Photos of the Day: Dec. 23, 2015

Originally published December 23, 2015 at 8:02 amUpdated January 13, 2016 at 1:31 pm

A handout photograph made available by NASA on December 22, 2015 showing Expedition 46 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra on a December 21, 2015 spacewalk, in which Kopra and Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly successfully moved the International Space Station’s mobile transporter rail car ahead of December 23 docking of a Russian cargo supply spacecraft. After quickly completing their primary objective for the spacewalk, Kelly and Kopra tackled several additional ‘get-ahead’ tasks. Kelly routed a second pair of cables in preparation for International Docking Adapter installment work to support U.S. commercial crew vehicles. Kopra routed an Ethernet cable that ultimately will connect to a Russian laboratory module. They also retrieved tools that had been in a toolbox on the outside of the station, so they can be used for future work. The three-hour and 16-minute spacewalk was the second for Kopra, who arrived to the station on December 15, and the third for Kelly, who is nine months into a yearlong mission. EPA/NASA / HANDOUT

A Hong Kong Vegetarian Society activists lies on a giant plate alongside oversized peas, carrots and cutlery during a protest rally in the tourist district of Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, China, December 23, 2015. The activists urged passers-by to extend the holiday spirit to animals and to give thoughts to the cruelty inflicted on animals in meat productions. EPA/JEROME FAVR

Susie Ro Prater (C) leads the Shakti Sings choir as druids, pagans and revellers gather in the centre of Stonehenge, hoping to see the sun rise, as they take part in a winter solstice ceremony at the ancient neolithic monument of Stonehenge near Amesbury on December 22, 2015 in Wiltshire, England. Despite a forecast for rain, a large crowd gathered at the famous historic stone circle – a UNESCO listed ancient monument – to celebrate the sunrise closest to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year – an event is claimed to be more important in the pagan calendar than the summer solstice, because it marks the ‘re-birth’ of the Sun for the New Year. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Indian navy personnel stand for a ceremony during the decommissioning of war ship Godavari at the naval dockyard in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. Godavari is India’s first indigenously designed and built warship. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

A Christian Orthodox Russian prays at the 14 pointed silver star marking the believed location of the birth of Christ, during a candlelight procession of prayer, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, December 22, 2015. The church where Jesus was born, one of the world’s oldest, is still undergoing massive reconstruction work, and is covered in white plastic sheets and scaffolding. EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN

An Indonesian riot police officer lines up during Christmas and New Year security preparations in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 23, 2015. Indonesia is ramping up security ahead of Christmas Eve and holiday season, following the arrest of men suspected of planning Christmas and New Year’s attacks. EPA/MAST IRHAM

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl of Hailey, Idaho, leaves a military courthouse on December 22, 2015 in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Bergdahl was arraigned on charges of desertion and endangering troops stemming from his decision to leave his outpost in Afghanistan in 2009. He was captured by the Taliban and spent five years in captivity before being freed in a prisoner exchange. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)

A biblical scene is performed in a cave in Postojna, Slovenia, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. The annual Nativity scene in Postojna is the biggest live scene in the world set in an underground cave. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

St. Paul Central High teacher John Ekblad, middle, prepares to speak to the media next to his attorneys Philip Villaume, left, and Jeffrey Schiek, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015, in Bloomington, Minn. Ekblad says he suffered a traumatic brain injury Dec. 4 while trying to break up a fight. A 16-year-old student pleaded guilty Friday to felony assault against Ekblad. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)

A Kashmiri boatman rows his boat as geese swim at the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. Kashmir is a green, saucer-shaped valley surrounded by snowy mountain ranges with over a hundred lakes dotting its highlands and plains. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Iraqi military vehicles and troops advance towards the centre of Ramadi city, west of Iraq on December 22, 2015. The Iraqi military forces launched a military operation to retake the provincial capital from IS amid reports IS was preventing civilians from leaving the city. Despite being backed by airstrikes from a US led coalition and estimates between 250 to 300 IS fighters remained in the city. EPA/STR

Kids play on snow collected from an artificial ice rink in a park in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. Romania experiences unusually warm weather for December with temperatures reaching 14 degrees Centigrade ( 57.2 Fahrenheit ) in many areas. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Shoppers walk among Christmas lights at a shopping mall two days before Christmas Eve on December 22, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. Many shoppers are still looking for gifts two and retailers are hoping for a strong finale to the Christmas shopping season. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

New United States citizens wave flags and sing patriotic songs during their naturalization ceremony at Oakton High School December 22, 2015 in Vienna, Virginia. 500 people from 86 countries took the Oath of Allegiance to become the newest U.S. citizens. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A Christmas tree stands backdropped by the landmark Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 22, 2015. Christmas is celebrated by Christians on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL

A person watches the scene during the dawn of the first day of summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 22, 2015. EPA/MARCELO SAYAO

A group of friends take a selfie near a Christmas tree in the business district of Central in Hong Kong, China, December 23, 2015. Christmas is celebrated by Christians on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. EPA/JEROME FAVR

Students participate in a rally demanding a better and free education system, called by the Chilean Students Confederation (CONFECH) in Santiago de Chile, Chile, December 22, 2015. EPA/ELVIS GONZALEZ

A man takes a picture of the sea of fog that covers the Geneva Lake with the Swiss-French Alps in the background and the sun setting at Jongny above Vevey, Switzerland, December 22, 2015. EPA/CYRIL ZINGARO

A picture taken with a mobile phone shows rescuers trying to get out a survivor found in the office of a factory building buried by the landslide in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, December 23, 2015. A man was pulled alive from the mud 67 hours after he was buried in a landslide in southern China. The 19-year-old man, said to be in stable condition, was taken straight to hospital, according to reports. He was fed oxygen and attached to an intravenous drip while rescuers removed the rubble around him by hand. Some 3,000 rescuers were trying to reach dozens of people missing since the landslide at an industrial estate in the southern China city of Shenzhen. A waste dump at a disused quarry collapsed on December 20, sending a wave of construction debris and red mud across the industrial park. EPA/WANG GUOHUA

A South Korean Everland amusement park employee wearing a Santa Claus hat and collar decorates a Christmas tree in the Meerkat enclosure on the occasion of the Christmas holiday season at South Korea’s largest amusement park ‘Everland’ in Yongin, Gyeonggi-province, South Korea, December 23, 2015. EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN

Locals watch surfers at Lonbeach in Cape Town, South Africa, December 23, 2015. Cape Town is one of Africa’s top tourist destinations recognized globally for its extraordinarily rich, diverse and unique fauna and flora. Nowhere else in the world does an area of such rich bio-diversity exist almost entirely within a metropolitan area. Scores of local and international visitors flock to the coastal city during the European winter with 2015 seeing the Rand falling to its lowest level against the Euro giving more spending power to European tourists. EPA/NIC BOTHMA

A man approaches the international business district of Songdo in Incheon, west of Seoul, South Korea, December 23, 2015, as the district is covered in a dim haze, caused by smog originating from China. EPA/YONHAP

Parker Jackson-Cartwright #0 of the Arizona Wildcats dribbles past A.J. Spencer #15 of the Long Beach State 49ers during the second half of the college basketball game at McKale Center on December 22, 2015 in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Wildcats beat the Long Beach State 49ers 85-70. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Goaltender Louis Domingue #35 of the Arizona Coyotes looks for the puck as Shawn Matthias #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates into the crease during the second period of the NHL game at Gila River Arena on December 22, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. The goal was disallowed due to interference with the goaltender. The Coyotes defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

A child yawns as children wearing Santa Claus costumes take part in Christmas celebration in a school in Amritsar, India, December 23, 2015. Despite Christians forming only a little over two per cent of the billion plus population of India with Hindus comprising the majority, Christmas is celebrated throughout the country. Christmas is celebrated across the world on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. EPA/RAMINDER PAL SINGH

Skiers and snowboarders ride a lift up a mountain on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015, at Snoqualmie Pass, Wash. A weather pattern that could be associated with El Nino has turned winter upside-down across the U.S. during a week of heavy holiday travel, bringing spring-like warmth to the Northeast, a risk of tornadoes in the South and so much snow in parts of the West that there are concerns about avalanches. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Head coach Jason Candle of the Toledo Rockets celebrates with player after the game against the Temple Owls at FAU Stadium on December 22, 2015 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

Explore the news of the day with these images from around the world.

By

Courtney Riffkin

Seattle Times photo staff

Courtney Riffkin: 206-464-2203 or criffkin@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @SeaTimesPhoto.