December 26, 2013

Israeli Air Force cadets toss their caps during their graduation ceremony at Hatzerim air base in southern Israel.

An Afghan refugee holds a child as she stands near her home on the outskirts of Herat.

An anti-government protester is detained by riot police during a clash at a sports stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Rock-throwing demonstrators trying to halt preparations for elections fought police in the capital, escalating their campaign to topple the country's beleaguered government.

People enjoy a snow-covered Cloud Gate at Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which becomes a great photo opportunity for visitors, Dec. 25, 2013.

The field of yachts head down Sydney Harbor at the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race, Australia.

Greenpeace International activist Mannes Ubels of Netherlands jumps holding his passport as he celebrates getting permission to leave Russia, near the Federal Migration Service in St. Petersburg.

Indians offer milk during a prayer ceremony to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami, on Marina beach, in Chennai. The Tsunami triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004 killed tens of thousands in 12 Indian Ocean nations.

In this aerial photograph, dry river beds snake among the rugged terrain in eastern Afghanistan.

A boy plays the accordion during a musical homage to singer and composer Diomedes Diaz at the main square of Valledupar, in Colombia's northern state of Cesar, Dec. 25, 2013. Diomedes Diaz, one of the greatest performers of the country's accordion vallenato music, died on Dec. 22, 2013, at age 56.

Firefighters battle a wind-driven brush fire in Simi Valley, California, USA. Strong Santa Ana winds spread the fire quickly, however, firefighters gained the upper hand in several hours after using water dropping helicopters, engines, and hand crews.