An Israeli soldier takes position in a field along the border with the Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 25, 2008. Israel deployed thousands of troops and police officers along the volatile border with the Gaza Strip on Monday, fearing a mass demonstration by the Hamas militant group against Israel's blockade of Gaza would turn violent and spill into Israel.
Flower Power
Moving models of flowers powered by solar energy are displayed at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 25, 2008. The exhibition "Dancing Solar Flowers" features 10,000 flowers and is set to raise public awareness on issues linked with energy.
Here's Mud In Your Eye
A participant reacts during the mud festival at Mimusubi shrine in Yotsukaido, near Tokyo Monday, Feb, 25, 2008. Hundreds local residents took part in "the muddy rite," the ceremony to pray for the good harvest for the year and good health for babies.
If The Shoe Fits ...
A police dog wearing foot protection is seen in a photo provided by police in Duesseldorf, western Germany, on Monday Feb. 25, 2008. Police dogs in Duesseldorf will no longer get their feet dirty on patrol: The entire dog unit, 20 dogs, will be equipped with these blue plastic fiber shoes. The unusual footwear is not a fashion statement but rather a necessity due to the high rate of paw injuries suffered while on duty.
Safety For Seeds
Magnus Bredeli-Pveiten, project manager for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, is seen at the vault in Longyearbyen, Norway, Monday Feb. 25, 2008. A "doomsday" vault built to withstand an earthquake or nuclear strike is ready to open deep in the permafrost of an Arctic mountain. The vault has the capacity to store 4.5 million seed samples from around the globe, shielding them from climate change, wars and natural disasters.
High Plains Rower
A Kashmiri boatman rows his small traditional boat at sunset at Dal Lake in Srinagar, India, Monday, Feb, 25, 2008. Set in the Himalayas at 5,600 feet above sea level, Kashmir is a green, saucer-shaped valley full of fruit orchards and surrounded by snowy mountain ranges. About 100 lakes dot its highlands and plains.
Pyongyang Performance
A winter scene is projected on a screen, as North Korean dancers perform "The Snow Is Falling" at the Mansudae Art Theater in Pyongyang to entertain the visiting New York Philharmonic orchestra, which embarked on a two-day visit to North Korea Monday, Feb. 25, 2008.