Selected and fresh photos from around the web.
Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks during a campaign rally in the rain at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, September 27, 2008.
A puppy stands on a truck carrying people to be evacuated from the area in preparation for the approach of Hurricane Gustav in Batabano, on the southern coast of Cuba, August 30, 2008. Powerful Hurricane Gustav roared toward western Cuba on Saturday with 125 mph (205 kph) winds on its way to the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico after a deadly pass through the Caribbean.
BANGKOK, THAILAND - AUGUST 30: A member of Anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) stands behind barbed wire outside Government on August 30, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. The protesters want to unseat the seven-month old coalition government lead by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
Georgian soldiers run near a blazing building after a Russian bombardment in Gori, 80 km (50 miles) from Tbilisi, August 9, 2008. A Russian warplane dropped a bomb on an apartment block in the Georgian town of Gori on Saturday, killing at least 5 people, a Reuters reporter said. The bomb hit the five-story building in Gori close to Georgia's embattled breakaway province of South Ossetia when Russian warplanes carried out a raid against military targets around the town.
A pedestrian walks past an electric stock market board in Tokyo, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008. The Nikkei index lost 460.78 points to 9,695.12 at the end of the morning session on Wednesday. The Japanese index on Tuesday closed at the lowest level in almost five years amid deepening uncertainty over the course of the financial crisis.
U.S.Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) (R) and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) face the audience at the end of their townhall-style presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee October 7, 2008.
NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 07: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) (L) shakes hand with debate moderator Tom Brokaw (R) after the Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont University's Curb Event Center October 7, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tonight's debate is the second presidential debate of three, the only one being held in the town hall style with questions coming from audience members.
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 27: Actress Taraji P. Henson arrives at the Launch Party for the New BlackBerry 8330 Pink Curve xxclusively from Verizon Wireless on the 15th Anniversary of Intermix on August 27, 2008 at Intermix on Robertson, Los Angeles, CA.
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 27: Television personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the Launch Party for the New BlackBerry 8330 Pink Curve xxclusively from Verizon Wireless on the 15th Anniversary of Intermix on August 27, 2008 at Intermix on Robertson, Los Angeles, CA.
BEVERLY HILLS - DECEMBER 1: Actress Kat Dennings attends the VH1 Save The Music Foundation Presents "VH1 Big Night For A Cause" benefit at the Esquire House 360 on December 1, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kat Dennings
LONDON - AUGUST 11: Former gymnast Alison Carroll, 23, is presented as the new face of computer game character Lara Croft at Pineapple Studios on August 11, 2008 in London, England. The new Tomb Raider game 'Underworld' comes out on November 21, 2008.
The analysis of such a massive dataset presents statistical and computational challenges as well as great opportunities for discovery of the events that shaped our history and genetic landscape. For example, we can see evidence of a population expansion period starting around 70,000 years ago, perhaps leading to the out of Africa dispersal shortly afterward. 
This new study released today illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species' history. Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world. Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA.
Who would have thought that as recently as 70,000 years ago, extremes of climate had reduced our population to such small numbers that we were on the very edge of extinction.
We see strong evidence of ancient population splits beginning as early as 150,000 years ago, probably giving rise to separate populations localized to Eastern and Southern Africa. It was only around 40,000 years ago that they became part of a single pan-African population, reunited after as much as 100,000 years apart.
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McCain linked to group in Iran-Contra affair
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