A woman dressed as a character from the nativity story put a lamb around the neck of Pope Francis as he arrived to visit the Church of St Alfonso Maria dei Liguori on the outskirts of Rome.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel made her first public appearance after breaking a bone in her pelvis in a cross-country skiing accident in Switzerland.
Barcelona's midfielder Cesc Fabregas celebrated a goal during the Spanish Copa del Rey football match against Getafe at the Nou Camp stadium.
The UN warned that the Central African Republic is heading toward a humanitarian disaster, as people fleeing conflict between Muslim and Christian militias pack into overcrowded camps with poor sanitation.
Mark Duggan's family have said they will fight for justice after an inquest jury concluded by a majority of 8 to 2 that he was lawfully killed by police. Outside court, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley attempted to read a statement which said the force had sympathy with Mr Duggan's family but he struggled to make himself heard over chants by protestors.
A sea of devotees clamber over one another to touch the Black Nazarene statue in the Philippine capital, Manila. Many believe the life-sized statue of Jesus Christ holds mystical powers that can wash away sins or cure illnesses.
US basketball star Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in Pyongyang. The former NBA star is on his fourth North Korean visit to mark Mr Kim's birthday with a basketball match.
Thousands of criminal case lawyers did not attend courts in a number of cities in England and Wales, in protest at planned cuts of £220m to legal aid. Lawyers argue the cuts could see their fees fall by up to 30% and reduce the representation available to defendants. The Ministry of Justice said efficiencies were necessary to ensure legal aid remained "sustainable".
A man walks dogs past placards left by protesters in front of the Madrid Supreme Tribunal of Justice building. The regional government of Madrid aims to part-privatise six hospitals in Spain's capital city but the regional court has halted the process.
It was a week of bad weather. In the US more than 191 million people are believed to have been affected by the cold weather. Minnesota experienced the lowest temperature in the nation on Tuesday: -37C, colder than readings recently recorded on Mars by the Mars Rover...
In the UK, stormy weather wreaked havoc with parts of its coastline. A combination of high winds, rain and strong waves battered the coastline and also caused flooding further inland. Here people watch and photograph enormous waves as they break on Porthcawl harbour, South Wales...
And in Pakistan the first of the winter snow arrived.
