Photo Galleries

In 2009 US military personnel inspected each occupied cell on a two-minute cycle at Camp 5, a maximum-security facility, at the US detention camp for suspected terrorists at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The facility is operated by the Joint Task Force Guantanamo and holds prisoners who have been captured in the war in Afghanistan and elsewhere since the September 11, 2001, attacks. (Brennan Linsley/AP/File)

A Shortfin Mako shark is found worldwide and is one of the fastest sharks, clocked at over 40 miles per hour. (Newscom)

Master maskmaker Manuel Horta of Tocuaro, Mexico, models a 'Christmas demon' mask worn during a traditional dance that acts out a struggle between angels trying to help, and devils trying to hinder, shepherds seeking the baby Jesus. This region of Mexico is known as a center of artisanry, with towns in the region specializing in different crafts. (Tony Avelar/Special to The Christian Science Monitor)

On June 6, a Jewish settler plays with his son as security guards block the entrance to the Israeli legislature during a protest in Jerusalem against the proposed decision to evacuate an outpost in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah. (Oded Balilty/AP)

A Palestinian demonstrator gestures atop the separation barrier, moments after knocking down a segment of the concrete wall on Nov. 6 during a protest in Bilin, near the West Bank city of Ramallah. The first section of the wall was constructed in 1994, between the Bat Hefer and Tulkarm communities. (Bernat Armangue/AP)

Gold turtles and toads are displayed at a jewelery shop in Seoul, South Korea, on April 21. Gold prices hit record highs for a fifth session and silver rallied to its strongest since 1980 as the dollar slid to a three-year low against a basket of major currencies and oil prices rallied. (Jo Yong-Hak/Reuters)

Monarch butterflies travel up to 2,800 miles from North America to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Sierra Chincua, central Mexico, each year in one of the earth's most extraordinary migrations. (Tony Avelar/The Christian Science Monitor)

A model in a yellow dress is seen on the runway during China Fashion Week. The bi-annual fashion extravaganza showcases China's fashion houses and their latest collections to buyers all over the world. (Zuma/Newscom)

First Lady Michelle Obama is featured on the March 2009 cover of Vogue, shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz. (Annie Leibovitz/VOGUE)

A subterranean water formation, Cueva de los Verdes, is seen in Lanzarote, Spain. (Rafael Lopez-Monne/NEWSCOM)