The Top Associated Press Photos Of 2015

The Associated Press has announced its top photos of 2015.

The 146-image collection ranges from shots of a Hindu festival in India to a tomato festival Italy and includes personalities such as Pope Francis, US Secretary of State John Kerry and tennis pro Raphael Nadal.

A look at the AP selects is like a brief course on what we define as news, and what news consumers like to see. Refugees were big news in 2015, as were natural disasters, including volcanic eruptions in Indonesia and Chile. Political unrest is perennially news.

This year AP photographers documented clashes in Egypt, Burundi, and elsewhere. Terrorism was news, as seen in Paris, where the year began and ended with attacks. Offsetting scenes of violence were scenes of religious faith, daily life, and many images of animal species that share the planet with humans.

Here are five picks from the group:

To Paris, with Peace, by Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP

A dove flies in front of the Eiffel Tower, which was closed closed on Nov. 14 and 15, after terrorist attacks killed 130 people. ISIS claimed responsibility. In January, terrorists opened fire at the offices of the satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

Unrest in Egypt, by Belal Darder/AP

In April, supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood gathered in Cairo to protest the 20-year prison sentence for ousted president Mohammed Morsi, who had been was convicted of using force against protesters during the Arab Spring in 2011.

Faith in Mecca, by Amr Nabil/AP

Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in September.

Mount Sinabung Erupts, by Binsar Bakkara/AP

A farmer tends to his field as Mount Sinabung releases pyroclastic flows in Tiga Pancur, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on June 13, 2015.

Selfie with Elephant, by Andrew Harnik/AP

US Secretary of State could not resist snapping a selfie with a baby elephant in Nairobi, Kenya, in May. After dealing with conflicts around the globe, Kerry seemed to enjoy some face time with a pachyderm.