Today's best photos: from Spanish food battle to Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

Revellers dressed in mock military garb take part in the 'Els Enfarinats' food battle in the south-eastern Spanish town of Ibi. AFP

Riot police confront supporters of Luis Fernando Camacho, a key opposition figure, following his arrest in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. AFP

People play on the frozen Reflecting Pool on the National Mall near the Washington Monument, in Washington, DC. AFP

Soldiers of the South Sudan People's Defence Forces prepare to be deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo after their departure ceremony in Juba. AFP

Israeli Air Force pilots celebrate at their graduation ceremony at the Hatzerim base in the Negev desert. AFP

A kayaker and sharks swimming below him in shallow water near the hot water stream of the Orot Rabin power plant in the Mediterranean Sea, by the city of Hadera, Israel. EPA

An excavator works at the entrance to a desert cliff excavation in Muraba'at Cave near the Dead Sea, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reuters

Turkey's Fatih Arda Ipcioglu in action during the men's ski training jump for the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany. Reuters

Saint Peter's Dome can be seen in the background in Rome as people gather at the Pincio Terrace a day after the worsening health of former Pope Benedict was announced. Reuters

A destroyed part of the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino after a fire in Poipet, Cambodia on December 29. AFP

A young Sikh devotee takes a bath in the holy Sarovar (pool) to mark the birth anniversary of the 10th Guru of the Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. AFP

A woman wearing a vintage police uniform poses for a picture during the celebration of Holy Innocents Day in Caucagua, Venezuela. AFP

A fisherman cracks a whip as horses wheel a device linked to a fishing net during the annual Chagan Lake Winter Fishing Festival in Songyuan, China. AFP

A resident embraces a friend next to her mother's house which was damaged during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Panda keepers pose for photos with cubs ahead of the new year at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. AFP

More from The National:

Wednesday's best photos: from a multi-vehicle crash in China to ice-covered houses in Canada

Tuesday's best photos: From Grey Glacier's record high temperature to New Year timekeeping

Monday's best photos: from Boxing Day shoppers to a turban-tying competition

Sunday's best photos: Icicles in US storm, dressed-up dogs and plenty of festive spirit

Saturday's best photos: from St Paul's choir to Arabian horse racing in Liwa

Friday's best photos: from Biden among Christmas trees to winter solstice at Stonehenge