New York — A dancer dressed as a toy soldier from the New York City Ballet's production of "George Balanchine's Nutcracker" visits the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The company will perform the traditional holiday ballet through Jan. 2.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: JUSTIN LANE / European Pressphoto Agency

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Zell an der Mosel, Germany — The tower of the former city wall is decorated as a candle for Christmas in Zell an der Mosel, Germany.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Harald Tittel / Associated Press

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Nicosia, Cyprus — A Peruvian musician plays a pan flute on Ledra Street, a pedestrian thoroughfare lined with shops and cafes in the medieval heart of Nicosia, in the days before Christmas.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Petros Karadjias / Associated Press

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Pocheon, Republic of Korea — A South Korean Army K-1a tank fires live rounds during military exercises on the Seungjin Fire Training Field in mountainous Pocheon. South Korea's military held the live-fire drill involving tanks, artillery and jet fighters in a major show of strength staged exactly a month after North Korea's deadly attack on a border island.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: DONG-A ILBO / AFP/Getty Images

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Sanaa, Yemen — Yemenis walk back to their homes through an alley in the old city of Sanaa two days before Christmas.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hani Mohammed / Associated Press

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Lora del Rio, Spain — A lone fireman clears mud from a flooded street after heavy rains hit the town of Lora del Rio in the southern Spanish province of Seville.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: JON NAZCA / REUTERS

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Belfast, Northern Ireland — A Flybe aircraft takes off from the Belfast City Airport at dusk with the famous Harland and Wolff cranes silhouetted in the background. Britain has been experiencing one of its harshest winters, forcing the closure of airports in London, which has the world's largest city airspace. Dublin airport shut down Thursday after a heavy snowfall but is expected to reopen in the morning.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: PETER MUHLY / AFP/Getty Images

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Havana, Cuba — Ukrainian children with cancer await medical treatment in Tarara, a residential complex outside Havana. Beginning in 1990, more than 20,800 people from the ex-Soviet republics have came to Tarara to receive medical treatment for the deadly disease.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP/Getty Images

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Dubuque, Iowa — Sentrina Klostermann, 5, snuggles up to Santa at a Dubuque, Iowa, shopping mall.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Jeremy Portje / Telegraph Herald

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Tokyo — Workers in Santa Claus and reindeer costumes clean windows at the Odaiba waterfront shopping mall. The costumes were worn as part of a Christmas promotional event to attract shoppers.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP / Getty Images

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Hefei, China — A teacher dressed as Santa Claus distributes candy to children to celebrate Christmas at a kindergarten.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: JIANAN YU / Reuters

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Chandigarh, India — A student dressed up as Santa Claus dances with other students during a Christmas celebration at a school.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: AJAY VERMA / Reuters

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Bethlehem, West Bank — A Catholic tourist holds a candle after taking part in a Mass inside the Grotto of the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born. So far this year, 1.4 million tourists have visited the church and 90,000 are expected during the Christmas season, a significant increase over last year, according to Israeli government figures.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Tara Todras-Whitehill / Associated Press

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Bethlehem, West Bank — A worshiper places her fingers inside holes in a column that form the shape of a cross at the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: DARREN WHITESIDE / Reuters

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Kalash Valley, Pakistan — Kalash tribal girls in traditional costumes take part in the annual Chatarmas religious festival of the Kalash community. The local Kalash tribe worships deities similar to ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: HAMMAD KHAN FAROOQI / EPA

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Harbin, China — A worker installs lights on a snow sculpture before the 27th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: SHENG LI / Reuters

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London — Shoppers out in London's Oxford street look for bargains as sales start early Thursday. Britain is battered by economic woes, and the shopping season was shortened by bad weather, so the final hopes of rescuing the retail season rest on last-minute shoppers, predominantly men who are desperate to find a credible gift before it's finally, utterly, too late.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Alastair Grant / Associated Press

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Karachi, Pakistan — A Pakistani woman sits next to a patient lying on a bed outside a government hospital.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: RIZWAN TABASSUM / AFP / Getty Images

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Bucharest, Romania — A public television employee jumps off Parliament hall's balcony to protest the government's austerity drive, including wage cuts and tax hikes in the recession-hit economy, as Prime Minister Emil Boc speaks during a no-confidence vote over wage reforms. State news agency Agerpres said the man, a father of two in his 40s, was seriously injured. He was wearing a shirt with the words, "You killed our children's future, you sold us."

PHOTOGRAPH BY: BOGDAN STAMATIN / Reuters

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Rome — Italian police guard the front gate of the Chilean Embassy, where a bomb exploded, injuring one person. This followed another bomb attack on the Swiss Embassy in the Italian capital that also wounded one.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP / Getty Images

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Beijing — People take pictures at a shopping mall. Despite China's Catholic population being just over 6 million, Christmas is still celebrated in China, although not so much as a religious festivity. Youngsters take part of the celebrations, believing it is trendier to join in the western festivities, while for many others it is just an excuse to have fun and buy presents for their loved ones.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: DIEGO AZUBEL / EPA

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