The day in pictures

December 21, 2023: A police officer walks across a bridge over the Vltava river in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Czech police say a shooting in downtown Prague has killed an unspecified number of people and wounded others.

December 21, 2023: A man collects trash during a cleanup along a river in Paranaque City, Metro Manila.

December 20, 2023: An Indigenous man performs the Flying Pole outside Santo Tomas church in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. Palo Volador (flying pole) is an indigenous-pre-Hispanic tradition in Guatemala in which people climb to the top of a 30-meter trunk to thank for the crops and welcome the winter solstice.

December 20, 2023: A fireball erupts after Israeli strike over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

December 20, 2023: Immigrants wait to be processed at a US Border Patrol transit center after they crossed the border from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Republican governor of Texas signed a bill that would allow state police to arrest and deport migrants who cross illegally into the United States from Mexico.

December 20, 2023: Earthquake survivors set up a temporary shelter in front of a mosque in Jishishan County in northwest China's Gansu province on December 20, 2023.

December 20, 2023: Members of a Guatemalan dance group dressed in traditional clothes and using masks perform the traditional "El Torito" (Little Bull) dance during the procession in honor of Santo Tomas in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, on December 20, 2023.

December 20, 2023: Smoke rises over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during Israeli bombardment as seen from Rafah, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

December 19, 2023: Molten lava is coming out from a fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula 3km north of the evacuated town of Grindavik, western Iceland. A volcanic eruption began on Monday night in Iceland, south of the capital Reykjavik, following an earthquake swarm, Iceland's Meteorological Office reported.

December 19, 2023: A woman feeds a squirrel in a park in the Lower Manhattan borough of New York City.

December 19, 2023: Agents of the National Migration Institute (INM) chase a group of migrants seeking asylum in the United States in an all-terrain vehicle as they attempt to cross the Rio Bravo called the Rio Grande in the United States at Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday that his government will challenge a law enacted by the governor of Texas (United States) that would allow state police to arrest and deport migrants who cross illegally into the US from Mexico.

December 19, 2023: Icelandic horses play at a stud farm in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany.

December 19, 2023: The test launch of a Hwasongpho-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at an undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw this week's test launch of the country's most powerful solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, which has the potential to reach the United States, state media said Dec. 19.

December 18, 2023: People prepare to return to their flooded residential area by boat in Cairns. Flash floods swamped northeastern Australia on Dec. 18, with raging waters severing roads and flushing crocodiles into towns.

December 18, 2023: The flag-draped casket of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor arrives at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. O'Connor, the first woman US Supreme Court justice, died on Dec. 1, 2023, at 93 of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness. She served as one of the nine justices on the court until 2006 and wielded enormous influence as a crucial "swing vote" in a court evenly divided between liberals and conservatives.

December 18, 2023: People watch as the night sky is illuminated caused by the eruption of a volcano in Grindavik on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula.

December 18, 2023: The casket of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor arrives at the United States Supreme Court in Washington, DC. O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, died on Dec. 1, 2023.

December 18, 2023: Ducks swim along River St in Paterson, N.J. as cars are left stranded in flood waters.

December 18, 2023: Planes fly over the fog covering the city as they approach the airport in Frankfurt, Germany.

December 18, 2023: Tractors are lined up in the "Strasse des 17 Juni" boulevard, towards the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin as German farmers demonstrate against the planned abolition of subsidies for agricultural diesel.

December 17, 2023 : Bathers take part in the traditional Christmas bath in Nice, on the French Riviera.

Sybil and Stella, a pair of bearded collies, go for a morning walk in high winds near the intersection of Worth Ave. and S. Ocean Blvd. in Palm Beach, Fla.

December 16, 2023: This picture taken early shows a view of the tents of Palestinians displaced by the conflict in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

December 16, 2023: Labourers push a pontoon buoy into river Ganges to build a floating bridge for devotees, ahead of the upcoming annual Hindu religious fair 'Magh Mela', in Prayagraj.

December 15, 2023: Palestinians check a half-destroyed building following Israeli bombardment on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

December 15, 2023: People walk through a light tunnel during the 34th edition of the "Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas," a holiday lights show, at Naumkeag in Stockbridge, Mass.

December 15, 2023: Salt recovery pools stand in different degrees of evaporation for an industrial plant that produces lithium carbonate to manufacture lithium batteries, after the plant's opening ceremony in the Uyuni salt desert on the outskirts of Llipi, Bolivia.

December 15, 2023: This photo shows an aerial view of a snow-covered section of the Great Wall of China at Shuiguan, north of Beijing, after an overnight snowfall.

December 15, 2023: Members of the "Le Revers de la Medaille" group light flares as banners are displayed on the steps of the Sacre Coeur Basilica to draw attention to the impact of the 2024 Paris Olympics on low-income communities and the poorly housed, in Paris.

December 15, 2023: Two people are seen on a bark on a flooded street of Gond-Pontouvre near Angouleme, central France, following the flood of the Charente river.

December 14, 2023: Cultivation manager Jasper, 27, tends to cannabis plants in a Hollandse Hoogtes production facility, one of 10 licensed growers, as part of a Dutch government trial to legalize cannabis production for registered producers, in Bremmel, the Netherlands. It is a common misconception that cannabis is legal in the Netherlands, world-famous for its "coffee shops" that in fact, sell pot, not coffee. Consumption is illegal but "tolerated" under a policy dating back nearly five decades. However, the production and supply of cannabis are neither legal nor tolerated, forcing growers to operate in the shadows. From Dec. 15, 2023, coffee shops in Breda and Tilburg, two cities in the southern part of the country, will legally be allowed to sell pot from registered suppliers.

December 14, 2023: People light up their smartphone as they attend a rally of "ProGlas", a Serbian pro-democracy movement that encourages people to vote, ahead of parliamentary elections, in Belgrade on December 14, 2023. Along with parliamentary elections on December 17, Serbian citizens will cast ballots, in 65 municipalities, including the capital Belgrade.

December 14, 2023: A diver dressed in a Santa Claus costume feeds the fish at Sunshine Aquarium during preparations for the upcoming Christmas special event in Tokyo.

December 14, 2023: A dog wearing clothes walks on a snowy day in Beijing.

December 13, 2023: Pope Francis (R) receives a cake as a gift from German pastry chef Ernst Knam during his weekly general audience in Paul-VI hall at the Vatican.

December 13, 2023: A Palestinian drags bricks at a camp for displaced people in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, where most civilians have taken refuge, as battles continue between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israel came under pressure on Dec. 13 from its allies over its war in Gaza, with key backer the United States criticizing its bombing in response to the Oct. 7 attacks as "indiscriminate."

December 13, 2023: Ukrainian soldiers drive a tank in a position near the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

December 13, 2023: Palestinians check the damages following Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israeli leaders intend to press ahead with the Gaza Strip war against Hamas, despite coming under increasing international pressure, including from key ally the United States.

December 13, 2023: Workers collect oil after it spilled over the backwater at Ennore creek in the aftermath of Cyclone Michaung, on the outskirts of Chennai, India on December 13, 2023.

December 13, 2023: Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, along with his attorney Abbe Lowell, left, speaks at a press conference outside the United States Capitol where he offered to publicly testify in House Republican's request on Dec. 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

December 13, 2023: Palestinian boys stand in their makeshift tent at a camp set up on a schoolyard in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip where most civilians have taken refuge, as battles continue between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

December 13, 2023: A woman looks out from a broken window of a damaged residential building following a missile strike in Kyiv, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine.

December 12, 2023: Kenyan students hold umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun during the celebrations of Kenya's 60th Independence Day, also known as Jamhuri Day, at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi 2023. Jamhuri is the Swahili word for 'republic', and the national holiday officially marks the date when Kenya became an independent country from the United Kingdom on Dec. 12, 1963.

December 12, 2023: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walks with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. at the U.S. Capitol,

Palestinians check the destruction following Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on December 12, 2023.

December 12, 2023: A man steers a boat across Dal Lake on a foggy day in Srinagar, India.

December 11, 2023: Actor Rodrigo Franca gets dressed up as "Papai Negro" or Black Santa, for a school Christmas event organized by the Favela Mundo NGO in the City of God favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In recent years Black Santas have been introduced to children in favelas to better reflect their cultural reality.

December 11, 2023: Local residents stand next to a destroyed house following a Russian shelling in Kyiv amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine downed eight Russian missiles targeting the capital Kyiv on December 11, 2023 and another 18 attack drones over the rest of the country, the air force said. Kyiv has said that Russia has again prepared a campaign to pummel the country's energy infrastructure as freezing temperatures have hit.

December 11, 2023: Palestinians carry a list of Gaza victims during a rally amid a general strike in Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank, in solidarity with Gaza as battles continue between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

December 11, 2023: A woman walks past clothes displayed by the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms to draw attention on the migrants dying at sea, at San Sebastian Beach in Barcelona. Spain is one of the main entry points for migrants into Europe, particularly via the western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, where the number of migrants arrivals between January 1 and November 15, 2023 represents a 118 percent jump over the same period in 2022.

December 10, 2023 : The landmark Kuwait Towers and other skyscrapers pierce through the cloud cover over Kuwait City.

December 9, 2023 : Ames police Officer Dilok Phanchantraurai lifts Carmelo Holmes, 8, so he can browse toys while shopping with Iowa State University student athletes Sadie Baich and Hannah Shaw during the annual Shop With a Cop charity event for children from disadvantaged families at the Ames, Iowa Target Superstore.

December 9, 2023 : Enrique Ruiz shows his rope skills atop a horse as riders prepare for the horse processional for feast day of St. Juan Diego at the Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City, OK,

December 9, 2023 : A car is buried under rubble on Main Street after a tornado hit Hendersonville, Tenn.

December 9, 2023:A ball of fire rises above a building during an Israeli strike, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Israel pressed its offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza on Dec. 9 after the United States blocked an extraordinary UN bid to call for a ceasefire in the two-month war

December 9, 2023: A winter swimming enthusiast swims in an ice hole at a lake in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, with the air temperature around minus 35 degrees Celsius. The tattoo reads "Glory to the Rus (referring to Russia)".

December 8, 2023: The funeral procession of the late music singer Shane MacGowan takes place in Dublin, Ireland. The public gathered on the streets of Dublin ahead of Shane MacGowan's funeral, set to take place on Dec. 8. Born on Christmas Day in Pembury, Kent, in 1957, he's best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the Pogues. Raised in Tunbridge, Wells, by Irish parents, MacGowan changed up Irish folk music by infusing punk style and attitude, as showcased in the popular 1988 Christmas ballad "Fairytale of New York." He is survived by his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, sister Siobhan, and father.

December 7, 2023: Soldiers of the Israeli army's infantry 6th brigade take part in an assault coordination exercise near Moshav Kidmat Tsvi in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues with Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip.

December 7, 2023: Employees of the Washington Post, joined by supporters, walk the picket line during a 24-hour strike outside of Washington Post headquarters in Washington, DC. Hundreds of staff at the Washington Post, one of America's most storied newspapers, walked off the job in a 24-hour strike, their union said, after 18 months of contract negotiations failed to secure a deal. The Post strike comes after failed talks to reach a new deal over pay, remote work, and other conditions.

December 7, 2023: An airplane and birds fly at sunset in Washington, DC.

December 6, 2023: Border patrol agents process migrants who entered the US illegally the day before taking them to a port of entry in Jacumba, California. Hundreds of migrants who cross into the United States each day are being herded into open-air camps, where they have no access to food or water, with some are left to sleep on the open ground in a desert riddled with scorpions and snakes, activists say.

December 7, 2023: A man walks among the rubble of a building destroyed by the Israeli bombardment overnight in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israeli troops battled Hamas militants on December 7 in the heart of southern Gaza's main city of Khan Yunis, where a suspected mastermind of the October 7 attacks is believed to be hiding while pressing their offensive across the besieged territory.

December 6, 2023: (L-R) Wells Fargo CEO and President Charles Scharf, Brian Bank of America Chairman and CEO Thomas Moynihan, JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, State Street CEO Ronald O'Hanley, BNY Mellon CEO Robin Vince, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman, are sworn-in before testifying during a Wall Street oversight hearing by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Large US banks railed against new proposed capital requirements at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, joining Senate Republicans in casting the measures as crimping loans to everyday Americans.

December 6, 2023: Lightning streaks across the skies over the coastal port city of Batroun, some 43km north of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

December 6, 2023: US First Lady Jill Biden delivers remarks while hosting a Toys for Tots event with local Marine Corps families at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC.

December 6, 2023: Amanda Perez, left, is comforted by fellow student Alejandro Barron following a shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus, in Las Vegas.

December 6, 2023: Businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy (right) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (left) talk over each other as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis listen during the fourth Republican Presidential Primary Debate presented by NewsNation at the Frank Moody Music Building University of Alabama.

December 6, 2023: A portrait of a fallen soldier is seen on his grave during the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine.

December 6, 2023: A woman along with her belongings, wades through a flooded street after heavy rains in Chennai , India. Chest-high water surged down the streets of India's southern city Chennai on December 5, with eight people killed in intense floods as Cyclone Michaung made landfall on the southeast coast.

December 6, 2023: Supporters of the Bahujan Samaj Party pay tribute to a statue of Bhimrao Ambedkar on the anniversary of his death in Amritsar, India.

December, 5, 2023: Allie Plott, Lydia Smith, Madeline Evans and Ellie Boulware, members of The Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, prepare for a dress rehearsal of The Nutcracker at the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

December 5, 2023: The Independent Man is removed from the top of The State House in Providence, Rhode Island. The 500-pound bronze statue, whose base has become cracked and unstable, is being taken down for repairs.

December 4, 2023: People walk along the Vieux-Port at sunset in Marseille, France.

December 4, 2023: A home is seen exploding from a distance in Arlington, Va. Arlington County Police in a Virginia suburb of the nation’s capital are investigating an explosion at a residence where officers were trying to serve a search warrant Monday. The Arlington County Police Department said in a statement that the suspect fired several shots inside the home and that an explosion happened. Arlington is located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

December 4, 2023: The Tambaram Government Hospital is flooded following heavy rains along the Bay of Bengal coast in Chennai, India. Authorities issued warnings for tropical storm Michaung, which is likely to hit the southern coast on Tuesday with maximum sustained winds of 90-100 kilometers (56-62 miles) per hour with gusts up to 110 kph (68 mph), the Indian Meteorological Department said.

December 4, 2023: Rodney Austin plows his driveway in Wales, Maine. The tractor that Austin plows snow with is homemade. The rear end and motor are from a 1946 Ford truck. The front end is from a 1954 Ford.

December 4, 2023: Volcanic ash spews from Mount Marapi during an eruption as seen from Batu Palano village in Agam.

December 4, 2023: A resident wades through a flooded street after heavy rains in Chennai, India. Cyclone Michuang is expected to make landfall on December 5 along the southern coast.

December 3, 2023 : A woman injured in an Israeli strike sits amid the rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Israel carried out deadly bombardments in Gaza on December 3 as international calls mounted for greater protection of civilians and the renewal of an expired truce with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

December 2, 2023: Pandas eating inside their enclosure at a zoo in China's southwestern Chongqing municipality.

December 2, 2023 : Dan Prior and his son Hunter Prior pose for a photograph at the Mulletfest 2023 Grand Final at Hebburn Motorsport Park in the Hunter Valley, Australia. Mulletfest is an event that honors the best "mullet" haircuts in various styles and categories, including "everyday", "grubby", "ranga" (red hair), "vintage", "extreme", "international" and "junior". This yearÕs Òhead to headÓ battle for the best mullet haircut attracted contestants from all over Australia, and one finalist from the UK. The competition began in the Hunter Valley town of Kurri Kurri in 2018 as an effort to save a family pub during an economic downturn. It drew international attention for its celebration of the unique hairstyle. The festival is now held annually to raise funds for brain cancer research.

December 2, 2023 : Scenes from the 38th annual Hobe Sound Christmas Parade along Southeast Dixie Highway in Hobe Sound, Fl.

December 2, 2023: Residents and medical personnel evacuate patients from inside a hospital after a 7.6 earthequake struck Butuan City, in southern island of Mindanao late December 2, 2023. A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the southern Philippines on December 2, the US Geological Survey said, as local authorities warned of a "destructive tsunami" and urged people in coastal areas to flee. The Tsunami Warning Center initially said that based on the magnitude and location, it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia. But the center later dropped its tsunami warning.

December 2, 2003: A Rohingya refugee child (C) is seen at a beach on Sabang island, Aceh province on December 2, 2023. More than 100 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, landed in Indonesia's westernmost province on December 2, officials said, but locals threatened to push them back to sea.

December 1, 2023: A man looks at a digital display at an exhibition by the Andrey Melnichenko Foundation during the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023. World leaders take centre stage at UN climate talks in Dubai on December 1, under pressure to step up efforts to limit global warming as the Israel-Hamas conflict casts a shadow over the summit.

December 1, 2023: Rep. George Santos (R-NY) departs the United States Capitol after the House voted to expel Santos from Congress on Dec. 1, 2023. Santos is the sixth member of the House to be expelled in the body’s history.

December 1, 2023: Smoke rises above buildings during an Israeli strike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip after battles resumed between Israel and the Hamas movement. A temporary truce between Israel and Hamas expired on December 1, with the Israeli army saying combat operations had resumed, accusing Hamas of violating the operational pause.

November 30, 2023: People sit around a campfire in the midst of destroyed buildings in the Khezaa district on the outskirts of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis, following weeks of Israeli bombardment, as a truce between Israel and Hamas entered its 7th day.

November 30, 2023: A man searches for food among tons of garbage in north Tegucigalpa. Food insecurity plagues 247 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean, lamented this Thursday in Honduras by the deputy director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mario Lubetkin.

November 30, 2023: Residential buildings destroyed by Russian shelling in the frontline village of Petropavlivka, near Kupiansk, in Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The village has been under constant shelling, with almost all the residents having had to flee their homes.

November 30, 2023: People cross a flooded area on makeshift floating tanks at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya. Kenya's government is urging people living in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher ground as heavy rains and flash floods continue to wreak havoc across East Africa.

November 30, 2023: A cyclist rides along a path during the season's first snowfall in Zurich, Switzerland.

November 29, 2023: The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is lit in New York.

November 29, 2023: A Palestinian man sits in an armchair outside a destroyed building in Gaza City on the sixth day of the temporary cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. International mediators on Wednesday worked to extend the truce in Gaza, encouraging Hamas militants to keep freeing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further relief from Israel's air and ground offensive.

November 29, 2023: Thailand's Uthen Kukheaw returns the ball against Kosovo's Adrien Uka during the men's singles group stage match on the first day of the World Teqball Championships in Bangkok.

November 28, 2023: A photo taken shows the lignite-fired power station operated by German energy giant RWE behind a field of rapeseed in Niederaussem, western Germany. The 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) will take place in Dubai from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. At the 2015 climate conference in Paris, the international community agreed on the 1.5-degree target in order to avert a climate catastrophe.