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Selected and fresh photos from around the web.
BASRA, IRAQ - OCTOBER 18: People gather around a Land Rover as it arrives at the village Al Houta on October 18 2008 near Basra, Iraq. The trip by the 51 Sqn Royal Air Force Regiment Force Protection Wing was part of a 'key leader engagement' (KLE) visit to the village close to the Basra Airbase to recruit local labour and engage with the village shiek. Visits of this type are seen as key in efforts to continue winning the support of the local Iraqi population. Although improved security in the region has brought some benefits such as improved trade and commerce, much of the infrastructure remains in a poor state of repair. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown has indicated that the number of UK troops could be scaled down - especially as the security situation in the south of the country continues to improve.
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.
Young Orthodox believers light candle during a service in memory of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II who died Friday, at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Friday, Dec. 5, 2008. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II, who presided over a vast post-Soviet revival of faith but struggled against the influence of other churches, died Friday at age 79.
Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel (C) poses with his riders, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong (R) of the U.S. and 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain, before the start of a training session in Tenerife, Spain's Canary Islands December 5, 2008. Bruyneel, the man behind Armstrong's seven Tour de France victories, said he is excited about the challenge of guiding an impressive squad to another Tour victory next year.
NEW YORK - DECEMBER 04: Actor Harold Pirraneau attends the 2008 Stockings with Care celebrity bartending night at Bar 13 on December 4, 2008 in New York City.
A memorial tribute to shoe mogul Thomas Bata is shown at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto September 3, 2008. Bata died earlier this week at the age of 93.
A visitor takes a close look at a photo by French photographer Bettina Rheims during the inauguration of her exhibition "Can You Find Happiness?" on March 7, 2008 at the c/o-Gallery in Berlin. The exhibition runs from March 8 to May 11, 2008.
Forty-five euro coins, worth 500 Slovak Crowns or 16,60 euros, are seen in Bratislava where Slovakian banks and post offices started selling them on December 1,2008 before Slovakia joins the euro zone on January 1, 2009.
People walk behind the European Union's flag during the annual gay parade in Budapest July 5, 2008. Several hundreds of demonstrators clashed with the police in the center of Hungarian capital as police tried to separate them from the participants of the Gay Pride march.
Funny you should mention that. I knew Alastair Cook a little bit – he used to come over and see Jack Plumb. I hated his golf stuff, but everything else he did was wonderful. And when the BBC tried Harold Evans and David Cannadine as a replacement in that slot, they also tried me. I turned them down. But if they asked me again, I'd be sorely tempted. 
We recognise that Steve Harmison only featured in one Test match prior to joining England's ODI squad ... he will join Durham for the rest of the first-class season. Alastair Cook has not featured in the NatWest Series and after working hard on his one-day game ... he is available for a NatWest Pro40 this Sunday and a Twenty20 match on Friday.
Is Cookie from Essex (1108) actually Alastair Cook trying a devious tactic to get back into ODI contention?
The selectors had a decision to make. They spoke long and hard about which direction they wanted to go in ... If they wanted a captain for all three formats including Twenty20, the list would have been short. I'm not involved in two of the formats and Alastair Cook hasn't been in the Twenty20 side recently. I would have liked to have done the Test job and, to that degree, I am disappointed I have not been given the opportunity.
Michael Vaughan has plenty to think about - the balance of the team, runs from the top order (only Alastair Cook got past 50 at Leeds) and somehow finding 20 wickets.
At last, a summery day at Lord's, and it's almost warm. Earlier, on the nursery ground, Ottis Gibson gave Shaun Pollock a bear-hug, the South Africans played six-a-side football and Alastair Cook patiently signed autographs, flashing his pearly whites as he did so. Now on the main ground, the England squad are assembling for some fielding practice.
We will have to wait and see how things go. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook are batting very well and hopefully they can carry on their good form on Sunday.
I like Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood adds steel to the middle order and I've been amazed at how Ryan Sidebottom has improved and re-defined himself
We changed it round in New Zealand because post-Sri Lanka we wondered whether Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook's style of batting would have been too similar
There are all sorts of things being discussed at the moment but from a personal point of view, and I'm not speaking for the club, three-day cricket brought a lot more contrived finishes and declaration bowling which I don't think is what we want for the game ... I don't think it's any coincidence that since we have gone to four-day cricket our young players - the likes of Alastair Cook and Monty Panesar - are equipping themselves at the top level far earlier.
