A bride is helped before a mass wedding of over 250 couples in Surat, India. The wedding was hosted by an Indian businessman who has funded nuptials of fatherless brides in the city of Surat for several years. Weddings in India are expensive affairs with the bride's family traditionally expected to pay the groom a large dowry of cash and gifts.

In other images from the Asia-Pacific region this week, people gathered on a bridge washed out in flooding brought by Tropical Storm Tembin in Zamboanga Del Sur province in the southern Philippines.

Pro-democracy activists held pictures of Chinese activist Wu Gan near the Chinese central government's liaison office in Hong Kong. Activist Wu Gan, who calls himself the "Ultra Vulgar Butcher" for mocking and pressuring Chinese officials, was given an eight-year prison sentence on charges of subversion, the harshest punishment in a sweeping crackdown on rights campaigners.

Japan's Emperor Akihito waved with his family from a balcony as well-wishers held up national flags at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Akihito marked his 84th birthday with a pledge to fulfill his duties until the day of his abdication in 2019.

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India's Lokesh Rahul took a selfie with teammates wearing Santa caps after their win in the third Twenty20 international cricket match against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, India.

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This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Shuji Kajiyama in Tokyo.

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