Pictures of the decade: Part one

Pictures of the decade: Part one

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From Haiti's devastating earthquake to war in Syria, Reuters photographers have covered the biggest news stories of the decade, capturing images of armed conflict, natural disasters, the plight of migrants and the drama of sport.

Below is a selection of some of the best Reuters pictures taken between 2010 and 2019, accompanied by the photographers' comments.

. Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
An injured child receives medical treatment after an earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

More than 200,000 people were killed when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the impoverished Caribbean country on Jan. 12, 2010. As responders dealt with the aftermath, Eduardo Munoz found a young girl being treated for a head wound.

"It was hard as she was so young but the injury wasn't really bad ... She was obviously scared," Munoz said. "I tried to find her afterwards but it was impossible."

. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Dylan Martinez
Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, watched by bridesmaids Grace van Cutsem (L) and Margarita Armstrong-Jones and pageboy Tom Pettifer, after their wedding in London, United Kingdom.

Surrounded by royal well-wishers, Dylan Martinez took the picture from the Queen Victoria Memorial in front the palace. As the couple kissed to loud cheers, frowning bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem covered her ears, making the picture even more memorable.

"When I took that picture I didn't really notice that girl holding her ears. What I noticed was that I had this really beautiful black background," Martinez said. "They kissed again but ... it didn't have the girl, who made that picture."

. Damascus, Syria. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic
Syrian rebels dodge debris after the wall which they were taking cover behind is hit by a shell fired from a government controlled checkpoint during fighting in the Ain Tarma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria.

Goran Tomasevic won first prize in the 2014 World Press Photo spot news stories category with pictures of rebel fighters in Syria preparing for an attack on a military post.

A rebel commander was shot by a sniper and carried away. Upon returning to the post, rebel fighters came under fire: "I followed that fight for a long time," Tomasevic said. "The wall exploded with debris everywhere."

For part two of Pictures of the decade click here.

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Slideshow

Fifteen-year-old Fabianne Geismar lies dead after being shot in the head after looting wall hangings from a destroyed store in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
. Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Fifteen-year-old Fabianne Geismar lies dead after being shot in the head after looting wall hangings from a destroyed store in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The Northern Lights are seen above the ash plume of Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland.
. Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland. Reuters/Lucas Jackson

The Northern Lights are seen above the ash plume of Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland.

Pope Benedict XVI enters a building during his visit to Lambeth Palace in London, United Kingdom.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Stefan Wermuth

Pope Benedict XVI enters a building during his visit to Lambeth Palace in London, United Kingdom.

Former conservative minister Kostis Hatzidakis is covered with blood after leftists attacked him with stones and sticks, shouting, "Thieves! Shame on you!" in central Athens, Greece.
. Athens, Greece. Reuters/Yannis Behrakis

Former conservative minister Kostis Hatzidakis is covered with blood after leftists attacked him with stones and sticks, shouting, "Thieves! Shame on you!" in central Athens, Greece.

Anti-government protesters celebrate inside Tahrir Square after the announcement of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation in Cairo, Egypt.
. Cairo, Egypt. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Anti-government protesters celebrate inside Tahrir Square after the announcement of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation in Cairo, Egypt.

Rebels hold a young man at gunpoint, who they accuse of being a loyalist to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, between the towns of Brega and Ras Lanuf, Libya.
. Ras Lanuf, Libya. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

Rebels hold a young man at gunpoint, who they accuse of being a loyalist to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, between the towns of Brega and Ras Lanuf, Libya.

People watch from a nearby building as a fire burns in a slum in Mumbai, India.
. Mumbai, India. Reuters/Vivek Prakash

People watch from a nearby building as a fire burns in a slum in Mumbai, India.

Lesleigh Coyer, 25, of Saginaw, Michigan, lies down in front of the grave of her brother, Ryan Coyer, who served with the U.S. Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, United States.
. Arlington, United States. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Lesleigh Coyer, 25, of Saginaw, Michigan, lies down in front of the grave of her brother, Ryan Coyer, who served with the U.S. Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, United States.

A wave approaches Miyako from the Heigawa estuary in Iwate Prefecture after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck the area in Japan.
. Miyako, Japan. Mainichi Shimbun via Reuters

A wave approaches Miyako from the Heigawa estuary in Iwate Prefecture after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck the area in Japan.

A woman cries while sitting on a road after an earthquake and tusnami destroyed the city of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture in northern Japan.
. Natori, Japan. Asahi Shimbun via Reuters

A woman cries while sitting on a road after an earthquake and tusnami destroyed the city of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture in northern Japan.

A member of a Red Cross team walks in front of a boat sitting atop a building more than two weeks after the area was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in Otsuchi, northern Japan.
. Otsuchi, Japan. Reuters/Damir Sagolj

A member of a Red Cross team walks in front of a boat sitting atop a building more than two weeks after the area was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in Otsuchi, northern Japan.

Residents sift through the ruins of their houses after a fire in Makati city, Metro Manila, Philippines.
. Manila, Philippines. Reuters/Erik De Castro

Residents sift through the ruins of their houses after a fire in Makati city, Metro Manila, Philippines.

A boy holds his mother's leg as he cries in front of their damaged house after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake at Longmen village, Lushan county in Ya'an, Sichuan province, China.
. Lushan, China. Reuters/Jason Lee

A boy holds his mother's leg as he cries in front of their damaged house after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake at Longmen village, Lushan county in Ya'an, Sichuan province, China.

U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd left) and Vice President Joe Biden (left), along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House. Also pictured are Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd right) and Defence Secretary Robert Gates (right).
. Washington, United States. White House/Pete Souza/Handout via REUTERS

U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd left) and Vice President Joe Biden (left), along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House. Also pictured are Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd right) and Defence Secretary Robert Gates (right).

U.S. Army soldiers from the 2nd Platoon, B battery 2-8 field artillery, fire a howitzer artillery piece at Seprwan Ghar forward fire base in Panjwai district, Kandahar province southern, Afghanistan.
. Seprwan Ghar, Afghanistan. Reuters/Baz Ratner

U.S. Army soldiers from the 2nd Platoon, B battery 2-8 field artillery, fire a howitzer artillery piece at Seprwan Ghar forward fire base in Panjwai district, Kandahar province southern, Afghanistan.

Paratroopers from Chosen Company of the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry, board a waiting CH-47 Chinook helicopter as they begin a helicopter assault mission at Combat Outpost Herrera in Paktiya Province, Afghanistan.
. Herrera, Afghanistan. Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Paratroopers from Chosen Company of the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry, board a waiting CH-47 Chinook helicopter as they begin a helicopter assault mission at Combat Outpost Herrera in Paktiya Province, Afghanistan.

Covered corpses are seen on the shore of the small, wooded island of Utoeya, after mass killer Anders Behring Breivik killed 69 people in a ferocious attack on a youth summer camp of Norway's ruling Labour party, and hours later detonated a bomb that killed seven in Oslo, Norway.
. Utoeya, Norway. Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch

Covered corpses are seen on the shore of the small, wooded island of Utoeya, after mass killer Anders Behring Breivik killed 69 people in a ferocious attack on a youth summer camp of Norway's ruling Labour party, and hours later detonated a bomb that killed seven in Oslo, Norway.

A plane flies through the "Tribute in Lights" marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in lower Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 10, 2011.
. New York, United States. Reuters/Eric Thayer

A plane flies through the "Tribute in Lights" marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in lower Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 10, 2011.

A woman is seen through a car window as she flees the besieged city of Bani Walid, Libya.
. Bani Walid, Libya. Reuters/Zohra Bensemra

A woman is seen through a car window as she flees the besieged city of Bani Walid, Libya.

Anti-Gaddafi fighters fire a multiple rocket launcher near Sirte, one of Muammar Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds in Libya.
. Sirte, Libya. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

Anti-Gaddafi fighters fire a multiple rocket launcher near Sirte, one of Muammar Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds in Libya.

A picture of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung decorates a building in the capital Pyongyang, North Korea.
. Pyongyang, North Korea. Reuters/Damir Sagolj

A picture of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung decorates a building in the capital Pyongyang, North Korea.

The race car of driver Will Power (L) goes airborne during the IZOD IndyCar World Championship race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
. Las Vegas, United States. Reuters/Barry Ambrose

The race car of driver Will Power (L) goes airborne during the IZOD IndyCar World Championship race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

Men use ropes to try and right a supply truck overloaded with wheat straw, used as animal feed, along a road in Dargai, in the Malakand district, about 165 km (100 miles) northwest of Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
. Dargai, Pakistan. Reuters/Mian Khursheed

Men use ropes to try and right a supply truck overloaded with wheat straw, used as animal feed, along a road in Dargai, in the Malakand district, about 165 km (100 miles) northwest of Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

A Yawalapiti boy dips his head into the Xingu River in the Xingu National Park, Mato Grosso State, Brazil.
. Xingu National Park, Brazil. Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino

A Yawalapiti boy dips his head into the Xingu River in the Xingu National Park, Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

The full moon rises through the Olympic Rings hanging beneath Tower Bridge during the London 2012 Olympic Games in the United Kingdom.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Luke MacGregor

The full moon rises through the Olympic Rings hanging beneath Tower Bridge during the London 2012 Olympic Games in the United Kingdom.

A Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during clashes with the Syrian Army in the Salaheddine neighbourhood of central Aleppo, Syria.
. Aleppo, Syria. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

A Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during clashes with the Syrian Army in the Salaheddine neighbourhood of central Aleppo, Syria.

Venezuela's President and presidential candidate Hugo Chavez speaks in the rain during his closing campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela.
. Caracas, Venezuela. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Venezuela's President and presidential candidate Hugo Chavez speaks in the rain during his closing campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela.

Palestinian gunmen ride motorcycles as they drag the body of a man, who was suspected of working for Israel, in Gaza City, Palestinian Territories.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Palestinian gunmen ride motorcycles as they drag the body of a man, who was suspected of working for Israel, in Gaza City, Palestinian Territories.

An aerial view shows a house pushed into marshland almost a month after the Oakwood neighbourhood was left devastated by Hurricane Sandy, in the Staten Island borough of New York, United States.
. New York, United States. Reuters/Adrees Latif

An aerial view shows a house pushed into marshland almost a month after the Oakwood neighbourhood was left devastated by Hurricane Sandy, in the Staten Island borough of New York, United States.

Lynn and Christopher McDonnell, the parents of seven-year-old Grace McDonnell, grieve near Sandy Hook Elementary after learning their daughter was one of 20 school children and six adults killed after a gunman opened fire inside the school in Newtown, Connecticut, United States.
. Newtown, United States. Reuters/Adrees Latif

Lynn and Christopher McDonnell, the parents of seven-year-old Grace McDonnell, grieve near Sandy Hook Elementary after learning their daughter was one of 20 school children and six adults killed after a gunman opened fire inside the school in Newtown, Connecticut, United States.

An aerial view of the brine pools and processing areas of the Rockwood lithium plant on the Atacama salt flat, the largest lithium deposit currently in production, in the Atacama desert of northern Chile.
. Atacama, Chile. Reuters/Ivan Alvarado

An aerial view of the brine pools and processing areas of the Rockwood lithium plant on the Atacama salt flat, the largest lithium deposit currently in production, in the Atacama desert of northern Chile.

Protesters flee from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes after protesters removed a concrete barrier at Qasr al-Aini Street near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.
. Cairo, Egypt. Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Protesters flee from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes after protesters removed a concrete barrier at Qasr al-Aini Street near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.

Boys play on the roof of the entrance to a football stadium in Gao, Mali.
. Gao, Mali. Reuters/Joe Penney

Boys play on the roof of the entrance to a football stadium in Gao, Mali.

The wrapped bodies of two dead people hang from an overpass as three more dead bodies lie on the ground in Saltillo, Mexico.
. Saltillo, Mexico. Reuters/Stringer

The wrapped bodies of two dead people hang from an overpass as three more dead bodies lie on the ground in Saltillo, Mexico.

Locals carry a dead leopard which was killed after wandering into the city Kathmandu, Nepal.
. Kathmandu, Nepal. Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar

Locals carry a dead leopard which was killed after wandering into the city Kathmandu, Nepal.

A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas as people protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul, Turkey.
. Istanbul, Turkey. Reuters/Osman Orsal

A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas as people protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul, Turkey.

A garden with a swimming pool is inundated by the waters of the Elbe river during floods near Magdeburg in the federal state of Saxony Anhalt, Germany.
. Magdeburg, Germany. Reuters/Thomas Peter

A garden with a swimming pool is inundated by the waters of the Elbe river during floods near Magdeburg in the federal state of Saxony Anhalt, Germany.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 Summit at Lough Erne in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.
. Enniskillen, United Kingdom. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 Summit at Lough Erne in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

A man holds the body of a dead child among bodies of people activists say were killed by nerve gas in the Ghouta region, in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria.
. Damascus, Syria. Reuters/Bassam Khabieh

A man holds the body of a dead child among bodies of people activists say were killed by nerve gas in the Ghouta region, in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria.

A man runs up the "gostra", a pole covered in grease, during the religious feast of St Julian, patron of the town of St Julian's, outside Valletta, Malta.
. Valletta, Malta. Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A man runs up the "gostra", a pole covered in grease, during the religious feast of St Julian, patron of the town of St Julian's, outside Valletta, Malta.

An aerial view shows the Costa Concordia as it lies on its side next to Giglio Island, Italy.
. Giglio Island, Italy. Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi

An aerial view shows the Costa Concordia as it lies on its side next to Giglio Island, Italy.

Women carrying children run for safety as armed police hunt gunmen who went on a shooting spree in Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
. Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

Women carrying children run for safety as armed police hunt gunmen who went on a shooting spree in Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenya.

Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, signs a copy of her book before an event launching her memoir, "I Am Malala", at the Southbank Centre in central London, United Kingdom.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, signs a copy of her book before an event launching her memoir, "I Am Malala", at the Southbank Centre in central London, United Kingdom.

An aerial view of a coastal town, devastated by super Typhoon Haiyan, in Samar province in central Philippines.
. Samar, Philippines. Reuters/Erik De Castro

An aerial view of a coastal town, devastated by super Typhoon Haiyan, in Samar province in central Philippines.

Members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club warm up before swimming at the beach at Coney Island in New York, United States.
. New York, United States. Reuters/Eric Thayer

Members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club warm up before swimming at the beach at Coney Island in New York, United States.

Anda, a 15 year-old local boy, watches from his hut's window the burial ground of late former South African President Nelson Mandela ahead of his funeral in Qunu, South Africa.
. Qunu, South Africa. Reuters/Yannis Behrakis

Anda, a 15 year-old local boy, watches from his hut's window the burial ground of late former South African President Nelson Mandela ahead of his funeral in Qunu, South Africa.