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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.
A Buddhist monk looks on in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. Buddhism is the predominate religion in Cambodia.
The cast of "House" including actors Hugh Laurie (3rd R) and Jennifer Morrison (4th R), pose backstage after winning the award for Favorite TV Drama at the 35th annual People's Choice awards in Los Angeles January 7, 2009.
TOKYO - JANUARY 08: Former sumo wrestler Jesse Takamiyama (L) demonstrates the ease of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) at the U.S. Embassy on January 8, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. The system will become mandatory on January 12 to all nationals or citizens of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries.
WASHINGTON - JANUARY 07: U.S. President George W. Bush (C) meets with President-elect Barack Obama (2nd-L), former President Bill Clinton (2nd-R), former President Jimmy Carter (R) and former President George H.W. Bush (L) in the Oval Office January 7, 2009 in Washington, DC. On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama will be sworn in as the nations�s 44th president.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (2nd R in the front row) visits the Chollima Steel Complex at an undisclosed location in North Korea, in this undated picture released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) December 25, 2008.
Balloons with anti-North Korea leaflets released by former North Korean defectors and anti-North Korea activists fly towards the North in Imjinkak pavilion, near the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in Paju, about 55 km (34 miles) north of Seoul, December 3, 2008. Dozens of activists, who demanded improvements of North Korea's human rights and the release of South Koreans abducted by the North, launched about 90,000 anti-Pyongyang leaflets in helium-filled balloons near DMZ on Wednesday.
An Israeli woman and her two children take cover during a rocket attack near Kfar Aza, just outside the northern Gaza Strip January 7, 2009. The woman came to meet her husband, an Israeli army officer currently serving on the Gaza border. Rockets exploded as they were waiting for him. Israel postponed on Wednesday a decision on whether to order its armed forces to storm the Gaza Strip's urban centres, an Israeli official said, citing Egyptian- and French-led efforts to secure a truce with Hamas.
The committee will facilitate direct communications between enterprises from both places and foster closer co-operation in areas such as trade, investment and tourism 
I am aware that some people, including businessmen, employers and academics, have qualms about the introduction of a statutory minimum wage. Let me stress that the government will handle the relevant issues, including the minimum wage level and related review mechanism, in a prudent and pragmatic manner
We should step up efforts to pragmatically take forward priority joint ventures in the short to medium term
