A firefighter stands next to a cave-in at a crossroad in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China. The cause of the cave-in, measuring about 6 meters (20 ft.) in depth, 10 meters (32.8 ft.) in diameter, is still under investigation. (Reuters)

An Acehnese woman is seen through an opening on a wall as she attends a prayer commemorating the 8th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia. (AP)

The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Shinzo Abe (C) is applauded by his party members after being elected as Japan’s Prime Minister at the Lower House of the Parliament in Tokyo. (Reuters)

While the Dawn spacecraft is visiting the asteroids Vesta and Ceres, NASA Glenn has been developing the next generation of ion thrusters for future missions. NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Project has developed a 7-kilowatt ion thruster that can provide the capabilities needed in the future. (NASA)

A man tries to contain fire at a burnt out warehouse on Lagos Island in Lagos, Nigeria. (AP)

Shoppers beg sales assistants for perfume products Selfridges on the morning of the Boxing Day sales in London, Britain. (Reuters)

Supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party arrive at the tomb of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bukash near Larkana to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her death. (AFP)

A worker makes firecrackers at a makeshift factory in Bocaue town, Bulacan province, north of Manila, Philippines. Firecracker makers are in a rush to meet the demands of pyrotechnic enthusiasts for the coming New Year revelry despite local health officials warning against the use of fireworks. (Reuters)