Founded in 1955 by a group of Dutch photographers, the World Press Photo contest has grown into one of the world's most prestigious photography competitions.
This year, the competition received 73,044 images taken by 4,548 photographers from 125 different countries.
Some of the most striking news moments frozen in time include riots against President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, the Las Vegas mass shooting, and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.
Here are 45 of the most powerful, award-winning images of 2017.
WARNING: Some readers may find these images disturbing.
SEE ALSO: The 26 countries around the world where same-sex marriage is legal
Winner: World Press Photo Of The Year
José Víctor Salazar Balza (28) catches fire amid violent clashes with riot police during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela.
President Maduro had announced plans to revise Venezuela’s democraticsystem by forming a constituent assembly to replace the opposition-led National Assembly, in effect consolidating legislative powers for himself. Opposition leaders called for mass protests to demand early presidential elections. Clashes between protesters and the Venezuelan national guard broke out on 3 May, with protesters (many of whom wore hoods, masks or gas masks) lighting fires and hurling stones. Salazar was set alight when the gas tank of a motorbike exploded. He survived the incident with first- and second-degree burns.
Contemporary Issues - First Prize, Singles
A boat with tourists from Lagos Marina is steered through the canals of the Makoko community — an ancient fishing village that has grown into an enormous informal settlement — on the shores of Lagos Lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria.
Makoko has a population of around 150,000 people, many of whose families have been there for generations. But Lagos is growing rapidly, and ground to build on is in high demand. Prime real estate along the lagoon waterfront is scarce, and there are moves to demolish communities such as Makoko and build apartment blocks: accommodation for the wealthy. Because the government considers the communities to be informal settlements, people may be evicted without provision of more housing. Displacement from the waterfront also deprives them of their livelihoods. The government denies that the settlements have been inhabited for generations and has given various reasons for evictions, including saying that the communities are hideouts for criminals. Court rulings against the government in 2017 declared the evictions unconstitutional and that residents should be compensated and rehoused, but the issue remains unresolved.
Contemporary Issues - Second Prize, Singles
Dr Suporn Watanyusakul shows patient Olivia Thomas her new vagina after gender reassignment surgery at a hospital in Chonburi, near Bangkok, Thailand.
Thailand leads the world as a medical tourism destination, with gender-affirming surgery forming a strong niche. Treatment can be considerably cheaper than in other countries around the world, and the large numbers of patients mean that surgeons become highly experienced. The use of new technologies and procedures is also often given as a reason for Thailand’s popularity among people seeking treatment for gender dysphoria.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider