A pilgrim holds up the cross after it was thrown by an Orthodox priest into the water, during an epiphany ceremony to bless the sea, on the southeast resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus, Friday, January 6, 2023. By tradition, a crucifix is cast into the waters of a lake or river, and it is believed that the person who retrieves it will be freed from evil spirits and will be healthy through the year. (Photo by Petros Karadjias/AP Photo)

Ocean Beach after a rain storm in San Francisco, California, US, on Thursday, January 5, 2023. A powerful storm with hurricane-force gusts has begun to wind down after ripping across California, leaving behind power outages, flood threats and road closures just hours before another drenching is set to wash over the state. (Photo by Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg)

Hot air balloons are displayed during an exhibition, in Caracas, Venezuela, 09 December 2022. The Government of Venezuela inaugurated an international transport exhibition to attract investment for a sector that has almost been paralyzed for the past five years but has begun to show signs of recovery this year. Venezuela has one of the most obsolete vehicle fleets in Latin America.. (Photo by Miguel Gutierrez/EPA/EFE)

An exhibition staff member looks over artworks by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz on display during a preview of the exhibition “Magdalena Abakanowicz: Every Tangle of Thread and Rope” at the Tate Modern in London, Britain, 15 November 2022. The large-scale Abakan sculptures have been brought together for the first time in the UK. The exhibit opens on 17 November 2022 and runs until 21 May 2023. (Photo by Andy Rain/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

An Afghan girl who practices taekwondo poses for a photo in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, October 31, 2022. The ruling Taliban have banned women from sports as well as barring them from most schooling and many realms of work. A number of women posed for an AP photographer for portraits with the equipment of the sports they loved. Though they do not necessarily wear the burqa in regular life, they chose to hide their identities with their burqas because they fear Taliban reprisals and because some of them continue to practice their sports in secret. (Photo by Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo)

A dog poses in traditional Chinese dress on Yaowarat Road in Chinatown on the eve of Lunar New Year on January 20, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Chinese diaspora of Southeast Asia is celebrating a lively Lunar New Year as COVID-19 restrictions have been removed. It is traditionally a time for people to meet their relatives and take part in celebrations with families. In Thailand, which has a sizeable population of Chinese lineage, people gather with family and celebrate with feasts and visits to temples. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

Tony North; First place, Breathing Spaces; Overall Winner; Blue Tajinaste, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. “Echium thyrsiflorum is endemic to the mountains of La Palma island – from high up, there was a magnificent view of both the caldera below, and the stars above. The Unesco La Palma biosphere reserve encompasses the entire island, with the Caldera de Taburiente containing mountains with a highest peak of 2,426 metres – the Roque de los Muchachos”. (Photo by Tony North/IGPOTY)

Tibetan monks in ghoulish costumes perform during a ceremony to chase away the “demon king” to bring peace and happiness for the Tibetan New Year at the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing, Sunday, February 19, 2023. The annual event has returned after China lifted all bans on public gatherings from the outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by Andy Wong/AP Photo)