In pictures: Christmas around the world

1 of 10 After 102 days as a hostage in Colombia, Mark Henderson enjoys Christmas with his parents in Yorkshire.

2 of 10 On the other side of the world, British tourists on Bondi Beach, Australia, enjoy a Christmas picnic.

3 of 10 Temperatures in Sydney are expected to hit 37C, a fact not wasted on British tourists Vaila Smith and Sandra Storoschuk.

4 of 10 Celebrations for US troops in Iraq have been taking place in breaks between patrols.

5 of 10 In Syria, a Christian family visits church to mark the arrival of Christmas.

6 of 10 In the US, Tunya, a seven-year-old male lion at San Francisco Zoo, unwraps his Christmas bones.

7 of 10 Divers in a fish tank at Sea World in Jakarta, Indonesia, deliver seasonal greetings on behalf of their fishy friends.

8 of 10 Candles are lit to celebrate Christmas, by a young girl in Kenya.

9 of 10 Italian and British soldiers share their Christmas celebrations at a multinational base in Basra, Iraq.

10 of 10 A little girl is held close to a statue representing Jesus, near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.