The Power Of Photography: 10 Images That Made The World Pay Attention In 2016

© Ameer Alhalbi, Agence France-Presse. A Syrian man evacuates an area following a reported airstrike.

The Word Press Photo contest has announced its winners today and all of the images listed are incredible examples of press photography. All of the entries have captured an event or issue that was of significant importance in the last year and without them, the world would be less informed and unable to comment on some of the tragic stories, as well as inspiring events, that have happened or are still happening today.

Among the entries, you'll find heart-breaking images from war-torn countries, images of people making powerful political statements and photos that capture the mourning of a country after its leader died. There are also slightly happier themes with a story all about an unknown small town in the USA where people tend to happily spend all of their lives, pandas at a breeding and research center in China and Usain Bolt winning the 100-meter semi-final sprint, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This is the 60th annual World Press Photo contest and the full gallery of winners can be found on the World Press Photo website. 

© Amber Bracken. A man is treated with milk of magnesia after being pepper sprayed by police at the blockade on highway 1806.   

© Daniel Berehulak, for The New York Times. Six-year-old Jimji cries in anguish as she screams "papa" before funeral parlor workers move the body of her father, Jimboy Bolasa.

© Jonathan Bachman, Thomson Reuters. Lone activist Ieshia Evans stands her ground while offering her hands for arrest as she is charged by riot police.

© Paula Bronstein, for Time Lightbox / Pulitzer Center For Crisis Reporting. At the hospital, Najiba holds her two-year-old nephew Shabir who was injured from a bomb blast in Kabul on 29 March 2016.

© Sergey Ponomarev, for The New York Times. A family flees the fighting in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, as oil fields burned in Qayyara, Iraq.

© Valery Melnikov, Rossiya Segodnya. Civilians escape from a fire at a house destroyed by an air attack in the Luhanskaya village.

© Valery Melnikov, Rossiya Segodnya.  Ordinary people became victims of the conflict between self-proclaimed republics and the official Ukrainian authorities.

© Abd Doumany, Agence France-Presse. A Syrian girl cries out as a wounded child lies next to her at a makeshift hospital on 12 September 2016.  

© Vadim Ghirda, The Associated Press. A woman is supported by two men while crossing a river, as refugees attempt to reach Macedonia.