President Barack Obama, with his daughter Malia wave toward the crowd at his election night party Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Chicago. President Obama defeated Republican challenger former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.       Photo: Scanpix

British Petroleum petrol station in Vernadsky Prospekt, Moscow. In October, BP agreed to sell its 50 per cent holding in TNK-BP to Russian state oil company Rosneft. In return, BP acquires the right to increase its share in Rosneft to 19.75 per cent. Rus- sia is Europe’s most important gas and petroleum supplier. The two gas pipelines of Nord Stream on the seabed are to be joined by two additional pipe-lines. The Baltics and Poland see Nord Stream as a direct security risk, while other Baltic Sea countries are concerned about the environmental impact. There are also concerns over whether Russia’s gas pipelines are sufficient to supply Nord Stream in the long term without interruption. Photo: Scanpix

Sept. 23, 2012, masked Somali pirate Hassan stands near a Taiwanese fishing vessel that washed up on shore after the pirates were paid a ransom and released the crew, in the once-bustling pirate den of Hobyo, Somalia. The empty whisky bottles and overturned, sand-filled skiffs that litter this shoreline are signs that the heyday of Somali piracy may be over - most of the prostitutes are gone, the luxury cars repossessed, and pirates talk more about catching lobsters than seizing cargo ships. 
Photo: Scanpix