Best photography from around the world, Dec. 22

A man walks out of his house in an alley on a cold and foggy morning in New Delhi. Ahmad Masood / Reuters

South Korea’s Bukhan San Mountain Rescue Police caption Kim Chang-Gon (top), and members Eum Beom-Seok, Woo Hwa-Seung and Jeong Han-Yong, wearing Santa Claus costumes, while rock-climbing during an event marking the Christmas holiday season on Buckhan mountain near Seoul, South Korea. Jeon Heon-Kyun / EPA

Female Pakistani police commandos during an exercise at a police training centre in Nowshera, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The army has been waging a major offensive against long-standing Taliban and other militant strongholds in the restive tribal areas on the Afghan border for the last six months. A. Majeed / AFP

A worker makes a bronze statue of China’s late Chairman Mao Zedong at a factory in Shaoshan, Hunan province. December 26, 2014 will mark the 121st birth anniversary of Mao. Darwin Zhou / Reuters

Pope Francis is pictured by mobile phones as he arrives to lead a special audience for Vatican employees and their families at the Paul VI’s hall at the Vatican. Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters

Visitors are silhouetted with decorated lights on trees to celebrate the upcoming Christmas and New Year at Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong, South Korea. Ahn Young-joon / AP

A man known as Marcello Di Finizio stands on the ledge of St Peter’s facade to protest against the so-called Bolkestein directive at the Vatican. Filippo Monteforte / AFP

The National View’s photo editors pick the best images of the day from around the world