Top photos of 2016: Brexit, Trump, Rio and Standing Rock

Brexitcalls into questionBritain's relationship with European Union.

Activists painted with the colours ofthe EU flag and Union Jackkiss each other in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to protest against the British referendum about leaving the EU, popularly known as Brexit,on June 19.

Russiaaccused of meddling in the U.S. election.

A couple kissin front of a muraldepicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 14. Reports say a new CIA assessment found proof that Russia hacked the Democratic campaign to help Trump and sway American voters.

Trump takes on Clinton for the presidency of the U.S.and wins.

Donald Trump looms behind Hillary Clinton as sheanswers a question from the audience during their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 9.

Shooting death of Alton Sterling results in widespread protests acrossU.S.

A demonstrator protests the shooting death of Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., on July 9.Sterlingwas shot and killed by police in a parking lot where he regularly sold homemade CDs from a folding table. It wasone of a series of high-profile police shootings over the summer.

Protests mark the anniversary of Chile's 1973 military coup.

A demonstrator stares ata riot police officerduring a protest marking the country's 1973 military coup in Santiago, Chile, on Sept. 11.

Oilfields burn in Iraq.

Boys play with a ball in front of oilfields burned by ISIS militants in Qayyara, south of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 23.

Children caught in siege of Aleppo.

Five-year-old Omran Daqneesh sits in an ambulance after being pulled out of a building hit by an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria, on Aug. 17, in a video frame capture provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Centre.The boy was injuredin an airstrike in the rebel-held side of Aleppo.UNICEF saysthat 8.4 million young Syrians have been affectedby the conflict, whether through direct violence or being forced to flee to safety abroad.

Isaac and Le Bon put on an act at TIFF.

Oscar Isaac pretends to autograph Charlotte Le Bon's leg as they arrive on the red carpet for the film The Promise during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11.

Strong bonds at the Rio Paralympics.

Canadian basketball ParalympiansAdam Lanciaand wife, Jamey Jewells, share a kiss after Jewells's match in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 16.

DeGrassegives Bolt a run for his money.

Canada's Andre DeGrasse, second left, competes withUsainBolt of Jamaica, left, during the men's 100-metre semifinals during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Aug 14.

Portugal supporters cheer Euro 2016 win.

Supporters of Portugal cheer during the public viewing of the UEFA Euro 2016 final match between Portugal and France in Lisbon on July 10.

Brazilian losessoccer team in devastating crash.

Rescuers search for survivors from the wreckage after of a charter plane carrying the Chapecoense Real Brazilian soccer team crashed in the mountains in Colombia on Nov. 28, killing 71people. The plane was heading for the team's biggest game in its history. Six people survived the crash.

Hurricane Matthew wreaks havoc in Haiti.

A food vendor waits for customers after Hurricane Matthew hit Jeremie, Haiti, on Oct. 18. Over1,000 people died as a result of the storm, which also caused apublic health crisis as cholera ravagedrural communities lacking clean water, food and shelter.

Showdown at Standing Rock.

TheOcetiSakowincamp is seen in a snowstorm during a protest against plans to build the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, N.D., on Nov. 29.Standing Rock protesters,refusingto bow to frigid weatherand evacuation orders, claimed victory afterconstruction of thecontroversial pipeline near their territory washalted by the U.S. Department of the Army.

David Bowieremembered by fans.

A woman with a Ziggy Stardust tattoo visits a mural of David Bowie in London on Jan. 11. Bowie, a music legend who used daringly androgynous displays of sexuality and glittering costumes to frame legendary rock hits Ziggy Stardust and Space Oddity, died of cancer at age 69.

An earthquake devastates communities in Italy.

Rescue teams continue their operations in the rubble of the largely destroyed Lazio mountain village of Amatrice, Italy, on Sep. 1. A6.0 magnitude earthquake early the morning of Aug. 24 left a total of 293 dead.

Albertawildfires make Canadian history.

The glow from wildfires can be seenunderneath northern lights, near Fort McMurray, Alta., on May 7. A series of environmentalfactors made the Alberta wildfiresalmost unstoppable, leading to the evacuation of Fort McMurray,but such fires could be increasingly common, according to experts.