Day in pictures

At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI comes face to face with a baby lion while meeting representatives from a circus.

A child in traditional costume takes part in the third day of Chinese New Year celebrations at the Dongyue temple in Beijing, China. The Lunar New Year is being marked with a week-long holiday.

Coffee is served at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as political leaders and business chiefs from all over the world meet to debate global challenges.

In Havana, Cuba, students hold torches and don masks during a late-night march to celebrate the 156th anniversary of the birth of Cuba's independence leader Jose Marti.

A French fan attends the match between tennis players Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, of France, and Fernando Verdasco, of Spain, on day 10 of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

An ethnic Indian chants slogans with a banner reading "Police is killer with permission" during a protest near Kuala Lumpur over the treatment of a 22-year-old Indian who died in custody in Malaysia.

Iraqi policemen hold up their ink-stained fingers after casting their vote in the country¿s provincial elections in Baghdad. Polls opened early for the security forces. General voting is due on Saturday.

A woman loads cow dung cakes into a cart for use as cooking fuel in Allahabad, India.

A model presents a creation by designer On Aura Tout Vu during the Spring/Summer 2009 Haute Couture collection show in Paris.

A Russian Express-AM44 communications satellite undergoes preparations at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The satellite is due to launch on 11 February.