World in focus - best photos for December 21, 2020

Take a look at some of the best images from around the world in the past 24 hours

Children wearing Santa Claus outfits eat snacks as they visit a church in Hanoi, Vietnam. Although Christmas is not an official holiday in Vietnam, it has seen an increase in popularity with festive activities held during the Christmas period. EPA

A man wearing a protective face mask looks at a merry-go-round as Christmas holiday lights decorate the Paris City Hall in Paris, France. REUTERS

A dancer of the Con Pantera troupe performs during the 'Apretado' performance in Bogota, Colombia. EPA

Norway's Halvor Egner Granerud competes in the men's FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competition in Engelberg, central Switzerland. AFP

Performers prepare for a show at a Christmas fair outside a mall in Bangkok, Thailand. EPA

A man rides his bicycle in the northern Syrian city of Raqa, the former Syrian capital of ISIS. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces overran Raqa in 2017, after years of what residents described as ISIS' brutal rule, which included public beheadings and crucifixions. AFP

Lebanese launch lanterns in Beirut's Gemmayzeh neighbourhood during the lighting of a Christmas tree in memory of victims of the blast that devastated the capital's port in August. AFP

A Sri Lankan boy reacts as health officials take a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19, outside a mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka. AP Photo

A woman walks past mannequins on display in the northern Syrian city of Raqa, the former Syrian capital of ISIS. AFP

Australia's Tyler Wright rides a wave during the first women's World Surfing League (WSL) tour event held at Hawaii's Banzai Pipeline on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The victory makes Wright the first ever women’s event winner at Pipeline. AFP

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