Pictures of the day from The Huffington Post brings you the very best news and sports images from around the world, chosen and created by our own photo editors, Elliot Wagland, Tahira Mirza and Michael Cripps.
pics of the day 18th Dec
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Boston Marathon bombing victim Marc Fucarile arrives at federal court in Boston Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, where bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is scheduled for a final hearing before his trial begins in January. Tsarnaev is charged with carrying out the April 2013 attack that killed three people and injured more than 260. He could face the death penalty if convicted. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 18: A wax figure of the multiple world player of the year, Lionel Messi, is unveiled at Madame Tussauds on December 18, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Anita Bugge/WireImage) (credit:Anita Bugge via Getty Images)
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A man disguised as Santa Claus slides by a pulley at Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 18, 2014. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA (Photo credit should read YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:YASUYOSHI CHIBA via Getty Images)
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This picture taken on December 16, 2014 shows Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers attending a training session in freezing temperatures in Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang province. China's defence ministry said on November 27 that the country has no military bases overseas, despite speculation that its armed forces seek to eventually establish facilities abroad. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
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Children’s illustrator Sarah Horne has found an innovative way of bringing her imagination to life - superimposing drawings of mythical creatures onto photographs from the IKEA catalogue. Dragons, elves, fairies, yetis and a bigfoot are given grounding in reality by using images from the IKEA catalogue as a canvas to sketch fantastical fictional dinners.
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Children’s illustrator Sarah Horne has found an innovative way of bringing her imagination to life - superimposing drawings of mythical creatures onto photographs from the IKEA catalogue. Dragons, elves, fairies, yetis and a bigfoot are given grounding in reality by using images from the IKEA catalogue as a canvas to sketch fantastical fictional dinners.
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Participants dressed like Santa Claus are crammed into a car during a car loading game in Colorful World Park of Changsha, Hunan Province, China.A total of 19 people successfully entered the car. (credit:REX/Xinhua News Agency)
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Participants dressed like Santa Claus are crammed into a car during a car loading game in Colorful World Park of Changsha, Hunan Province, China.A total of 19 people successfully entered the car. (credit:REX/Xinhua News Agency)
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Participants dressed like Santa Claus are crammed into a car during a car loading game in Colorful World Park of Changsha, Hunan Province, China.A total of 19 people successfully entered the car. (credit:REX/Xinhua News Agency)
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Groceries are prepared for distribution at Tesco's distribution plant on December 18, 2014 in Reading, England. In the lead up to Christmas, Tesco's busiest time of the year, 13,000 staff are working around the clock at 28 distribution centres across the UK. Tesco has more than 2,000 trucks, over 4,500 home delivery vans and five trains transporting around 8.9 million cases of goods every day. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014. The Russian economy will rebound and the ruble will stabilize, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday at his annual press conference, he also said Ukraine must remain one political entity, voicing hope that the crisis could be solved through peace talks. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 18: Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and her son Joe Corre pose for a photograph as they deliver an anti-fracking letter at 10 Downing Street on December 18, 2014 in London, England. The open letter from Talk Fracking was signed by 150 high-profile supporters of the campaign including Sir Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney, Yoko Ono, Helena Bonham Carter and Jude Law and also contained research highlighting the perils of fracking. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)
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Winchester Cathedral choristers speed across the ice during an early morning skate on the ice rink before rehearsals ahead of their busy Christmas singing schedule outside Winchester Cathedral, southern England, on December 18, 2014. (credit:ADRIAN DENNIS via Getty Images)
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Madame Tussauds London today revealed its newest figure, Katniss Everdeen, protagonist of the worldwide phenomenon The Hunger Games franchise, in its own immersive backdrop. Following the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, Madame Tussauds has also launched wax likenesses of Katniss, portrayed by Academy Award® winner Jennifer Lawrence, at its New York and Hollywood attractions.
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A picture shows a new wax figure of US actress Jennifer Lawrence dressed as the character Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games film franchise as it is unveiled at Madame Tussauds in central London on December 18, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JUSTIN TALLIS (Photo credit should read JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images)
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Thai women wade through floodwater after heavy rains triggered flash floods in the Thai southern city of Narathiwat on December 18, 2014. Parts of southern Thailand have experienced floods in recent days after heavy rains hit the region. (credit:MADAREE TOHLALA via Getty Images)
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An Orangutan named "Pacquiao" and zoo owner Manny Tangco, wearing Santa costumes, embrace in front of Brown Philippine Deer while giving school children a tour ahead of the next week's Christmas celebration Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014 in suburban Malabon city, north of Manila, Philippines. The yearly treat is aimed at encouraging residents to be sensitive to the feelings of animals especially when exploding firecrackers for the raucous celebration. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Christmas celebrations have started early for Aldi as sales of several of their traditional festive treats show a rise on last year.Aldi’s bestselling gingerbread house has seen impressive sales since it launched in store for the festive season.In fact, at 14cm high each, Aldi has sold enough gingerbread houses to measure 6,370 metres, which is the equivalent of 20 London Shards – the tallest building in the UK – or 425 double-decker buses. The amount of gingerbread houses sold is also equal to 66 Big Bens, 40 Blackpool Towers or 1,158 Giraffes!
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Indian Space Research Organisationâs Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mark-III) rocket shoots skyward carrying CARE (Crew Module Atmospheeric Re-entry Experiment), past a flock of geese, from the east coast island of Sriharikota, India, Thursday Dec. 18, 2014. India successfully launched its heaviest rocket carrying an experimental crew module from Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, according to ISRO. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Afghan residents stand near the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014. An Afghan official says a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle as it was being followed by police on the outskirts of the capital Kabul, killing a police officer and wounding several. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE -- Pictured: Nicki Minaj -- (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (credit:Bravo via Getty Images)
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A Christmas tree made of beer bottles stands in Lagos on December 17, 2014. Nigeria's first indigenous beer brand, Star Lager, has completed the building of the world's largest bottle tree made with a total of 8,000 Star Lager bottles. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:PIUS UTOMI EKPEI via Getty Images)
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Japan's Nagoya castle is covered with snow in Nagoya in Aichi prefecture, central Japan on December 18, 2014 as heavy snow hit wide areas of Japan. Heavy snow keeps mounting in northern Japan, accumulating to the height of nearly 2 metres in some parts and causing turbulence in bullet train and domestic flight transportation. AFP PHOTO / JIJI PRESS JAPAN OUT (Photo credit should read JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIJI PRESS via Getty Images)
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British Army cadets carry out the national flags of England and Germany onto the pitch followed by a British Army officer, right, and a German Armed Forces officer, left, dressed in World War One uniforms, prior to a soccer match between their teams in Aldershot, England, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014. British and German forces' official teams faced each other on a football field, marking the Christmas Day truce 100 years ago when rival WWI troops stopped fighting, left the trenches and are said to have played football instead. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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A view from the roof of Commercial Travellers Club building in Martin Place of the thousands of floral tributes for deceased hostages Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson on December 18, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis, was shot dead by police in the early hours of Tuesday morning after taking hostages at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place. Two other people died, 33-year-old cafe manager Tori Johnson and 38-year-old Sydney barrister Katrina Dawson. (Photo by Cole Bennetts/Getty Images) (credit:Cole Bennetts via Getty Images)
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A diver dress in a pink Santa suit feeds fish at a celebration of the naming of a baby pink dolphin at Underwater World Singapore (UWS) on December 18, 2014. The first male baby pink dolphin was born at Underwater World Singapore (UWS) in Sentosa resort island on July 15 and has been named Splish. AFP PHOTO/ROSLAN RAHMAN (Photo credit should read ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ROSLAN RAHMAN via Getty Images)
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YORK, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 17: The Sankta Lucia Festival of Light procession walks through the Nave Sanctuary before performing for visitors at York Minster on December 17, 2014 in York, England. Dating back to the 18th centruy the Swedish tradition of Sankta Lucia shares many similarities with the advent procession. It symbolises the bringing of light into the dark winter months and is one of the most significant services in the Swedish ecclesiastical calendar. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) (credit:Ian Forsyth via Getty Images)
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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend a Christmas lunch for members of the Royal Family hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on December 17, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) (credit:Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images)
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A young girl dressed in Christmas attire walks around the thousands of floral tributes for two deceased hostages Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson in Martin Place on December 18, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis, was shot dead by police in the early hours of Tuesday morning after taking hostages at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place. Two other people died, 33-year-old cafe manager Tori Johnson and 38-year-old Sydney barrister Katrina Dawson. (Photo by Cole Bennetts/Getty Images) (credit:Cole Bennetts via Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 17: Lady Gaga seen in town for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in New York City on December 17, 2014. Credit: RW/MediaPunch/IPX (credit:RW/MediaPunch/IPx)
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Nick Clegg announces more free school meals, Hallfield Primary School, London, Britain, Deputy Prime Minister seen eating a mince pie after making them with year 5 pupils (credit:REX/Ben Cawthra)
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Nick Clegg announces more free school meals, Hallfield Primary School, London, Britain, Deputy Prime Minister seen eating a mince pie after making them with year 5 pupils (credit:REX/Ben Cawthra)
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VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - DECEMBER 17: Pope Francis blows out the candles on his birthday cake during his general audience at St Peter's square on December 17, 2014 at the Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)