsyn died of heart failure late 3 August at the age of 89.

Russia-Georgia war - Russian tanks move along a street as children play with a toy truck in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, 30 August 2008.

Russia-Georgia war - A Georgian elderly couple who fled from the village of Korta and walked for four days are pictured outside the Georgian town of Gori, Georgia, on 15 August 2008. Russian troops on 15 August allowed some humanitarian supplies into the city of Gori but continued their blockade of the strategically located city, raising doubts about Russia's intentions in the war-battered country.

Russia-Georgia war - Russia's air force bombed Gori for the third time, 09 August 2008.

Russia-Georgia war - An Abkhaz soldier shows victory sign in the remote Kodori Gorge of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region outside the town of Chkhalta on August 14, 2008. The leaders of the rebel Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia vowed Thursday to push ahead with independence from Georgia, following talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. A top US official accused Russian troops of taking part in an attack that led Georgian troops to withdraw from the last part of the breakaway province of Abkhazia controlled by Tbilisi.

Russia-Georgia war - Destoyed aparment building and a man with his belongings after Russian planes bombed Gori for the third time, 09 August 2008

China hosts Summer Olympics. - Fireworks light the night sky above the National Stadium or 'Birds Nest' during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing. 24 August 2008

Afghan wins country's first-ever bronze medal, in taekwondo. - Afghan Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist Rohullah Nikpai is carried by the crowd during a procession for his homecoming from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on 28 August 2008 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan's first Olympic medalist was hailed as 'Pride of the Nation'.

Security at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games - Paramilitary policemen take part in a rally to ensure the safety of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games outside theNational Stadium, also known as the 'Bird's Nest', in Beijing, China, 23 July 2008. The Olympics starts on 08 August 2008.

U.S.swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the most successful Olympian in history. - Michael Phelps of the U.S. butterflys to become the most successful Olympian in history during his world record breaking win in 1 52.03 in the mens 200m butterfly final at the 2008 Olympics, Beijing, 13 August 2008

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf resigns. - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf salutes as he leaves the Presidency following his resignation in Islamabad, Pakistan, 18 August 2008. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said on 18 August, that he was resigning from his post in 'the best interest of the country' in a bid to avoid facing an impeachment planned by the ruling coalition in the parliament.

Russia recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia - Residents of Sukhumi celebrate the recognition of Abkhazia's independence by the Russian Federation on August 26, 2008.

U.S. presidential election - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain announced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate at a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio. 29 August 2008.

13 000 hospitalized in Chinese milk scare. - A Chinese toddler undergoes treatment at a hospital after taking tainted milk powder, in Hefei, eastern China's Anhui province, on September 21, 2008. China said nearly 13,000 children were in hospital after drinking toxic milk powder in a dramatic escalation of Beijing's latest safety scandal, as the World Health Organization questioned Beijing's handling of the crisis and Premier Wen Jiabao appeared on state television promising to head off further incidents.

Global financial crisis. - In Malaysia, a trader looks on in despair at the stock index as the world economy and financial markets continue to fall. 18 September 2008

Asif Ali Zardari elected Pakistani president. - President Asif Ali Zardari stands in front of a portrait of his slain wife, Benazir Bhutto, at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad on the day of his inauguration, 09 September 2008

Islamabad's Marriott Hotel bombed in terrorist attack. - Pakistani security officials gather at the devastated Marriott Hotel following an overnight suicide bombing in Islamabad on September 20, 2008. . At least 60 people were killed and hundreds injured, 21September 2008

Resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan - A fighter with Afghanistan's Taliban militia stand on a hillside at Maydan Shahr in Wardak province, west of Kabul, on 26 September 2008.

India launches first moon mission. - An Indian rocket blasts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. India successfully launched its first lunar mission, marking a major boost for the country's space programme and a new step in the fast-developing Asian space race, 22 October 2008

Financial crisis felt all over the world. - An elderly woman sleeps as she sells cigarettes to make some money in the center of Kiyv on October 24, 2008. Ratings agency Standard and Poors downgraded the credit standing of Ukraine on Friday on doubts about its ability to deal with a mounting financial crisis.

Eight die in U.S. attack inside Syria - Syrian men carry the body of a relative who was killed, along with seven others, in a U.S. military raid on the Syria-Iraq border, 27October 2008. The U.S. military said it was targeting foreign insurgents.

Somalian pirates hijack Ukrainian ship. - Pirates stand guard over the crew of the hijacked Ukrainian merchant ship MV Faina carrying Ukrainian tanks and equipment. The pirates had granted a U.S. Navy request to check on the crew's health and welfare 10 November 2008

Schools under attack in Afghanistan - Afghan school girl Shamsia, who was injured in an acid attack in Kandahar, receives medical treatment at a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 15 November 2008. Suspected Taliban militants on a motorbike sprayed acid on a group of school girls, on November 12, in Kandahar while they were going to their school. Two of the girls were seriously injured in the incident.

Congo crisis - A Congolese child tries to salvage spilled flour distributed by the World Food Program (WFP), 15 November 2008. More than 1 million people have been displaced by fighting between local militias and the Congolese army in recent months.

Mumbai terror attacks - An Indian soldier aims his weapon towards the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai during a military operation. Three Islamist militants have been killed in the final assault on the hotel that signaled the end to a two-day assault on India's financial capital, 29 November 2008

Mumbai terror attacks - An Indian comando rapels from a helicopter during an operation at Nariman House at Colaba market in Mumbai on November 28, 2008. Indian newspapers have slammed the government and intelligence agencies for failing to prevent the Mumbai attacks, saying the country's anti-terrorism forces were ill-prepared for the militants. Up to 130 people were killed and around 300 more wounded in coordinated attacks by gunmen in India's commercial capital Mumbai.

Venice flooding - People walk on a flooded quay of the Grand Canal in Venice during the highest floods for 22 years, 01December 2008

Barack Obama elected U.S. president. - U.S. President elect Barack Obama stands on stage along with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia (red dress) and Sasha (black dress) during an election night gathering in Grant Park on November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. Obama defeated Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) by a wide margin in the election to become the first African-American U.S. President elect.

U.S.President-elect Barack Obama announces cabinet picks. - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (R) and Senator Hillary Clinton leave the stage following a press conference in Chicago, Illinios, on December 1, 2008. Obama nominated his former rival Hillary Clinton to be the next US secretary of state, as he unveiled a raft of cabinet picks.

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Aleksy II dies. - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pays his last respects to Patriarch Aleksy II inside Christ the Savior cathedral in Moscow, 09 December 2008

Martti Ahtisaari wins Nobel Peace Prize. - Former Finnish President and 2008 Nobel peace prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari gives a press conference at the Nobel Institute in Oslo on December 9, 2008. Ahtisaari will receive the Nobel peace prize in Oslo on December 10.

Iraq approves SOFA agreement; U.S. troops to leave by end of 2011. - An Iraqi demonstrator displays a poster of Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a march in Basra, southern Baghdad , Iraq on 19 November 2008. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Basra to support the recently signed security agreement between the Iraqi and the U.S. government .

Greece wracked by protests. - High school students clash with riot police outside the Greek parliament building in Athens, Greece on 09 December 2008.

Greece wracked by protests. - Youngsters run to avoid tear gas thrown by riot police outside the Polytechnic University in Athens, Greece, on 10 December 2008. Clashes between students and police continued for a fifth straight day. Clearly the worst riots Greece has seen in recent years began within hours of the fatal shooting of a teenager on 06 December 2008 night in the bohemian district of Exarhia, in central Athens

Greece wracked by protests. - A protester throws stones at riot police during a demonstration outside of a regional government ministry office in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on December 10, 2008. Protestors hurled rocks today at security forces in Greece's second city of Thessaloniki and were fought off with tear gas, police said.

Reporter throws shoes at U.S. president in Iraq. - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tries to block U.S. President George W. Bush after an Iraqi man threw his shoes at Bush during a joint press conference and signing ceremony at Maliki's private office during an unannounced visit to Baghdad, Iraq, on December 14, 2008. The trip marks Bush's fourth visit to the country during his presidency.