Best photos of December 27: Long illuminated trail in New York to prayers on bank of Ganges river in Varanasi

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

People view 'Winter Reflections,' part of a mile-long illuminated trail called 'Lightscape,' at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in New York. EPA

Decorations for Christmas and New Year festivities at Gorky Park in Moscow. EPA

Candles, flowers and portraits are placed at the Consulate of Azerbaijan in the memory of victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer ERJ-190AR, that crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, in St. Petersburg, Russia. EPA

A man rows his boat across the river Ganges on a cold winter morning in Varanasi. AFP

US surfer John John Florence rides a huge swell in training for the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout 2025 event held annually at Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. AFP

A fish market located on a dock is reflected onto the water as a seagull flies in Portland, Maine, US. Reuters

Fire crews battle bushfires at Halls Gap in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. EPA

A man collects plastic and other debris washed ashore at a beach in Kedonganan, Badung Regency, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali. AFP

Hindu priests perform morning prayers on the banks of the Ganges river at Assi Ghat on a cold winter morning in Varanasi. AFP