A youth walks away from a marble elephant after watching the final sunset of the year from what is known as the giant granite rock above the Jackali Mahadev Hindu Temple in the village of Narlai, Rajahstan, India. Kevin Frayer/AP
People walk past decorative red lanterns ahead of the New Year celebrations in Shanghai, China. Aly Song/Reuters
A police car patrols down Istiklal Avenue, a major pedestrian street in downtown Istanbul. Turkish police have detained 10 suspected Al Qaeda militants who they believe were planning an attack ahead of New Year, state-run Anatolian news agency reported. Some 5,000 police officers have been assigned to Istanbul's streets on New Year's Eve, with security teams stationed in main streets and squares, including Istiklal Avenue. Murad Sezer/Reuters
A UN soldier looks on as a helicopter takes off inside the UN Headquarters in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The United Nations is warning supporters of incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo that an attack on the hotel where the internationally recognized winner of last month's election is based could reignite civil war. Sunday Alamba/AP
A riot police officer guards the street during an unauthorized protest rally to defend Article 31 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Opposition activists have been holding demonstrations on the 31st day of each month to mark the article, which guarantees the right of assembly. Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters
An Indian sadhu, or Hindu holy man, adds the sunrise to figures of the new year on his forehead on the banks of the River Ganges in Allahabad, India. Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP
Paul Murphy and his girlfriend Zoom Dinh from Huntington Beach, Calif., walk through the snow-covered grounds at the Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Ariz., north of Tucson on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for eastern and southeastern Arizona. David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star/AP
Austria's Martin Koch sits on a heated bench as he waits for the start of the practice for the second event of the four-hills ski jumping tournament in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters
A Zimbabwean man carries forms as others queue to apply for residence and study permits outside the Home Affairs office in Cape Town. The amnesty for visa-free crossing into South Africa granted to the Zimbabweans will expire at midnight, alarming immigrants who face mass deportations, increased exploitation by employers, and a possible renewal of ethnic violence. Mike Hutchings /Reuters
During a visit by Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, a refugee talks on his mobile phone inside "Le Petit Chateau," a center for asylum seekers in Brussels. Francois Lenoir/Reuters
A Swedbank employee displays a euro coins starter pack in Tallinn. Estonia will join eurozone starting Jan. 1, 2011. Ints Kalnins/Reuters
A shoe seller (l.) sits in front of a propaganda poster promoting the Hanoi City Communist Party's congress in downtown Hanoi. A secretive meeting of the party's central committee ended last week, rounding out the leadership lineup with an endorsement of Nguyen Phu Trong, current National Assembly Chairman, for general secretary, the top job, sources say. An upcoming reshuffle appears set to spell continuity for the economy with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung tipped for a second term, although other appointments may act to check his power. Kham /Reuters
A man collects emergency supplies of bottled water in Cushendall as Northern Ireland faces severe water shortages due to burst water pipes caused by the recent freezing temperatures. Cathal McNaughton/Reuters
Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year, Jan. 1, 2011. Local authorities expected over 1.5 million people to crowd the Sydney Harbour foreshore and welcome in the new year under the massive fireworks display. Tim Wimborne/Reuters
Dressed in a rabbit costume (c.) and traditional dresses, three divers give greetings as part of New Year events at the Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea. The year of 2011 is the Year of Rabbit under the 12-year Chinese cycle where each calendar year is named after one of the 12 key animals in turn. Lee Jin-man/AP
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Under Hugo Chávez, big businesses endured threats of state takeover. This week, Chávez's successor reached out to the boss of Venezuela's largest privately held company.
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