Pope Benedict XVI waves as he arrives for the Immaculate Conception celebration prayer in Piazza di Spagna (Spain's Square) in downtown Rome. (Reuters)

A supporter of Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi is grabbed by a riot police officer outside his candidate's headquarters in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Partial results issued by Congo's electoral commission overnight make it all but certain that President Joseph Kabila will be declared the winner. (AP)

A member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force wearing a protective suit removes contaminated soil from areas tainted with radioactive substances from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant, near the Tomioka town hall in Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture. Kyodo. (Reuters/Kyodo)

A flag bearer on horseback holds up the flag of the Army Infantry First Brigade during a military parade by the Liberation Army to commemorate the establishment of Libyan National Army in Benghazi. (Reuters)

Russian police detain an activist wearing a Vladimir Putin mask during an opposition protest in St. Petersburg. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States of stirring up protests against his 12-year rule and said foreign countries were spending hundreds of millions of dollars to influence Russian elections. (Reuters)

Street artists perform in downtown Rome, Italy. (Reuters)

Boats shelter in Portrush harbor on the the north coast of County Antrim as storm force winds batter the north coast of Northern Ireland with gales forecast to reach 80mph. (Reuters)

Little Blue Penguins run towards the sea after being released by wild life workers and school children at Mount Maunganui beach in Tauranga, New Zealand. The Penguins were among those affected by New Zealand's biggest sea pollution disaster when the Monrovia-flagged container ship 'Rena' ploughed into a reef on October 5. (AFP)

Horses stand in a snow-covered field in North Chatham, New York. Parts of eastern New York state received up to seven inches of snow overnight knocking out power to about 13,000 utility customers. (AP)

A farmer stops the traffic in Duisburg, western Germany, to cross the street with his 150 geese in Duisburg. The geese enjoy their outdoor enclosure during the day after leaving their night accommodation, to feed on fresh grass and move back inside during the evening. (AP)

The moon illuminates the spires of the Duomo gothic cathedral in Milan, Italy. (AP)