From left, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.
Whale Watcher
Director Wolfgang Dreyer checks the rips fixed to the skeleton of a sperm whale in the Zoological Museum of the University of Kiel in Kiel, northern Germany, on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009. An exhibition on whales opens on Feb. 12, 2010.
In a Fog
A thick fog briefly clears to reveal the Umbrian countryside of Perugia, Italy, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009.
Holiday Preps
Holiday greenery sits beneath the portrait of President John F. Kennedy during a tour of the 2009 White House Christmas decorations, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009, at the White House in Washington.
Bhopal Vigil
Children put candles on the ground during a vigil on the eve of 25th anniversary the Bhopal industrial disaster, in Bhopal, India, Dec. 2, 2009. On Dec. 3, 1984, over 4,000 people were killed after poisonous gas cloud was emitted from a pesticide plant operated by a Union Carbide subsidiary. 50,000 more were injured in what was considered one of the worst industrial accidents on record.
Biker Chic
Models wear creations by French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel as part of her show designed for H&M, in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009.
PETA Protest
Activists of the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) group show banners as they stage a protest in downtown Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009.
Tiger's Transgressions
Tiger Woods' home is seen from Lake Isleworth in Windermere, Fla., Dec. 2, 2009. In a statement on his Web site, Woods says he has let his family down and regrets "those transgressions with all of my heart." His comments come in the aftermath of a week's car crash outside his home and a cover story in Us Weekly magazine alleging that the golfer had been in a 31-month affair with a L.A. cocktail waitress.
Edible Art
A mirror reflects the opposite side of "Chrysler Building," by Soutine Bakery, part of the gingerbread house display at New York's Le Parker Meridien Hotel, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. Visitors can vote for their favorite creation with proceeds going to benefit City Harvest.