Best photos of December 11: Firefighters in California to farmers in London

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

• 

  Hotshots climb a ridge as a mountainside burns while the Franklin Fire grows in Malibu, California, on December 10, 2024. The fire tore through Malibu destroying homes and forcing thousands to evacuate one of the most sought-after areas in the US. Multimillion-dollar properties, some owned by Hollywood celebrities, were in the path of the blaze, which exploded overnight, fanned by powerful winds and tinder-dry brush. (Photo by David SWANSON / AFP)

• 

  Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro mark the 165th anniversary of the Battle of Santa Ines in Caracas on December 10. AFP

• 

  Members of the Colombian Ballet Company rehearse the Nutcracker in Cali, Colombia. The company offers academic and artistic opportunities to underprivileged children who want to become professional dancers. AFP

• 

  Cars set on fire by armed gangs litter the Poste Marchand neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on December 10. AP

• 

  A demonstrator wears a gas mask to protest against air pollution and demand immediate action from the government in Skopje, the North Macedonian capital, on December 10. AFP

• 

  Pilgrims walk toward the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Mexico, on Tuesday, December 10. The annual pilgrimage expects to draw more than 12 million visitors on the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated on December 12. EPA

• 

  A man plays cricket against a background of grey skies in Kolkata, India, on December 11. The state of Bengal is to implement Graded Response Action Plan in six cities, including Kolkata, to battle the effect of air pollution. EPA

• 

  Traffic at Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syria, on December 10. AFP

• 

  Tractors line up near Westminster during an RIP British Farming protest in London against changes to inheritance tax regulations announced in the government's recent budget. Getty Images