Wearing riot gear, police officers surround Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was detained while taking part in an unauthorized rally at the Triumfalnaya Square in central Moscow on Dec. 6. Moscow police arrested Nemtsov and dozens of activists in a bid to stop a new protest rally in the Russian capital alleging that elections were rigged in favour of Vladimir Putin and the ruling party.
(Warning: the following photo contains graphic content.)
An Afghan girl cries while surrounded by the dead and injured after explosions during a religious ceremony in the center of Kabul on Dec. 6. At least 30 people were killed in an explosion at a shrine where Shiite Muslims were marking Ashura on Tuesday.
Shiite Muslim men and boys beat their chests as they practice self-flagellation during the religious ritual of Ashura on Dec. 6 in New Delhi, India. Hundreds of Muslims in New Delhi and thousands around India took part in a procession to mark the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram when they remember the killing of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed.
The Parthenon stands illuminated by lights on the Acropolis Hill in Athens on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Greece's budget deficit will narrow thanks to measures already approved by lawmakers in October, including cuts in public sector wages and pensions, a plan to put 30,000 public sector workers on reduced pay, and a property tax levied on Greeks' electricity bills.
Panda bear Yang Guang settles into his new home at Edinburgh Zoo on Dec. 4 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Tian Tian and Yang Guang, the eight-year-old pair of giant pandas, arrived on a specially chartered flight and will be the first to live in the U.K. for 17 years. Edinburgh Zoo staff are hopeful that the pandas will give birth to cubs during their 10-year stay in Scotland.
Pope Benedict XVI arrives in his Popemobile at the Spanish Steps for the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, on Dec. 8 in Rome, Italy. The papal tradition marks the beginning of the Christmas season as the Pope visits the monument and crowns the statue of Mary with a garland of flowers.
People hold up candles and sing a song honoring King Bhumibol Adulyadej during a ceremony celebrating the Thai king's birthday at Royal Parade Ground on Dec. 5 in Bangkok. King Bhumibol celebrated his 84th birthday and is the world's longest serving monarch, having reigned since 1946.
A U.S. Army soldier from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, carries his gear after arriving in Kuwait from Camp Adder in Iraq on Dec. 7, 2011 at Camp Virginia, near Kuwait City. After seven months in Iraq, the 3rd Brigade has pulled out of the country as part of America's military exodus. All U.S. troops will be out by the end of December after eight years of war and occupation.
Rose-ringed parakeets roost in a copse in Wormwood Scrubs Park on Dec. 7 in London. Approximately 2,500 parakeets roost in the copse, which has been designated by English Nature as an important site of natural significance.
Local people prepare to take part in the "24 devils dance" event on the eve of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception celebrations on Dec. 7 in Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala about 30 miles southeast of Guatemala City.
A woman walks pass a defaced mural depicting former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic in downtown Belgrade on Dec. 8. Serbia was denied candidacy status by the European Union, despite efforts by the government to woo the doubters, led by Germany.
Largs promenade is battered by waves on Dec. 8, 2011 in Largs, Scotland. Scottish police forces were advising members of the public not to travel, as severe winds started to hit many parts of the country.
A relative of Palestinians Sobhi al-Batsh, a member of Hamas's armed wing (the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades), and Issam al-Batsh, a senior member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, follows their funeral procession in Gaza City on Dec. 8. The two Gaza militants were killed in an Israeli strike, Palestinian medics said, with Israel saying one of them had planned a deadly bombing in Eilat in 2007.
U.S. Navy veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor Ed Silveira looks on during a Pearl Harbor rememberance service aboard the USS Hornet on Dec. 7 in Alameda, California. Over 100 people were in attendance aboard the USS Hornet for a ceremony honoring the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Three survivors of the attack attended the service.
A shopper peruses gifts on Carnaby Street on Dec. 6 in London. With less than three weeks left before Christmas, a report from the British Retail Consortium has indicated sluggish consumer spending in the run up to the holiday.
Christmas illuminations at Place Massena in Nice, France, on Dec.7.
The Japanese team trains before the 6th FINA Synchronised Swimming World Trophy at the Water Cube on Dec. 8 in Beijing, China.
