Women Wrestlers, Bolivia. Lucha libre (Bolivian wrestling) is one of the most popular sports in the country. Women wrestlers are known as cholitas and have in the last ten years become popular in the sport. Here, Carmen Rosa and Yulia la Pacena perform in a benefit show to raise money for the bathrooms of a school in La Paz, Bolivia, 26 June 2011. (Photo by Daniele Tamagni)

A soldier of Second Platoon, Battle Company of the Second Battalion of the US 503rd Infantry Regiment sinks onto an embankment in the Restrepo bunker at the end of the day. The Korengal Valley was the epicenter of the US fight against militant Islam in Afghanistan and the scene of some of the deadliest combat in the region. (Photo by Tim Hetherington). September 9, 2007

Actress Martina Gusmán on the set of the film “Leonera”. Gusmán is also a prominent Argentine film producer. The film was directed by Pablo Trapero, a leading exponent of “nuevo cine argentino”, which arose in the 1990s. The movement is known for films portraying ordinary people in everyday situations, in a realistic quasi-documentary style, usually with an element of social criticism. (Photo by Stefano De Luigi). Argentina, Buenos Aires; 2007

Professional freeride skier Phil Meier (Switzerland) escapes an oncoming avalanche during Freeride Quest, a qualifying event for Xtreme Verbier, the freeriding world championship. The sport involves off-piste skiing through a variety of terrains, with very few restricting rules. It is not uncommon that a freerider triggers an avalanche. Meier finished the session safely. Of the 19 men competing in the event, five qualified for the world championships. (Photo by Ivaylo Velev). March 15, 2007

A girl waits backstage during a cosplay competition. Cosplay, a contraction of the English words “costume” and “play”, began as a Japanese subculture in which people dressed as characters from manga comics, anime or video games. Television shows, action films and pop music bands are also sometimes sources of inspiration. The pastime has become a worldwide phenomenon, with a growing following in mainland China. (Photo by Ariana Lindquist). China, Shanghai; 2007

The leaf of a rare variety of nanmu tree, just one of the plants considered endangered by rising waters caused by the Three Gorges Dam project. The world's largest dam and hydroelectric facility has had an enormous environmental impact, leading to the displacement of over 1.13 million people, the flooding of archaeological sites and problems with algae and water pollution. Plant life is also threatened. Garden sanctuaries have been set up to harbor species transplanted from inundated areas. As the third and fourth stages of the project got underway, officials, previously reticent on the effect of the dam on the ecosystem, began to express concern over environmental matters. (Photo by Fang Qianhua). 2007

Competitors in the Copenhagen Marathon at the finish-line. (Photo by Erik Refner). May 18, 2007

Pepperdine's Jason Walberg gouges the eyes of Brigham Young University's Jonathan Tavernari during a basketball match. No foul was called. Although Tavernari missed the basket immediately after the incident, he was not injured. Later in the game he scored back-to-back three-pointers, helping his team win 86-67. (Photo by Chris Detrick). Utah, December 15, 2011

Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) commander Haval Syavent stands in the forest near the PKK camp of Arbur. The conflict between Turkish authorities and militants of the PKK has lasted decades and cost over 30,000 lives. The PKK are calling for an independent Kurdish state. More than half the world's Kurds live in the southeastern part of Turkey, near the border with Iraq. In 2007 Turkey accused the PKK of launching attacks from bases in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq and threatened retaliatory strikes. Turkey, together with the USA and the European Union, has designated the PKK a terrorist organization. (Photo by Philippe Dudouit). 2007

The head of a male narwhal lies on the ice before hunters remove its tusk. Tusks of the narwhal whale were once sold as unicorn horns and were immensely valuable. Today narwhal ivory can still fetch large sums and the whales are legally hunted by some Inuit groups. Two narwhals surface to breathe. After long dives they are desperate for air. Narwhal tusks fetch large sums, and the whales are legally hunted by some Inuit groups. The whales must be killed as they surface for air, while their lungs are full. Otherwise they will sink into the ocean. The replacement of traditional weapons by rifles has resulted in many more narwhal being killed or wounded than being retrieved. (Photo by Paul Nicklen). Canada, 2007

Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. (Photo by Platon Antoniou). 2007

Retired circus artiste Jozef Maksymiuk (59) at home dressed in one of his old costumes. In the communist era, circus was one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Poland. Performers all came from a circus school in Julinek. Since the 1990s, Julinek has been slowly dying. Now, the circus center that once employed up to 1,500 artists and technicians has closed due to financial problems. (Photo by Rafal Milach). 2007

Girls in rural Eastern Turkey have for some time been denied schooling, through a combination of factors. Traditional values place restrictions on women's education and local unrest has complicated matters further. Long-term, low-level conflict between the state and Kurdish separatists has disrupted life in the area. But a government “Let's go to School” campaign has been successful, with record numbers of girls attending classes. (Photo by Vanessa Winship). Turkey, 2007

A supporter of defeated Kenyan presidential election candidate Raila Odinga waves a stick during protests in Kibera, an opposition stronghold. Violence swept through Kenya as current leader Mwai Kibaki's narrow electoral victory was disputed. The European Union observer mission backed opposition claims that some vote figures had been inflated. There were accusations of suspicious delays in announcing results and of tampering with the electoral register. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt). Kenya, Nairobi; December 2007

Gustavo Cuevas of Spain was honored for his photo of Spanish bullfighter Julio Aparicio being gored. (Photo by Gustavo Cuevas/EFE). Madrid, Spain; 2011

Conservation rangers evacuate the bodies of four mountain gorillas found shot in the forest. The highly endangered gorillas live in an area beset with conflict. Rebel leaders in the region maintain that the Congolese government is collaborating with the Hutu-led FDLR (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda), which was accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda. Rebel militia have entered the national park in pursuit of FDLR fighters who they say are hiding there. It is not always clear who is attacking the gorillas, but a number have been killed in ways that parallel human executions during the Rwandan genocide. Some are eaten as bush-meat. The gorillas' habitat is also being destroyed as both militia and illegal charcoal-makers are cutting down trees. There are an estimated 700 mountain gorillas remaining worldwide. More than half of these live in Virunga, where at least nine were killed during 2007. Rangers trying to protect gorillas have also come under attack. (Photo by Brent Stirton). DR Congo, Virunga National Park, 2007