Cleaners scrub a giant yellow duck at Keelung port in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The famous 18-meter (59-foot) rubber duck, created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, was cleaned up during its Taiwan tour. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Taylor Fletcher makes a trial jump, in front of a waning moon, in the ski jumping portion of the U.S. Olympic nordic combined trials in Park City, Utah. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A man creates soap bubbles for tourists in Rome’s historical Navona square. During the Christmas festivities Piazza Navona, one of the most beautiful and large squares of Rome’s center, fill with stalls and street artists, attracting crowds of visitors. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Two women stroll along a snow-covered path in downtown St. Joseph, Mich. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A man performs fire breathing during the World Fiesta street parade, an event to usher in Visit Malaysia Year 2014, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More than 3000 costumed dancers took part in the parade. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Goda Valukonyte poses by the bottle Christmas tree in the Agariniu village, Lazdijai district, some 176 kilometers (110 miles) from Vilnius, Lithuania. Lithuanian policeman Dalius Valukonis says he spent three years and hundreds of hours of his free time to create the tree using bottles he got from local restaurants, bars, family and friends. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Palestinians ride horses on Gaza beach as the sun sets in Gaza City. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The ceiling of the Capitol Rotunda during a media tour on Capitol Hill in Washington. A world-famous symbol of democracy is going under cover, as workers start a two-year, $60 million renovation of the U.S. Capitol dome. Curved rows of scaffolds, like Saturn’s rings, will encircle it next spring, enabling contractors to strip multiple layers of paint and repair more than 1,000 cracks and broken pieces. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A bird flies over the city in Srinagar, India. Kashmir, known for its mountains, lakes, forests and moderate weather was one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations until a Muslim separatist rebellion broke out in the region at the end of 1989. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS