World in focus – best photos for December 8, 2016

A diver in a Santa Claus poses while feeding fish as part of the upcoming Christmas celebrations at Aquaria KLCC underwater park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vincent Thian / AP Photo

People walk on a pedestrian crossing in Tokyo. Japan’s economy grew at a slower pace than earlier estimated in the July to September quarter, expanding at an annual pace of 1.3 per cent. Eugene Hoshiko / AP Photo

Motorcyclists pass a damaged section of a road following an earthquake in Meureudu, Pidie Jaya, in the northern province of Aceh, Indonesia. Antara Foto / Irwansyah Putra / via Reuters

People light candles next to a grave in the cemetery Jardines de la Aurora, to mark the beginning of the Christmas festivities, in Cali, Colombia. Jaime Saldarriaga / Reuters

People arrive at the site of a plane crash in the village of Saddha Batolni near Abbotabad, Pakistan. Faisal Mahmood / Reuters

Residents gather at the front of a small house that holds 15 people in the Mangueira favela community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Much of the Mangueira favela community sits about a kilometre away from Maracana stadium, the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The stadium received hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations ahead of the World Cup and Olympics but residents of the community say they received few if any tangible benefits from the mega-events. Mario Tama / Getty Images

Kentucky Wildcats cheerleaders perform during the game against the Valparaiso Crusaders at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Andy Lyons / Getty Images / AFP

Whirling dervishes perform a traditional Sema ritual during a ceremony, one of many marking the 743rd anniversary of the death of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, at Mevlana Cultural Centre in Konya, Turkey, Murad Sezer / Reuters

A man looks after his pigeons on a rooftop in Herat, Afghanistan. Among many of the things banned by the Taliban, before they were forcibly removed from power, was bird keeping, which they described as un-Islamic. EPA

Jacob Talley competes in the steer wrestling event during the seventh go-round of the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. John Locher / AP Photo

A clown poses for a picture in a parade during Salvadoran Clown Day celebrations in San Salvador, El Salvador. Jose Cabezas / Reuters

A look at some of the best photos from around the world today.