Week in photos (Dec. 10-14)

A Marine Corp honor guard carry the casket of Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony Denier of Mechanicville, N.Y., at Albany International Airport in Colonie, N.Y. Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Denier, who was killed by enemy fire while on patrol Dec. 2. in Marjah, Afghanistan, was taken back to Mechanicville prior to his final funeral on Tuesday. (Skip Dickstein / The Albany Times Union)

Lady Gaga, second left, signs autographs as she arrives at Vnukovo airport outside Moscow late Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Lady Gaga, set to perform at Moscow’s Olimpiisky stadium on Wednesday. (Pavel Golovkin / Associated Press)

Dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, a diver performs with sardines at the Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. Christmas is one of the biggest holidays in South Korea, where over half of the population are Christians. (Ahn Young-joon / Associated Press)

This image provided by the West Virginia State Police shows a fireball erupting across Interstate 77 from a gas line explosion in Sissonville, W. Va.,Tuesday Dec. 11, 2012. At least five homes went up in flames Tuesday afternoon and a badly damaged section of Interstate 77 was shut down in both directions near Sissonville after a natural gas explosion triggered an hour-long inferno that officials say spanned about a quarter-mile. (West Virginia State Police)

This image released by Starpix shows Paul McCartney, center, on stage with firefighters at the 12-12-12 The Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. Proceeds from the show will be distributed through the Robin Hood Foundation. (Dave Allocca / Starpix)

Indian army soldiers perform Mallakhamb, a traditional Indian gymnastics on a vertical wooden pole during a rehearsal for Victory Day celebrations in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. The Indian Army celebrates Victory Day on December 16, to commemorate its military victory over Pakistan in 1971. (Rajanish Kakade / Associated Press)

A woman holds Syria’s flag during a protest in freezing temperatures near the Russian embassy in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday denied that a top diplomat said Syrian President Bashar Assad is losing control of his country, a statement that had been interpreted as signaling a shift in Russia’s assessment of the situation. (Vadim Ghirda / Associated Press)

The St. Peter’s Basilica is reflected on a Christmas decoration of the 24 meters (78.74 feet) Christmas tree that was lit in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. The Christmas season kicks off Friday at the Vatican with the traditional lighting of the tree in St. Peter’s Square and a reminder from the Pope about what happened when the “lights” of God were turned off in past atheistic regimes. (Gregorio Borgia / Associated Press)