Europe

Davi de Oliveira Moreira, known as "Sereio" (merman in Portuguese), poses in costume at Arpoador Rock on Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro last May. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Russia's Federal Security Service announced Monday that it detained a U.S. citizen in Moscow last week. Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP hide caption

Annalena Baerbock, co-chairwoman of the Green party, gestures during her speech at the party convention in Leipzig, Germany, in November. Jens Meyer/AP hide caption

Richard Overton had been the oldest living veteran of American wars. He died Thursday. Darren Abate/AP hide caption

A boy is airlifted after an avalanche on the French Alps on Wednesday. Rescuers are calling his survival a true "miracle." UGC/AP hide caption

Russian President Vladimir Putin, seated far left with leaders of Russia's defense ministry, viewed the test launch of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle from the Defense Ministry's control room in Moscow. Mikhail Klimentyev/AP hide caption

Ash spewing from Mount Etna is seen from the Italian city of Catania on Monday. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake followed, early Wednesday morning. Marco Restivo/Barcroft Media via Getty Images hide caption

Pope Francis delivers his Christmas Day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Tuesday. Alessandra Tarantino/AP hide caption

From left: Man Kaur of India celebrates after competing in the 100-meter sprint in the 100+ age category at the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand; an illustration inspired by a list of global poverty thinkers being called a "Sausagefest"; Maryangel Garcia Ramos, 32, a disability activist from Mexico. From left: Michael Bradley/AFP/Getty Images; Hanna Barczyk for NPR; and Antonio Escobar hide caption