Christmas is only a few days away and 2012 a little over a week. Week 51 saw the US military finally leave Iraq, a new earthquaske in New Zealand, but the big news was that North Korean’s charismatic and much loved leader Kim Jong-Il passed the freedom torch to his more than capable son when he passed away.
French gendarmes and rescue workers survey the Maltese-registered cargo ship TK Bremen, which ran aground on Kerminihy beach at Erdeven, spilling oil from its engines on the coast of Brittany in western France, December 16, 2011.
Winter storm Joachim has battered France's western seabord since Thursday. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Protesters stand in a street near the cabinet in Cairo December 16, 2011. Protesters clashed with military police in central Cairo on Friday after rumours spread that an anti-government activist was detained at a sit-in and badly beaten, in the worst violence since the start of Egypt's parliamentary election. REUTERS/STR
A fisherman stands on the frozen bank of the Yenisei River near Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, December 16, 2011. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin
The Guinness World Records adjudicator Rob Molloy (R) speaks with Jyoti Amge, the world's shortest living woman, on her 18th birthday in the central Indian city of Nagpur December 16, 2011. Amge was certified by the Guinness World Records as the shortest woman in the world with an average measurement of 24.39 inches (61.95 cm) on Friday. REUTERS/Stringer
Gunman Nordine Amrani is seen in this handout photo made available to Reuters on December 16, 2011. Amrani, a 33-year-old previously jailed for possession of arms and drugs offences. Amrani's rampage on Tuesday in Liege, Belgium, left six dead, including the gunman who killed himself, after a 75-year-old woman injured in the attack died in hospital, Belgian news agency Belga reported on Thursday. REUTERS/Police Federale/Handout
Bode Miller of the U.S looks down after crossing the finish line to get the second place in the men's World Cup Super-G Alpine skiing race in Val Gardena, northern Italy December 16, 2011. REUTERS/Max Rossi
Palestinian and left-wing Israeli demonstrators run away from tear gas canisters fired by Israeli security forces during clashes at a weekly protest against a nearby Jewish settlement, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah December 16, 2011. Some 100 demonstrators took part in the protest almost a week after a Palestinian demonstrator died after succumbing to his wounds sustained during a similar protest in the village last week Friday. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman
A vendor (L) weighs slaughtered dogs for sale at his roadside stall in Duong Noi village, outside Hanoi December 16, 2011. While animal rights activists have condemned eating dog meat as cruel treatment of the animals, it is still an accepted popular delicacy for some Vietnamese, as well in some other Asian countries. Duong Noi is well-known as a dog-meat village, where hundreds of dogs are killed each day for sale as popular traditional food. Dog-eating as a custom is rooted in Vietnam and was developed as a result of poverty. One kilogram of dog meat costs about 130,000 dongs ($6.2). REUTERS/Kham
A 30-metre-high Christmas tree, which came from the forests of west Ukraine, is officially lit during a ceremony in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican December 16, 2011. REUTERS/Tony Gentile
A Bolivian policeman stands guard as soldiers prepare to inspect and destroy coca plants during the visit of the president of INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) Iran's Hamid Ghodse to the coca growers region in the Chapare, some 600 km southeast of La Paz, December 16, 2011. REUTERS/David Mercado
Pakistan Army soldiers leap from a vehicle during winter military exercises in the Cholistan desert, near the Pakistan-India border on December 16, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer
Bradley Manning (L) is escorted from the courthouse at Fort Meade, Maryland after his Article 32 hearing December 16, 2011. An Army intelligence analyst suspected in the biggest leak of classified U.S. documents in history makes his first court appearance on Friday accused of multiple charges including aiding the enemy, which could bring life imprisonment. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
A supporter of Yabloko political party holds a sign during a rally to protest against violations at the parliamentary elections and the policies conducted by current Russian authorities in Moscow December 17, 2011. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's approval rating has dropped to its lowest level of the year in the first opinion poll published since his ruling party suffered an election setback and he faced the biggest protests of his 12-year rule. The sign reads, New Year without Putin. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
Damaged vehicles washed away by flash floods brought forth by Typhoon Washi lie in a ditch in Balulang village in Cagayan de Oro, in southern Philippines December 17, 2011. More than 250 people were killed and almost twice that number were missing after a typhoon hit the southern Philippines, officials said Saturday, triggering flash floods and landslides and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. Typhoon Washi, with winds gusting up to 90km/h (56 mph), hit the resource-rich island of Mindanao late Friday, bringing heavy rain that also grounded some domestic flights and left wide areas without power. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
Egyptian army soldiers arrest a female protester during clashes at Tahrir Square in Cairo December 17, 2011. Soldiers beat demonstrators with batons in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday in a second day of clashes that have killed nine people and wounded more than 300, marring the first free election most Egyptians can remember. REUTERS/Stringer
Japan's Akito Watabe competes during the World Cup Nordic combined competition in Seefeld December 17, 2011.REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler
Fulham supporters are seen in late afternoon sunlight while watching their English Premier League soccer match against Bolton Wanderers at Craven Cottage in London December 17, 2011. REUTERS/Toby Melville
People walk amid candles lit at Praca do Comercio at Lison December 17, 2011. Fifty thousand candles were lit in Praca do Comercio, Lisbon's downtown square, as part of an attempt by non-governmental organizationTerra dos Sonhos (Land of Dreams) to achieve a Guinness World Record. The candles were sold at 1 euro each ($1.30) to raise funds for realizing the dreams of children suffering from long and terminal illnesses. REUTERS/Hugo Correia
Fishing boats are seen against setting sun on Maungmagan beach near the town of Dawei in southern Myanmar November 19, 2011. Picture taken November 19, 2011. As the former British colony embarks on its most dramatic changes since the military took power in what was then known as Burma in a 1962 coup, mega-projects like the 250 sq km (97 sq mi) Dawei Special Economic Zone hint at even more significant changes ahead. Major road and rail routes from the industrial zone, built by Thailand's biggest construction company, Italian-Thai Development Plc, link Dawei's port to China, India and Southeast Asia, creating a new trading route that will allow Southeast Asia to capitalize on its proximity to booming China and India. To match Insight MYANMAR/REFORMS REUTERS/Staff
U.S. Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles drive through Camp Adder before departing what is now known as Imam Ali Base near Nasiriyah, Iraq December 16, 2011. The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending their withdrawal after nearly nine years of war and military intervention that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Picture taken December 16, 2011. REUTERS/Mario Tama/Pool
A woman stands next to a Red Cross sign among debris in a village hit by flashfloods brought by Typhoon Washi in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines December 18, 2011. Rescuers searched for more than 100 people still missing in the southern Philippines on Sunday after flash floods and landslides swept houses into rivers and out to sea, killing almost 500 people in areas ill-prepared to cope with deadly storms. The cities of Cagayan de Oro and nearby Iligan on Mindanao island were worst hit when Typhoon Wasi slammed ashore while people slept late on Friday and early Saturday, sending torrents of water and mud through villages and stripping mountainsides bare. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
Ishwori Sapkota arranges books at her book store in Kathmandu December 18, 2011. She has been selling and buying second hand books for the past eighteen years. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
A man walks past giant vase-shaped lanterns during the first China Intangible Cultural Heritage Park Lantern Art Festival in Hefei, Anhui province December 17, 2011. The Lantern Art Festival which opened on December 17 features more than 100 lanterns. Picture taken December 17, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer
Driver Gregor Baumann of team Switzerland 1 crashes in the track together with his pushers Thomas Klettner, Alex Baumann and Patrick Bloechliger during the four-men bobsleigh World Cup competition in the western German town of Winterberg December 18, 2011. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Activists participate in a torch rally organised by the Nepal Tarun Dal (TD), the youth wing of Nepali Congress Party, in Kathmandu December 18, 2011, as part of a demonstration against the Nepali government and police. The Nepali Congress Central Working Committee has declared a countrywide general strike on Monday to protest against the death of the Chitwan chairman of TD, Shiva Poudel. Poudel was critically injured in the Bharatpur jail brawl two weeks ago and died on December 16 in the course of his treatment, according to local media. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
Captain Carles Puyol of Spain's Barcelona holds the trophy on the podium after winning their Club World Cup final soccer match against Brazil's Santos in Yokohama, south of Tokyo December 18, 2011. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao
Photo by Rostislav Petr
Photo by Rostislav Petr
Poland's Tomasz Sikora is silhouetted as he shoots during the 2x6 and 2x7.5km mixed relay at the Biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen, December 18, 2011. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Two people dressed as Mickey Mouse stand next to a Christmas tree made out of lights as they wait to perform for children at Madrid's landmark Puerta del Sol square December 18, 2011.REUTERS/Susana Vera
An Albanian fisherman rows his boat in Shiroke lake, near the city of Shkoder, some 110 km (69 miles) north of the capital Tirana, December 18, 2011. REUTERS/Arben Celi
Hector Chacon, a Guatemalan firefighter dressed as Santa Claus, rappels down the Belize bridge in Guatemala City December 18, 2011, to give toys to children living in the neighbourhoods under the bridge. Guatemalan firefighters have been giving toys in the Christmas period to children living in the very poor area of the city for 13 years, according to Chacon. REUTERS/Jorge Dan Lopez
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il waves from his car after meeting Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev in Siberia's Buryatia region in this August 24, 2011 file photograph. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il died on December 17, 2011 state television reported on December 19, 2011. An announcer said he died of physical and mental over-work. REUTERS/Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/Files
Children play on a snow sculpture during the 2nd Snow Sculpture Festival in Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, December 18, 2011. The snow sculpture festival kicked off in Hailar on Friday and attracted many visitors. Picture taken December 18, 2011. REUTERS/China Daily
Firefighters and rescuers work at the site of a fire at the Cheremshanka regional airport, some 35 km (22 miles) northwest of Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, December 19, 2011. There were no casualties in the fire but the terminal suffered extensive damage, local media reported. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin
Pyongyang residents react as they mourn the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, in this photo taken by Kyodo on December 19, 2011. Kim Jong-il died on a train trip on Saturday, state television reported on Monday, sparking immediate concern over who is in control of the reclusive state and its nuclear programme. Mandatory Credit REUTERS/Kyodo
An Egyptian man shows a burnt page from the Scientific Institute near cabinet offices near Tahrir Square in Cairo December 19, 2011. The historic institute, which housed a large selection of rare and ancient books and documents, was set on fire during clashes between protesters and security forces on Saturday. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A color composite image of Earth's city lights, created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS), by NASA on October 23, 2000. REUTERS/Data courtesy Marc Imhoff of NASA GSFC and Christopher Elvidge of NOAA NGDC. Image by Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC./Handout
General view of illuminated Christmas decorations at Monserrate church in Bogota December 19, 2011. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
The body of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il lies in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang in this still picture taken from video footage of still images aired by KRT (Korean Central TV of the North) December 20, 2011. North Korea was in seclusion on Tuesday, a day after it announced the death of its leader Kim Jong-il, as concern mounted over what would happen next in the deeply secretive nation that is trying to build a nuclear arsenal. REUTERS/KRT via REUTERS TV
New North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un (C) pays his respects to his father and former leader Kim Jong-il (R) who is lying in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang in this still picture taken from video footage of still images aired by KRT (Korean Central TV of the North) December 20, 2011. North Korea was in seclusion on Tuesday, a day after it announced the death of its leader Kim Jong-il, as concern mounted over what would happen next in the deeply secretive nation that is trying to build a nuclear arsenal. REUTERS/KRT via REUTERS TV
A man walks past a graffiti depicting late former Czech President Vaclav Havel in Prague December 20, 2011. Havel, a dissident playwright who was jailed by Communists and then went on to lead the bloodless Velvet Revolution and become Czech president, died at 75 on Sunday. REUTERS/David W Cerny
A truck travels along Highway 40 as snow covers the highway and the surrounding plains, west of Hays, Kansas December 20, 2011. A blizzard shut down highways in New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas on Monday, stranding motorists and causing dozens of wrecks including a prison van in which two people died, authorities said. The storm moved into southwest Kansas on Monday evening, closing some highways and many schools for Tuesday. REUTERS/Steven Hausler
TSG Hoffenheim's Vedad Ibisevic (L) challenges Augsburg's goalkeeper Mohamed Amsif (R) and Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker during their German soccer cup match in Sinsheim December 20, 2011. REUTERS/Thomas Bohlen
A group of Angus cattle try to escape the weather as they hide behind a group of buildings in a corral near Ellis, Kansas, December 20, 2011. A blizzard shut down highways in New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas on Monday, stranding motorists and causing dozens of wrecks including a prison van in which two people died, authorities said. The storm moved into southwest Kansas on Monday evening, closing some highways and many schools for Tuesday. REUTERS/Steven Hausler
A masked protester shouts slogans as they tyres are burned during a demonstration to commemorate the 10th anniversary of social and economic chaos that led to Fernando de la Rua's resignation of the presidency in Buenos Aires, December 20, 2011. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci
British talk show host Piers Morgan and former News of the World editor arrives for work at CNN after his British judicial inquiry in Los Angeles, California December 20, 2011. Morgan told a British judicial inquiry on Tuesday that he had never approved phone hacking during his time as a tabloid newspaper editor, and that his published boasts had merely been repeating rumours about journalistic dark arts. REUTERS/Gus Ruelas
Calgary Flames' Tim Jackman is covered in blood after fighting Minnesota Wild's Brad Staubitz (not seen) during the first period of their NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, December 20, 2011. REUTERS/Todd Korol
University of Kentucky's Marquis Teague (25) fights to get his shot off under pressure from Samford University's Drew Windler (1) during the second half of play in their NCAA basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, December 20, 2011. REUTERS/ John Sommers II
Giant pandas Qiqi (L) and Zhizhi eat at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, Sichuan province December 21, 2011. China will begin sending pandas bred in captivity into a controlled wilderness area in southwestern Sichuan province next month. The first six pandas selected from 108 raised by the Chengdu Giant Panda Rehabilitation Project will be released to a protected natural area covering more than 2,000 acres (780 ha). REUTERS/China Daily
Dodo adjusts his makeshift snorkel as he collects green mussels in the Bay of Jakarta December 21, 2011. Indonesian authorities no longer issue permits to harvest green mussels in the bay because of the high levels of pollution in the water, Ipih Ruyani, the head of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency, said recently. The amount of toxic agents found in the mussels make them unsuitable for human consumption. Dodo and his group can earn up to 500.000 rupiah (US 55.3) a day collecting mussels. REUTERS/Beawiharta
The Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew leaves a trail across the night sky in this long exposure taken as it blasts off at the Baikonur cosmodrome, December 21, 2011. The ISS crew is made up of U.S. astronaut Donald Pettit, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
A day-old white lion cub lies next to his mother Sumba in their enclosure at Belgrade's Zoo December 21, 2011. The four white lions cubs, an extremely rare subspecies of the African lion, have become the zoo's greatest attraction. Another four white lion cubs were born in April earlier this year. REUTERS/Ivan Milutinovic
A two-headed born baby is pictured in Anajas, northern Brazil December 21, 2011. Doctors in Brazil said on Wednesday said they are unsure whether they can operate on a baby born with two heads, although the newborn boy is in stable condition. The twins, named Jesus and Emanuel, have two brains, two backbones and a single heart. REUTERS/JR Avelar/Handout
Former Miss Venezuela Eva Ekvall poses for a picture in Caracas in this September 20, 2010 handout. Ekvall, who appeared bald and without makeup in a recent book about her struggle against breast cancer, died in Houston on December 17, 2011, after losing her battle with the disease, according to Venezuelan TV news network Globovision. She was 28. Picture taken September 20, 2010. REUTERS/Courtesy/Roberto Mata/Handout
Private Devin Alderman from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division hugs his girlfriend, Gislaine Powers, during a homecoming ceremony to welcome the unit home at Fort Hood, Texas December 21, 2011. The 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division was the last U.S. military unit to depart Iraq. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Nikolai Vasilyev water-skis while dressed as Santa Claus along the Yenisei River outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk December 22, 2011. Vasilyev, 58, a teacher of the Krasnoyarsk Aerospace College, constructed the self-made water skis to travel on the water surface. The skis are made of plastic foam and the sticks are designed to propel him forward. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin
Franco-Turk protesters hold a giant Turkish flag during a demonstration next to the National Assembly in Paris December 22, 2011 ahead of a parliamentary vote on a bill that would make it a crime to deny the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks was genocide. Tension has risen between Paris and Ankara in the last week over the draft law put forward by UMP party members that will be put to a vote around lunchtime. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
AZ Alkmaar goalkeeper Esteban from Costa Rica reacts as he is attacked on the pitch by an Ajax Amsterdam supporter during the soccer match at the Amsterdam Arena December 21, 2011. The last 16 Dutch Cup tie between Ajax Amsterdam and AZ Alkmaar was abandoned on Wednesday after Alkmaar's goalkeeper Esteban was sent off for kicking a fan who had run on to the pitch. Picture taken December 21, 2011. REUTERS/Ajax/Louis Van De Vuurst
Firemen spray foam near Belgium's Pensions Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne's cabinet during a public sector strike in Brussels December 22, 2011. Belgian workers in public transport, schools, hospitals and government buildings went on strike on Thursday in protest at pension reforms in the new government's austerity plan to reduce the budget deficit. REUTERS/Thierry Roge
Fist fighters battle during the Musangwe, an age old tradition where man and boys display their fighting skills, at Gaba Village in Limpopo province December 22, 2011. The annual Venda fist-fighting run by community leaders, attracts hundreds of men who engaged in several weeks of bare-knuckled amateur fights in front of screaming audiences in the area. The sport, which began three centuries ago among young bored farmhands of the Venda tribe, attracts scores of spectators who often walk miles to cheer their favourites under the searing summer sun. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
A demonstrator dressed as Santa Claus is arrested by riot policemen during clashes with students protesting against the government to demand changes in the public state education system in Santiago, December 22, 2011. Chilean students have been protesting against what they say is the profiteering in the state education system. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
Monte Carlo casino is reflected in a mirror between Christmas trees in Monaco, December 22, 2011. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Sewage (bottom and R) spreads past a car trapped in a sink hole caused by liquefaction in the Christchurch suburb of Parklands after an earthquake struck December 23, 2011. An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude struck near the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, New Zealand's civil defence said, prompting the evacuation of some public buildings and sending goods toppling from shelves. REUTERS/Simon Baker
People watch a sunset from Swoyambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu December 23, 2011. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
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