Best pictures from December 12
Syrian residents carry their belongings after their homes were damaged due to fighting between Free Syrian Army fighters and government forces in Aleppo, Syria.Narciso Contreras/The Associated Press
People are seen reflected on a window of a ferry as they cross the Huangpu River near the financial district of Pudong in Shanghai. China's real estate investment rose 16.7 percent in the first 11 months of 2012 from the same period a year earlier, up from an annual increase of 15.4 percent in the first 10 months, the National Bureau of Statistics said.CARLOS BARRIA/Reuters
Nepalese devotees warm themselves on a fire during the Bala Chaturdasi festival at the Pashupatinath Temple in Katmandu, Nepal. Bala Chaturdashi is celebrated in memory of departed family members by lighting oil lamps and scattering seven types of grains along a prescribed route.Niranjan Shrestha/The Associated Press
A surfer enjoys a wave as a surf boat makes its way to the sea at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Australia's iconic Bondi beach receives up to 40,000 visitors on a busy summer day according to local authorities.DANIEL MUNOZ/Reuters
Girls donning their first communion veils sit in the pews of the Metropolitan Cathedral, during a First Holy Communion service, in Managua, Nicaragua. Around 550 children, aged between 8-16, marked the Virgin of Guadalupe's feast day by receiving for the first time the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is the eating of consecrated bread and drinking of consecrated wine. The government sponsored the religious event, buying the children's clothes and accessories.Esteban Felix/The Associated Press
A horse stands in woods as it is tied to a tree in Xianghe, Hebei province.PETAR KUJUNDZIC/Reuters
A man rides a camel past a pyramid in Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian opposition alliance urged supporters on Wednesday to vote "No" in the referendum on a disputed constitution but said it may still boycott if its conditions are not met.Hassan Ammar/The Associated Press
A free range Norfolk Black turkey stands in woodland at Church Farm in Ardeley, southern England. Some 200 Church Farm turkeys are due to be slaughtered in time for Christmas.STEFAN WERMUTH/Reuters
Deer graze in the frozen undergrowth of Richmond Park in west London.TOBY MELVILLE/Reuters
Twelve couples attend a mass wedding ceremony at the Peak in Hong Kong. At least 700 couples are expected to get married in the date 12/12/12, the last such triple-date in this year in Hong Kong as they believe the date will bring them everlasting love.Kin Cheung/The Associated Press