Two young men dressed in bizarre straw outfits and devilish masks await the start of the traditional 'Buttnmandl' run, when they shout and make noise with cowbells to frighten people in the village of Bischofswiesen, Germany. The pre-Christmas tradition dates back to pagan times as a protection against evil spirits in the darkest time of the year. Matthias Schrader/AP
A Hindu man prays after bathing in the Saryu River on the eve of the anniversary of the Babri mosque demolition in Ayodhya, India. In 1992, tens of thousands of Hindu extremists ripped apart the 16th century Babri mosque as security forces watched. Hindus say it is the birthplace of their god Rama. Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP
Ruth Nicolaci hugs her son firefighter Lt. G. Bourne Knowles after learning that the landscaping business that she started with Mr. Knowles’ father had been destroyed by fire in Fairhaven, Mass. Lt. Knowles, a volunteer firefighter, was among those who fought the four-alarm fire. Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times/AP
Actors dressed as Joseph and the Three Wise Men, part of a live nativity scene, stroll past the US Capitol Building after demonstrating outside the nearby Supreme Court in Washington. The Christian Defense Coalition gathered with actors and live animals to demonstrate that such displays are protected by the First Amendment. The event was a reaction to other courts' involvement in the banning of nativity scenes in some parts of the United States. Jason Reed/Reuters
A man rides a horse-drawn cart during heavy snowfall near the village of Petravinka, Belarus. Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters
Thai Buddhist monks release lanterns in Bangkok, Thailand, during celebrations for King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 85th birthday. Wason Wanichakorn/AP
An Indian wrestler watches the action at an akhada, a traditional gymnasium, in Mumbai, India. Rafiq Maqbool/AP
A reveller performs during a clown parade in Rio de Janeiro. The clown parade is part of a week-long international clown festival. Sergio Moraes/Reuters
A man sprinkles beans on a cloth on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro during a protest against the number of homicides in his country. As part of the protest, the Brazilian non-governmental organization Rio de Paz spread half a million black and white beans over five red carpets on the beach. Felipe Dana/AP
A worker processes semi-finished valenki, traditional footwear made of raw wool, at a factory in the village of Smilovichi, Belarus. Valenki, specifically designed for extreme frost typical of severe winter, remain popular in rural areas. The factory, established in 1928, produces 17,000 pairs of boots a month. Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters
Kenji, a six-year-old dog, looks at a Christmas cake at a restaurant in Tokyo. Pastry chef and Italian restaurant owner Naohiko Nagatani came up with a dog-friendly take on Japan's Christmas cake, which is usually based on sponge and laden with whipped cream, that can be eaten by both dogs and their owners. Yuya Shino/Reuters
A woman rides her bicycle across the tracks as a train reaches a suburban station in Yangon, Myanmar. Yangon Circular Railway, the cheapest mode of transport within the metropolitan area, mainly serves working class people in the impoverished nation. Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP
New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair (l.) applauds recently-elected Member of Parliament Murray Rankin at the start of a caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Chris Wattie/Reuters
Protesters chant anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans outside the presidential palace, in Cairo. Thousands of Islamist supporters of President Muhammad Morsi descended on the area around the palace where some 300 of his opponents were staging a sit-in. Hassan Ammar/AP
Jimmy Rider delivers an eight-foot-tall Christmas tree on a trailer attached to his bicycle as part of his Ever-Green Delivery service, in Somerville, Mass. Brian Snyder/Reuters
People struggle against wind and drifting snow in Stockholm. Sweden's main airport was paralyzed due to a snowstorm in the country's capital, just as the winners of this year's Nobel prizes were to arrive to receive their awards. Anders Wiklund/Scanpix Sweden/Reuters
A man lifts his child in the air at a gathering to hear King Bhumibol Adulyadej address the crowd from a balcony of the Anantha Samakhom Throne Hall on his 85th birthday in Bangkok, Thailand. Vast crowds of devoted Thais turned out for a brief glimpse of their beloved king during a rare public appearance. Wason Wanichakorn/AP
A German Bundeswehr army gunner mans his weapon on-board a CH-53 helicopter during a flight from Kunduz to the German army combat outpost OP North, near Baghlan, northern Afghanistan. Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
China's newly-appointed leader Xi Jinping (c.) is directed as he prepares to greet foreign experts prior to a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Ed Jones/AP
Villagers dry their stuffed toys a day after typhoon Bopha hit Compostela Valley in the southern Philippines. Blocked roads and severed communications frustrated rescuers as teams searched for hundreds of people missing after the strongest typhoon this year killed at least 283 people. Erik De Castro/Reuters
A woman walks her dog in downtown Rome. Tony Gentile/Reuters
A policeman directs traffic on a busy street in downtown Shanghai, China. While the opportunities are vast in China's estimated $50 billion auto insurance industry, there are roadblocks aplenty, from poor driving standards to a new generation of car owners unfamiliar with the concept of buying protection against accidents and repairs. Carlos Barria/Reuters
A shoe is displayed as a woman arranges other shoes at a retail store in central Sydney. Australia's economy grew at the slowest pace in a year-and-a-half last quarter as government cutbacks offset a burst of business investment. Daniel Munoz/Reuters
A man lifts a child to get a better view at a gathering for Satmar Hasidic Jews in New York. Thousands attended to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the rescue of their founder, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, from the clutches of the Nazis. Andrew Kelly/Reuters
A laborer works at a steel factory in Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Overall, China's economic health has improved since September, with an array of indicators from factory output to retail sales and investment showing Beijing's pro-growth policies are starting to gain traction. China Daily/Reuters
A surfer loses control of his board as he trains at Banzai Beach in Santa Marinella, Italy. Banzai Beach, with point-break waves, is the most famous surf spot on the Tyrrhenian sea . Max Rossi/Reuters
An employee stands near furniture for sale at a Chinese shop in the new al-Waha mall in Khartoum, Sudan. Ambitious plans backed by Gulf Arab investors were drawn up when the economy started to accelerate, driven by petro-dollars, after the government signed a peace deal with southern rebels in 2005. Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters
A woman walks past a closed-down business in central London. British finance minister George Osborne warned that growth would be weaker than expected in a bleak outlook that could damage his party's hopes of winning a 2015 election. Andrew Winning/Reuters
A man blows his trumpet from the Old Town Hall Tower as a Christmas tree is illuminated at the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic. David W Cerny/Reuters
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed hundreds of thousands of his cheering supporters in Istanbul saying, 'My patience has run out' with anti-government protests.
Turkey’s largest city was divided on Sunday by competing shows of force, between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who staged a mammoth rally of loyalists, and anti-government demonstrators, who clashed with police on Istanbul's streets once again to protest his rule.
/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2013/Photos-of-the-Day-06-16
/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2013/Photos-of-the-Day-0615
/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2013/Photos-of-the-day-06-14
/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Erin-go-bragh-images-of-Ireland
/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Weather-extremes-2013
/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2013/Photos-of-the-day-06-13
/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Children-s-labors
/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Wildfires-2013
/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2013/Photos-of-the-day-06-12
/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Turkey-s-discontent
/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Venezuela-after-Chavez
/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/James-Whitey-Bulger-on-trial