Wednesday 9 December 2015

AP PHOTOS: Editor selections from Latin America for 2015

In this Sept. 17, 2015, file photo, a worker prepares to fit a wooden arm onto a Christ statue during preparations of the altar where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in the Plaza of the Revolution, in Havana, Cuba. When Francis arrives in Havana on Sept. 19, he'll find his church ministering to more Cubans than at any time since the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power.
In this Sept. 17, 2015, file photo, a worker prepares to fit a wooden arm onto a Christ statue during preparations of the altar where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in the Plaza of the Revolution, in Havana, Cuba. When Francis arrives in Havana on Sept. 19, he'll find his church ministering to more Cubans than at any time since the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power.

In this July 14, 2015, file photo, a motorcycle adapted to a rail sits in the tunnel under the half-built house where according to authorities, drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman made his escape from the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya, west of Mexico City. A widespread manhunt that included highway checkpoints, stepped up border security and closure of an international airport failed to turn up any trace of Guzman after he escaped through an underground tunnel in his prison cell.
In this July 14, 2015, file photo, a motorcycle adapted to a rail sits in the tunnel under the half-built house where according to authorities, drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman made his escape from the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya, west of Mexico City. A widespread manhunt that included highway checkpoints, stepped up border security and closure of an international airport failed to turn up any trace of Guzman after he escaped through an underground tunnel in his prison cell.   
In this Feb. 12, 2015, file photo, an elderly patient in costume from the Nise de Silveira mental health institute dances during the institute's carnival parade, coined in Portuguese: "Loucura Suburbana," or Suburban Madness, in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patients, their relatives and institute employees held their parade one day before the official start of Carnival.
In this Feb. 12, 2015, file photo, an elderly patient in costume from the Nise de Silveira mental health institute dances during the institute's carnival parade, coined in Portuguese: "Loucura Suburbana," or Suburban Madness, in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patients, their relatives and institute employees held their parade one day before the official start of Carnival.  
In this Oct. 3, 2015, file photo, Welsar Nazario carries the coffin of his five-month-old nephew Alezandro Macario, who died in a mudslide, to the Santa Catarina Pinula cemetery on the outskirts of Guatemala City. Rescue workers recovered more bodies early Saturday after a hillside collapsed on homes on Thursday night, while more are feared still buried in the rubble.
In this Oct. 3, 2015, file photo, Welsar Nazario carries the coffin of his five-month-old nephew Alezandro Macario, who died in a mudslide, to the Santa Catarina Pinula cemetery on the outskirts of Guatemala City. Rescue workers recovered more bodies early Saturday after a hillside collapsed on homes on Thursday night, while more are feared still buried in the rubble.   
In this May 19, 2015, file photo, riot police detain men during a land eviction in Lima Peru. On Monday hundreds of people squatted on land that according to the Ministry of Culture is an archaeological site.
In this May 19, 2015, file photo, riot police detain men during a land eviction in Lima Peru. On Monday hundreds of people squatted on land that according to the Ministry of Culture is an archaeological site.  
In this Nov. 22, 2015, file photo, opposition presidential candidate Mauricio Macri and his wife Juliana Awada, back left, celebrate after winning a runoff presidential election in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Macri won Argentina's historic runoff election against ruling party candidate Daniel Scioli, putting an end to the era of President Cristina Fernandez, who along with her late husband dominated Argentine politics for 12 years.
In this Nov. 22, 2015, file photo, opposition presidential candidate Mauricio Macri and his wife Juliana Awada, back left, celebrate after winning a runoff presidential election in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Macri won Argentina's historic runoff election against ruling party candidate Daniel Scioli, putting an end to the era of President Cristina Fernandez, who along with her late husband dominated Argentine politics for 12 years.   
In this Jan. 11, 2015, file photo, Roman Figun, a local lawyer, performs the role of Pope Francis with the Ara Yevi samba school as he stands on a bus representing his humble arrival to the Vatican during carnival celebrations in Gualeguaychu, Argentina. Ara Yevi, one of the three samba schools performing this year, used Pope Francis as their central theme.
In this Jan. 11, 2015, file photo, Roman Figun, a local lawyer, performs the role of Pope Francis with the Ara Yevi samba school as he stands on a bus representing his humble arrival to the Vatican during carnival celebrations in Gualeguaychu, Argentina. Ara Yevi, one of the three samba schools performing this year, used Pope Francis as their central theme.  
In this Nov. 21, 2015, file photo, a girl questions why the man standing next to her was allowed to step ahead of her in a line for free water, at a distribution site, in Colatina, Brazil. Residents were queuing day and night for the bottles of water.
In this Nov. 21, 2015, file photo, a girl questions why the man standing next to her was allowed to step ahead of her in a line for free water, at a distribution site, in Colatina, Brazil. Residents were queuing day and night for the bottles of water.
In this Nov. 7, 2015, file photo, people carry an injured dog they rescued in the small town of Bento Rodrigues, which flooded after a dam burst in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Brazilian searchers are looking for people still listed as missing following the Thursday burst of two dams at an iron ore mine in a southeastern mountainous area.
In this Nov. 7, 2015, file photo, people carry an injured dog they rescued in the small town of Bento Rodrigues, which flooded after a dam burst in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Brazilian searchers are looking for people still listed as missing following the Thursday burst of two dams at an iron ore mine in a southeastern mountainous area.  
In this Nov. 6, 2015, file photo, horses struggles in the mud at the small town of Bento Rodrigues after a dam burst in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Brazilian rescuers searched feverishly Friday for possible survivors after two dams burst at an iron ore mine in a southeastern mountainous area.
In this Nov. 6, 2015, file photo, horses struggles in the mud at the small town of Bento Rodrigues after a dam burst in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Brazilian rescuers searched feverishly Friday for possible survivors after two dams burst at an iron ore mine in a southeastern mountainous area.  
In this Nov. 11, 2015, file photo, Fernando Karadima is escorted from a court, after testifying in a case that three of his victims brought against the country's Catholic Church in Santiago, Chile. The Vatican ordered Karadima to life of penance and prayer in 2011 for abusing three young boys. A local judge determined the abuse allegations were truthful but absolved Karadima because the time limit had expired for prosecution. The three victims who filed the suit accuse the Chilean Catholic church of a cover up. The church has rejected the accusation.
In this Nov. 11, 2015, file photo, Fernando Karadima is escorted from a court, after testifying in a case that three of his victims brought against the country's Catholic Church in Santiago, Chile. The Vatican ordered Karadima to life of penance and prayer in 2011 for abusing three young boys. A local judge determined the abuse allegations were truthful but absolved Karadima because the time limit had expired for prosecution. The three victims who filed the suit accuse the Chilean Catholic church of a cover up. The church has rejected the accusation.   
In this Nov. 17, 2015, file photo, Cuban migrants are reflected in the window of a nun's jeep, as they gather round for free breakfast items, near the immigration office in Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica. More than 1,000 Cuban migrants heading north to the United States tried to cross the border from Costa Rica into Nicaragua, causing tensions to soar between the neighbors as security forces sought to turn them back. Nicaragua's government responded furiously on Sunday with a statement saying that Costa Rica "had deliberately and irresponsibly thrown, and continues to throw" the Cuban migrants into its territory, violating its national sovereignty.
In this Nov. 17, 2015, file photo, Cuban migrants are reflected in the window of a nun's jeep, as they gather round for free breakfast items, near the immigration office in Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica. More than 1,000 Cuban migrants heading north to the United States tried to cross the border from Costa Rica into Nicaragua, causing tensions to soar between the neighbors as security forces sought to turn them back. Nicaragua's government responded furiously on Sunday with a statement saying that Costa Rica "had deliberately and irresponsibly thrown, and continues to throw" the Cuban migrants into its territory, violating its national sovereignty.  
In this May 1, 2015, file photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, left, and Cuba' President Raul Castro acknowledge marchers as they parade past marking May Day in Revolution Square, in Havana, Cuba. Thousands of people converged on the plaza for the traditional march, led this year by the two leaders.
In this May 1, 2015, file photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, left, and Cuba' President Raul Castro acknowledge marchers as they parade past marking May Day in Revolution Square, in Havana, Cuba. Thousands of people converged on the plaza for the traditional march, led this year by the two leaders.   
In this May 29, 2015, file photo, fans take photographs of pop artist Rihanna, wearing a green scarf, as she is transported in an American classic car, after a photo shoot with photographer Annie Leibovitz at a building on the Malecon, in Havana, Cuba.
In this May 29, 2015, file photo, fans take photographs of pop artist Rihanna, wearing a green scarf, as she is transported in an American classic car, after a photo shoot with photographer Annie Leibovitz at a building on the Malecon, in Havana, Cuba.  
In this July 10, 2015, file photo, Pope Francis waves from a car as he leaves Palmasola prison after visiting prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Pope Francis wrapped up his pilgrimage to Bolivia with a visit to its notoriously violent and overcrowded Palmasola prison, where inmates have the run of the place, drugs are cheaper than on the street and money buys survival.
In this July 10, 2015, file photo, Pope Francis waves from a car as he leaves Palmasola prison after visiting prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Pope Francis wrapped up his pilgrimage to Bolivia with a visit to its notoriously violent and overcrowded Palmasola prison, where inmates have the run of the place, drugs are cheaper than on the street and money buys survival.  
In this July 6, 2015, file photo, Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he rides in the popemobile through Samanes Park, where he will celebrate Mass, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. A crowd estimated at 1 million people, greeted Francis on the packed dirt of Samanes Park for a late-morning Mass.
In this July 6, 2015, file photo, Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he rides in the popemobile through Samanes Park, where he will celebrate Mass, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. A crowd estimated at 1 million people, greeted Francis on the packed dirt of Samanes Park for a late-morning Mass.  
In this July 6, 2015, file photo, nuns arrive at Independence square, invited to attend the meeting of Pope Francis and Ecuador's President Rafael Correa in Quito, Ecuador. After a Mass in the port city of Guayaquil where hundreds of thousands listened to Pope Francis while standing in the hot sun, he will return to the Capital of Quito. Francis is making his first visit as pope to his Spanish-speaking neighborhood. He'll travel to three South American nations, Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay.
In this July 6, 2015, file photo, nuns arrive at Independence square, invited to attend the meeting of Pope Francis and Ecuador's President Rafael Correa in Quito, Ecuador. After a Mass in the port city of Guayaquil where hundreds of thousands listened to Pope Francis while standing in the hot sun, he will return to the Capital of Quito. Francis is making his first visit as pope to his Spanish-speaking neighborhood. He'll travel to three South American nations, Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay.  
In this July 10, 2015, file photo, Jair Ortega, age three, poses for a street photographer next to police special forces and a life-size cut out figure of Pope Francis, after the departure of the pope from Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Jair's mother asked the officers to pose with her son, saying he wants to be a police officer when he grows up.
In this July 10, 2015, file photo, Jair Ortega, age three, poses for a street photographer next to police special forces and a life-size cut out figure of Pope Francis, after the departure of the pope from Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Jair's mother asked the officers to pose with her son, saying he wants to be a police officer when he grows up.   
In this Feb. 15, 2015, file photo, two boys attend the wake of Renato Garcia, dressed as fictional superhero the Green Lantern and propped up against a wall in his sister's apartment, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Garcia's sister explained that she and her brother never discussed funeral wishes, but neighbors and friends suggested dressing him as the comic book superhero.
In this Feb. 15, 2015, file photo, two boys attend the wake of Renato Garcia, dressed as fictional superhero the Green Lantern and propped up against a wall in his sister's apartment, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Garcia's sister explained that she and her brother never discussed funeral wishes, but neighbors and friends suggested dressing him as the comic book superhero.   
In this Nov. 20, 2015, file photo, protesters drag to safety a fellow demonstrator injured by a machete when he was attacked by a resident in a neighborhood known for it's support of the ruling party, during a protest march against official preliminary election results, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Residents began throwing rocks at marchers as they made their way through the neighborhood. One protester was killed by a gunshot, when police intervened in the clashes between the residents and protesters. The presidential runoff election is Dec. 27.
In this Nov. 20, 2015, file photo, protesters drag to safety a fellow demonstrator injured by a machete when he was attacked by a resident in a neighborhood known for it's support of the ruling party, during a protest march against official preliminary election results, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Residents began throwing rocks at marchers as they made their way through the neighborhood. One protester was killed by a gunshot, when police intervened in the clashes between the residents and protesters. The presidential runoff election is Dec. 27.  
In this May 12, 2015, file photo, bodyguards stand around France's President Francois Hollande, second from right, and Haiti's President Michel Martelly, right, during a flower laying ceremony at the statue of Haiti's Revolution leader Toussaint Louverture at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hollande is making the second visit ever by a sitting president of France to its once prized possession of Haiti, where bountiful resources and brutal plantation slavery made it the European nation's most profitable colony some 250 years ago.
In this May 12, 2015, file photo, bodyguards stand around France's President Francois Hollande, second from right, and Haiti's President Michel Martelly, right, during a flower laying ceremony at the statue of Haiti's Revolution leader Toussaint Louverture at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hollande is making the second visit ever by a sitting president of France to its once prized possession of Haiti, where bountiful resources and brutal plantation slavery made it the European nation's most profitable colony some 250 years ago.  
In this Nov. 1, 2015, file photo, candles illuminate children's tombs in the San Gregorio cemetery during Day of the Dead festivities on the outskirts of Mexico City. In a tradition that coincides with All Saints Day and All Souls Day on Nov. 1 and 2, families decorate the graves of departed relatives with marigolds and candles, and spend the night in the cemetery, eating and drinking as they keep company with their deceased loved ones. At this cemetery, families pay a special tribute to children who have died, on the night of Oct. 31 into the morning of Nov. 1. The following night, families keep vigil at the tombs of adults.
In this Nov. 1, 2015, file photo, candles illuminate children's tombs in the San Gregorio cemetery during Day of the Dead festivities on the outskirts of Mexico City. In a tradition that coincides with All Saints Day and All Souls Day on Nov. 1 and 2, families decorate the graves of departed relatives with marigolds and candles, and spend the night in the cemetery, eating and drinking as they keep company with their deceased loved ones. At this cemetery, families pay a special tribute to children who have died, on the night of Oct. 31 into the morning of Nov. 1. The following night, families keep vigil at the tombs of adults.   
In this May 7, 2015, file photo, Graciela Meneses poses for a picture on Fishermen's Beach, holding her self-made float, decorated with fake, plastic plants, after swimming in the Pacific Ocean in Lima, Peru. Graciela, 67, says she lost 39 kilograms (85 pounds) by exercising in the sea.
In this May 7, 2015, file photo, Graciela Meneses poses for a picture on Fishermen's Beach, holding her self-made float, decorated with fake, plastic plants, after swimming in the Pacific Ocean in Lima, Peru. Graciela, 67, says she lost 39 kilograms (85 pounds) by exercising in the sea.  
In this Sunday, March 29, 2015, file photo, a man from the La Mar district of Ayacucho, sings in Quechua, holding a Peruvian national flag as he performs in the Vencedores de Ayacucho dance festival, in the Acho bullring in Lima, Peru. The different dance troupes that perform during the one-day competition typically bring a representation of Peru's national flag to assert their nationality as well as their ethnic background.
In this Sunday, March 29, 2015, file photo, a man from the La Mar district of Ayacucho, sings in Quechua, holding a Peruvian national flag as he performs in the Vencedores de Ayacucho dance festival, in the Acho bullring in Lima, Peru. The different dance troupes that perform during the one-day competition typically bring a representation of Peru's national flag to assert their nationality as well as their ethnic background.  
In this Jan. 29, 2015, file photo, Mary Jose Cristerna, a Mexican known as The Vampire Woman, poses for the public to take portraits of her during the annual Venezuela Tattoo International Expo in Caracas, Venezuela. Tattoo artists from around the world are gathering for the four-day event that also includes under the skin implants and body piercing.
In this Jan. 29, 2015, file photo, Mary Jose Cristerna, a Mexican known as The Vampire Woman, poses for the public to take portraits of her during the annual Venezuela Tattoo International Expo in Caracas, Venezuela. Tattoo artists from around the world are gathering for the four-day event that also includes under the skin implants and body piercing.   
In this April 25, 2015, file photo, residents evacuate with a few salvaged belongings after their home was destroyed by a volcanic mudflow, caused by the eruption of the Calbuco volcano, in an area along the Rio Blanco in Puerto Montt, Chile. Authorities urged 2,000 people living near the volcano to evacuate Friday after potentially devastating mudflows of volcanic debris were detected in a nearby river, the result of two huge eruptions this week that sent ash across large swaths of southern South America.
In this April 25, 2015, file photo, residents evacuate with a few salvaged belongings after their home was destroyed by a volcanic mudflow, caused by the eruption of the Calbuco volcano, in an area along the Rio Blanco in Puerto Montt, Chile. Authorities urged 2,000 people living near the volcano to evacuate Friday after potentially devastating mudflows of volcanic debris were detected in a nearby river, the result of two huge eruptions this week that sent ash across large swaths of southern South America.  
In this April 7, 2015, file photo, a military police officer aims his gun to a demonstrator during a protest in Brasilia, Brazil. The officer had picked up a bottle that was thrown towards them but did not fire his gun and backed away. Thousands of workers have staged rallies in 12 cities across Brazil to protest against a proposed law that would allow companies to outsource their labor force.
In this April 7, 2015, file photo, a military police officer aims his gun to a demonstrator during a protest in Brasilia, Brazil. The officer had picked up a bottle that was thrown towards them but did not fire his gun and backed away. Thousands of workers have staged rallies in 12 cities across Brazil to protest against a proposed law that would allow companies to outsource their labor force.   
In this April 11, 2015, file photo, Cuba's President Raul Castro talks at reporters before turning to leave the staging area of the official group photo of the VII Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama. Castro is flanked by his personal assistant and grandson, Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, and Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves. Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama held their first formal meeting in more than half a century on Saturday, clearing the way for a normalization of relations.
In this April 11, 2015, file photo, Cuba's President Raul Castro talks at reporters before turning to leave the staging area of the official group photo of the VII Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama. Castro is flanked by his personal assistant and grandson, Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, and Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves. Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama held their first formal meeting in more than half a century on Saturday, clearing the way for a normalization of relations.   
In this April 10, 2015, file photo, a child reads a sign in favor of the U.S. repealing sanctions against Venezuela, before the arrival of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro to a monument honoring the victims of the 1989 U.S. invasion, in the Chorrillo neighborhood which saw the heaviest fighting during the invasion, in Panama City. Maduro said he planned to hand over about 10 million signatures to President Barack Obama during the Summit of the Americas, asking him to the repeal an order that froze the assets of seven Venezuelan officials for alleged human rights violations and corruption.
In this April 10, 2015, file photo, a child reads a sign in favor of the U.S. repealing sanctions against Venezuela, before the arrival of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro to a monument honoring the victims of the 1989 U.S. invasion, in the Chorrillo neighborhood which saw the heaviest fighting during the invasion, in Panama City. Maduro said he planned to hand over about 10 million signatures to President Barack Obama during the Summit of the Americas, asking him to the repeal an order that froze the assets of seven Venezuelan officials for alleged human rights violations and corruption.   
In this Feb. 26, 2015, file photo, a protester injured in a scuffle with police shouts out his name as he and a woman are detained in Mexico City. The pair, and other protesters who had taken part in a march marking the fifth month of the disappearance of 43 students from a rural teachers college, clashed with police after they were prevented from entering the subway.
In this Feb. 26, 2015, file photo, a protester injured in a scuffle with police shouts out his name as he and a woman are detained in Mexico City. The pair, and other protesters who had taken part in a march marking the fifth month of the disappearance of 43 students from a rural teachers college, clashed with police after they were prevented from entering the subway.  
This is an 84-photo composite of people, each holding an image of their missing relative. The photographs of the 84 were shot between April and August of 2015 in the city of Iguala and surrounding towns. The world, and even most of Mexico, paid little attention to Iguala until 43 students from a rural teachers' college disappeared on Sept. 26, 2014. Two months after the students disappeared many other families in the area began coming forward to tell their stories, emboldened by the international attention focused on the missing students. Their message was simple: there are many more missing. They called them “the other disappeared.” The AP interviewed the relatives of 158 of those missing. Only 84 agreed to be photographed because they are still very fearful.
This is an 84-photo composite of people, each holding an image of their missing relative. The photographs of the 84 were shot between April and August of 2015 in the city of Iguala and surrounding towns. The world, and even most of Mexico, paid little attention to Iguala until 43 students from a rural teachers' college disappeared on Sept. 26, 2014. Two months after the students disappeared many other families in the area began coming forward to tell their stories, emboldened by the international attention focused on the missing students. Their message was simple: there are many more missing. They called them “the other disappeared.” The AP interviewed the relatives of 158 of those missing. Only 84 agreed to be photographed because they are still very fearful.  
In this Jan. 11, 2015, file photo, a competitor races past Cactus Island along the Uyuni salt flats during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally 2015 between Uyuni, Bolivia, and Iquique, Chile. The race will finish on Jan. 17, passing through Bolivia and Chile before returning to Argentina where it started.
In this Jan. 11, 2015, file photo, a competitor races past Cactus Island along the Uyuni salt flats during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally 2015 between Uyuni, Bolivia, and Iquique, Chile. The race will finish on Jan. 17, passing through Bolivia and Chile before returning to Argentina where it started.   
In this April 18, 2015, file photo, a monkey dips its hand into a water receptacle at the Amazon Animal Orphanage in the Pilpintuwasi rainforest, near Iquitos, Peru. The monkey was among dozens of animals that Animal Defenders International, with the assistance of the Peru's air force and navy, airlifted Saturday to the animal refuge in Peru's amazon rainforest from Lima, where they were held after being rescued from animal traffickers and circus programs.
In this April 18, 2015, file photo, a monkey dips its hand into a water receptacle at the Amazon Animal Orphanage in the Pilpintuwasi rainforest, near Iquitos, Peru. The monkey was among dozens of animals that Animal Defenders International, with the assistance of the Peru's air force and navy, airlifted Saturday to the animal refuge in Peru's amazon rainforest from Lima, where they were held after being rescued from animal traffickers and circus programs.  
In this Jan. 22, 2015, file photo, a Gentoo penguin feeds its baby at Station Bernardo O'Higgins in Antarctica. "To understand many aspects in the diversity of animals and plants it’s important to understand when continents disassembled,” said Richard Spikings, a research geologist at the University of Geneva.
In this Jan. 22, 2015, file photo, a Gentoo penguin feeds its baby at Station Bernardo O'Higgins in Antarctica. "To understand many aspects in the diversity of animals and plants it’s important to understand when continents disassembled,” said Richard Spikings, a research geologist at the University of Geneva.  
In this Feb. 1, 2015, file photo, Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov, 38, pets a Skua outside his home in King George Island, Antarctica. Penguins are his favorite animals, but Kirilov says he has also made friends with three large brown Skuas, Antarctic scavenging birds often seen hovering outside his doorstep in search of fresh fish caught by the priest.
In this Feb. 1, 2015, file photo, Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov, 38, pets a Skua outside his home in King George Island, Antarctica. Penguins are his favorite animals, but Kirilov says he has also made friends with three large brown Skuas, Antarctic scavenging birds often seen hovering outside his doorstep in search of fresh fish caught by the priest.  
This June 19, 2015, file aerial photo shows a white heron taking flight over revealed fish nests, normally inches below the waterline in La Plata reservoir in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. Thanks to El Nino, a warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that affects global weather, less rain fell to help refill Puerto Rico’s La Plata reservoir, as well as La Plata river in the central island community of Naranjito. A tropical disturbance that hit the U.S. territory on Monday did not fill up those reservoirs as officials had anticipated.
This June 19, 2015, file aerial photo shows a white heron taking flight over revealed fish nests, normally inches below the waterline in La Plata reservoir in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. Thanks to El Nino, a warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that affects global weather, less rain fell to help refill Puerto Rico’s La Plata reservoir, as well as La Plata river in the central island community of Naranjito. A tropical disturbance that hit the U.S. territory on Monday did not fill up those reservoirs as officials had anticipated.  
In this March 14, 2015, file photo, farmers walk with their donkeys on a snow covered road in La Cumbre mountain on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia.
In this March 14, 2015, file photo, farmers walk with their donkeys on a snow covered road in La Cumbre mountain on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia.   
In this Sept. 3, 2015, file photo, the Cotopaxi volcano spews ash and vapor, as seen from El Pedregal, Ecuador. Cotopaxi began showing renewed activity in April and its last major eruption was in 1877.
In this Sept. 3, 2015, file photo, the Cotopaxi volcano spews ash and vapor, as seen from El Pedregal, Ecuador. Cotopaxi began showing renewed activity in April and its last major eruption was in 1877.   
In this March 10, 2015, file photo, a demonstrator carries a sign that reads in Spanish: "They took them alive, return them alive," in reference to 43 missing students from the Ayotzinapa rural teachers college, during a march to the private TV channel Televisa in Mexico City. The missing students' parents and supporters accuse national media outlets of decreasing their coverage of the missing students after statements by then-Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam who said his investigators indicated all 43 students were killed by the Guerreros Unidos drug gang. The parents still have no concrete information on what happened to their children, and demand their voices be aired in order to continue the search for them.
In this March 10, 2015, file photo, a demonstrator carries a sign that reads in Spanish: "They took them alive, return them alive," in reference to 43 missing students from the Ayotzinapa rural teachers college, during a march to the private TV channel Televisa in Mexico City. The missing students' parents and supporters accuse national media outlets of decreasing their coverage of the missing students after statements by then-Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam who said his investigators indicated all 43 students were killed by the Guerreros Unidos drug gang. The parents still have no concrete information on what happened to their children, and demand their voices be aired in order to continue the search for them.  
In this Feb. 7, 2015, file photo, veteran clown Ricardo Farfan, popularly known as "Pitito," performs during his 91st birthday party at his home in Lima, Peru. Farfan said he most liked being a clown while performing a variety of acts at his father's circus, which he took over in the 70s, and that a clown has to be humble, speak from the heart and give joy to all ages. He added his disappointment with some clowns today who are vulgar with their audience.
In this Feb. 7, 2015, file photo, veteran clown Ricardo Farfan, popularly known as "Pitito," performs during his 91st birthday party at his home in Lima, Peru. Farfan said he most liked being a clown while performing a variety of acts at his father's circus, which he took over in the 70s, and that a clown has to be humble, speak from the heart and give joy to all ages. He added his disappointment with some clowns today who are vulgar with their audience.   
In this Sept. 7, 2015, file photo, a young devotee performs while holding a Bible during a service at the Contemporary Christian Church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the Contemporary Christian Church, which celebrated its ninth anniversary and the opening of its ninth branch with a raucous, theatrical service, homosexuality is celebrated rather than stigmatized.
In this Sept. 7, 2015, file photo, a young devotee performs while holding a Bible during a service at the Contemporary Christian Church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the Contemporary Christian Church, which celebrated its ninth anniversary and the opening of its ninth branch with a raucous, theatrical service, homosexuality is celebrated rather than stigmatized.   
In this Sept. 11, 2015, file photo, Marisa Ramirez Gutierrez, standing center, holds still on her throne dressed in the robe of the the "Iyawo," or bride, alongside a pregnant woman, right, who represents birth, and her mother, who represents a woman who has already given birth, inside her home as part of many initiation ceremonies marking the start of her one-year journey to become a Yoruba priestess in Havana, Cuba. Ramirez's other initiation rituals include a dip in a river, sitting for one day with a pregnant woman, private rituals with Yoruba priests, a celebratory dinner party with family and friends, praying to the Virgin of Charity and leaving herbal offerings at a local market.
In this Sept. 11, 2015, file photo, Marisa Ramirez Gutierrez, standing center, holds still on her throne dressed in the robe of the the "Iyawo," or bride, alongside a pregnant woman, right, who represents birth, and her mother, who represents a woman who has already given birth, inside her home as part of many initiation ceremonies marking the start of her one-year journey to become a Yoruba priestess in Havana, Cuba. Ramirez's other initiation rituals include a dip in a river, sitting for one day with a pregnant woman, private rituals with Yoruba priests, a celebratory dinner party with family and friends, praying to the Virgin of Charity and leaving herbal offerings at a local market.   
In this Sept. 8, 2015, file photo, Guatemala's former president Otto Perez Molina, photographed through a window, sits in court for a third hearing on corruption allegations that led him to resign, in Guatemala City. The court is considering allegations that Perez Molina was involved in a scheme in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through Guatemala's customs agency.
In this Sept. 8, 2015, file photo, Guatemala's former president Otto Perez Molina, photographed through a window, sits in court for a third hearing on corruption allegations that led him to resign, in Guatemala City. The court is considering allegations that Perez Molina was involved in a scheme in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through Guatemala's customs agency.  
In this Oct. 5, 2015, file photo, a man from Easter Island dances as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, behind, is given an Easter Island flag on the sidelines of the Our Ocean international conference on marine protection in Vina del Mar, Chile. President Barack Obama declared new marine sanctuaries in Lake Michigan and the tidal waters of Maryland on Monday, while Chile blocked off a vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean near the world-famous Easter Island from commercial fishing and oil and gas exploration.
In this Oct. 5, 2015, file photo, a man from Easter Island dances as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, behind, is given an Easter Island flag on the sidelines of the Our Ocean international conference on marine protection in Vina del Mar, Chile. President Barack Obama declared new marine sanctuaries in Lake Michigan and the tidal waters of Maryland on Monday, while Chile blocked off a vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean near the world-famous Easter Island from commercial fishing and oil and gas exploration.  
In this Oct. 15, 2015, file photo, Jonatan Jimenez carries his dead dog Roco, for the sea to take his body away in La Herradura beach in Chorrillos, Lima Peru. According to Jimenez he used to always walk on the beach with Roco, so he wanted it to be his final resting place.
In this Oct. 15, 2015, file photo, Jonatan Jimenez carries his dead dog Roco, for the sea to take his body away in La Herradura beach in Chorrillos, Lima Peru. According to Jimenez he used to always walk on the beach with Roco, so he wanted it to be his final resting place.   
In this Oct. 25, 2015, file photo, a convoy of soldiers trying to reach the village of Rebalse after hearing reports that it was flooded, is forced by muddy roads to turn back, outside Cihuatlan, Jalisco state, Mexico, Sunday. The soldiers were later able to access the village via another badly broken and flooded road as they drove past devastated banana fields. Patricia roared ashore in Mexico on Friday as a Category 5 terror that barreled toward land with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph). But the arrival of the most powerful hurricane on record in the Western Hemisphere caused remarkably little destruction.
In this Oct. 25, 2015, file photo, a convoy of soldiers trying to reach the village of Rebalse after hearing reports that it was flooded, is forced by muddy roads to turn back, outside Cihuatlan, Jalisco state, Mexico, Sunday. The soldiers were later able to access the village via another badly broken and flooded road as they drove past devastated banana fields. Patricia roared ashore in Mexico on Friday as a Category 5 terror that barreled toward land with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph). But the arrival of the most powerful hurricane on record in the Western Hemisphere caused remarkably little destruction.  
In this June 20, 2015, file photo, Roberto Viga, 50, takes a bite from a chunk of cooked yucca, during his break from harvesting coca leaves in Samugari, Peru. Nearly all the coca picked ends up being processed into cocaine, and many worry that the government will finally begin destroying the crop, as it has elsewhere.
In this June 20, 2015, file photo, Roberto Viga, 50, takes a bite from a chunk of cooked yucca, during his break from harvesting coca leaves in Samugari, Peru. Nearly all the coca picked ends up being processed into cocaine, and many worry that the government will finally begin destroying the crop, as it has elsewhere.  
In this June 27, 2015, file photo, two young men wearing rainbow colored wings march in the annual gay pride parade, past an evangelical church with a sign that reads in Spanish; "Jesus Christ does miracles," in Lima, Peru.
In this June 27, 2015, file photo, two young men wearing rainbow colored wings march in the annual gay pride parade, past an evangelical church with a sign that reads in Spanish; "Jesus Christ does miracles," in Lima, Peru.  
In this Aug. 14, 2015, file photo, a girl looks out from the newly opened U.S. Embassy, overlooking the staging area, at the end of the flag raising ceremony in Havana, Cuba. Cuba and U.S. officially restored diplomatic relations July 20.
In this Aug. 14, 2015, file photo, a girl looks out from the newly opened U.S. Embassy, overlooking the staging area, at the end of the flag raising ceremony in Havana, Cuba. Cuba and U.S. officially restored diplomatic relations July 20.   
In Aug. 17, 2015, file photo, Mathieux Saint Fleur, wearing a bandage over his eye, is sandwiched between the driver and his sons Renald St. Fleur, far right, and Jackilo Joseph, as they take a motorcycle taxi home after his cataract surgery in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. The 75-year-old had been virtually blind for two decades and was able to see again after surgery by volunteer eye doctors organized by the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center.
In Aug. 17, 2015, file photo, Mathieux Saint Fleur, wearing a bandage over his eye, is sandwiched between the driver and his sons Renald St. Fleur, far right, and Jackilo Joseph, as they take a motorcycle taxi home after his cataract surgery in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. The 75-year-old had been virtually blind for two decades and was able to see again after surgery by volunteer eye doctors organized by the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center.  
In this July 27, 2015, file photo, newlyweds pose for photos during their photo session at the fortress of the Morro in Santiago. While Cuban cities are seeing stagnant visitor numbers, cruise ships provide a promising new potential source of visitors, although dockings remain relatively rare.
In this July 27, 2015, file photo, newlyweds pose for photos during their photo session at the fortress of the Morro in Santiago. While Cuban cities are seeing stagnant visitor numbers, cruise ships provide a promising new potential source of visitors, although dockings remain relatively rare.  
In this Aug. 12, 2015, file photo, a police officer rests during the destruction of an illegal gold mining camp in the area known as La Pampa, in Peru's Madre de Dios region. Authorities have launched 15 such operations here in Madre de Dios state since declaring unpermitted, wildcat mining a crime in 2012, blasting dredges, backhoes and motors to bits and expelling thousands of miners and their families from muddy makeshift jungle settlements.
In this Aug. 12, 2015, file photo, a police officer rests during the destruction of an illegal gold mining camp in the area known as La Pampa, in Peru's Madre de Dios region. Authorities have launched 15 such operations here in Madre de Dios state since declaring unpermitted, wildcat mining a crime in 2012, blasting dredges, backhoes and motors to bits and expelling thousands of miners and their families from muddy makeshift jungle settlements.  
In this June 7, 2015, file photo, men are reflected in a mirror on a costume during the Corpus Christi dance in Pujili, Ecuador. Pujili dancers, their costumes representing the Andean condor, perform on the streets of the town in a mix of Catholic beliefs and indigenous ancestral traditions of the harvest.
In this June 7, 2015, file photo, men are reflected in a mirror on a costume during the Corpus Christi dance in Pujili, Ecuador. Pujili dancers, their costumes representing the Andean condor, perform on the streets of the town in a mix of Catholic beliefs and indigenous ancestral traditions of the harvest.   
In this March 17, 2015, file photo, Renato Dias, 39, writes in his notebook as he poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dias, who has been using crack for about 4 years, says he uses his notebook as a form of distraction. He writes about super heroes and dreams of becoming one.
In this March 17, 2015, file photo, Renato Dias, 39, writes in his notebook as he poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dias, who has been using crack for about 4 years, says he uses his notebook as a form of distraction. He writes about super heroes and dreams of becoming one.