内容摘要：won the presidency in a country that, like Poland, is located along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union, where Russia has waged a three-year war in Ukraine. Dan managed to overcome a threat from a hard-right anti-Ukrainian nationalist, offering relief to those in Europe worried about a stance viewed as helpful to Moscow.

won the presidency in a country that, like Poland, is located along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union, where Russia has waged a three-year war in Ukraine. Dan managed to overcome a threat from a hard-right anti-Ukrainian nationalist, offering relief to those in Europe worried about a stance viewed as helpful to Moscow.

Kate’s return took longer.The public got their first post-diagnosis glimpse of the 42-year-old princess through a carriage window as she attended the king’s birthday parade, known as Trooping the Color, in June. Kate also appeared at the national Remembrance Day ceremony honoring fallen servicemen and women in November as well as her annual Christmas carol service in December as she slowly took on more duties.

But there’s one picture that captures the princess’ year.Kate, Princess of Wales reacts as she waits to present the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain after he defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the men’s singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)Kate, Princess of Wales reacts as she waits to present the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain after he defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the men’s singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

It’s from the day in July when Kate attended the Wimbledon men’s singles final, stepping in front of the public for the first time without a hat brim or a window between her and the cameras.The crowd is blurred, and she’s looking over her shoulder. Her smile is huge.

After heat records were smashed and a torrent of extreme weather events rocked countless countries in 2023, some climate scientists believed that the waning of the El Nino weather pattern could mean 2024 would be slightly cooler.

It didn’t happen that way.A municipal worker shows owlets rescued from a fallen tree after a powerful storm in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic)

A municipal worker in Montenegro holds owlets rescued from a fallen tree after a powerful storm in Podgorica. A herd of deer cross a road in a bucolic scene near Frankfurt, Germany.Deer cross a road in the Taunus forest in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Deer cross a road in the Taunus forest in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)In a world where war and disaster dominates headlines, the natural world survives and even thrives. AP photographers document it, often spotting beauty even while covering death and destruction.