Tuesday October 10, 2006, Seville, Spain

Life at the Ruedo

Bulls are trained for years at ranches in Seville. The bulls are raised to fight in "ruedos" and all of them are branded with a different sign for every owner.

A man on a horse is seen working with bulls and cows in a "ruedo" before the bullfighting.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Sunday March 18, 2007, Agra, India

Cricket in India

Cricket is the most popular sport in India and is the national pride. India is one of the favorites in this year's World Cricket Cup.

An Indian cricket player hits the ball in front of the Tah Majal.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Wednesday November 14, 2007, Sant Louis, Senegal

El Hadj poses inside his car in Saint Louis. Hadjs took a cayuco to go to Spain 3 months ago but one month after he arrives the Canaries Island he was deported back to Dakar. He invested all his money to pay for the trip.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday April 4, 2008, Granada, Spain

Granada literary festival

A young Spanish girl in a catholic first communion dress in La Alhambra Palace during the Hay Festival.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday March 27, 2009, Johannesburg, South Africa

Township soccer in South Africa

As South Africa prepares to play host to the 2010 World Cup, question have arisen over the conditions inside the cities' townships which house the country's poor. It will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation. Soccer or football is the most popular game in the country and children play when and wherever they can.

Children play soccer close to Orlando Stadium

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Wednesday June 25, 2008, Seville, Spain

Major heat wave hits Europe

A girl cools off in a fountain on a street in Seville. Europeans were being urged to stay cool as a record-breaking heatwave looks set to last another week.

A girl cools off in a fountain. A rainbow spans the fountain.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Thursday June 12, 2008, Seville, Spain

Spanish truckers continue strike over rising fuel costs

Transports workers embrace and say goodbye to each other after Spanish police arrived to break up a picket line by striking Spanish truckers in Seville. Members of "Fenadismer" and another truckers' union, "Confedetrans," launched the strike Monday to demand government assistance to offset the higher fuel costs in a protest that has caused food and fuel shortages and huge tailbacks on the Spanish-French border and around major Spanish cities

Striking truckers embrace each other after their picket line was broken up by police.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Wednesday June 25, 2008, Seville, Spain

Major heat wave hits Europe

Boys cool off in the Guadalquivor River in Seville. Europeans were being urged to stay cool as a record-breaking heatwave looks set to last another week.

Boys dive into the Guadalquivor River.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Wednesday May 7, 2008, Belgrade, Serbia

Defiant Serbia holds elections in Kosovo

Serbia goes to the polls May 11th for general elections which could see ultra-nationalists seize power in a voter backlash against the West following Kosovo's independence. Sunday's elections pit a pro-Western alliance spearheaded by President Boris Tadic DS Party against the ultra-nationalist Radical Party, which looks set to form a coalition with Kostunica's DSS. Elections will also take place in Kosovo. That act is being seen as a rejection of the region's western-backed declaration of independence.

Supporters of Serbia's pro-Western president and Democratic Party leader Boris Tadic wave Serbian and EU flags during a pre-election rally in central Belgrade.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Sunday March 16, 2008, Seville, Spain

Spaniards mark Holy Week in Seville

Spanish Catholics mark Holy Week in the city of Seville. Considered one of the most important annual events in the city, Holy Week celebrations are marked by the procession of floats depicting scenes from the bible. Also prominent are processions by religious brotherhoods, whose members often wear dark penitential robes and hoods. Hundreds of Easter processions take place around the clock in Spain durng Holy Week, drawing thousands of visitors.

A Catholic alter boy waves the botafumeiro to spread incense during a procession by members of the "Jesus Despojado" brotherhood during Holy Week.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Sunday March 16, 2008, Seville, Spain

Spaniards mark Holy Week in Seville

Spanish Catholics mark Holy Week in the city of Seville. Considered one of the most important annual events in the city, Holy Week celebrations are marked by the procession of floats depicting scenes from the bible. Also prominent are processions by religious brotherhoods, whose members often wear dark penitential robes and hoods. Hundreds of Easter processions take place around the clock in Spain durng Holy Week, drawing thousands of visitors.

Members of the "Jesus Despojado" brotherhood march with black hoods and robes during Holy Week.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday November 16, 2007, Saint Louis, Senegal

A fisherman is seen eating after come back from fisher journay in a small fishers village, BUdiadiat, in Casamance,in the north of Senegal ,place from where cayucos has gone away toward Spain

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Thursday November 15, 2007, Tuba, Senegal

Mor Diarra Niang, the current califa´s grandson sits in the Tuba Mosque, the biggest in West Africa. Tuba is the holy city for the Murí, the brotherhood founded by Amsdou Bamba.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Tuesday June 10, 2008, Seville, Spain

Construction workers plan strike in Spain

Spanish construction workers labor on a job site in Poligono Los Esparteles, Seville. Construction workers are planning a strike on June 17th, which could be dissasterous for Spain as the current truck driver strike continues to affect the country.

Spanish constructions workers labor on a job site in Poligono Los Esparteles, Seville.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Sunday April 8, 2007, Surbana, India

Indian citizens struggle amid the construction of giant dams

The construction of large dams on the Narmada River in central India and their impact on millions of people living in the river valley has become one of the most important social issues in contemporary India. The struggle of the residents of the Narmada Valley against construction of large dams began after the groups of residents slated for displacement began to organize in 1985. Since then, the struggle has spread and now encompasses other major dams in various stages of planning and construction, among them: Maheshwar, Narmada Sagar, Maan, Goi, and Jobat.

A group of young Indian men prepare their boat before crossing the Narmada River, loaded down with belongings. The families of these men were displaced after their village was submerged due to dam construction. Today, the live in the surrounding mountains.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Thursday November 15, 2007, Tuba, Senegal

Tuba Mosque is the biggest mosque in West Africa. Tuba is the holy city for the Murí, the brotherhood founded by Amsdou Bamba.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Tuesday November 13, 2007, Sant Louis, Senegal

A young blind woman who suffers from diabetes is seen at her home in the fishermen's neighborhood of Saint Louis, where boats (cayucos) regularly leave for Spain.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Tuesday September 4, 2007, Priorato, CATALUÑA

Jerome Baste, a young French winemaker, picks up grapes at L´Abadía. The territory of Priorat, located between the mountains of Montserrat with a microclimate of extreme temperatures, received the "Denominación de origen Cualificada", or "Protected designation of origin". Slate, the mineral that prevails in Montserrat, and the microclimate contribute to give the grapes a character that allows to obtain some of the best wines in the world. Together with the wild landscapes and the peaceful location, the Priorat attracts experts from all over the world to create their own cellars.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday April 27, 2007, Nukus, Uzbekistan

Ecological problems plague the Aral Sea region

Since the 1960s, when the Soviet Union diverted rivers feeding the Aral Sea for irrigation efforts throughout Central Asia, the sea has been shrinking, devastating the lands in the surrounding area. Today, what remains of the sea is heavily polluted as a result of weapons testing, industrial projects and fertilizer runoff. Added to that, those who live near the dying sea suffer from a variety of respiratory illnesses blamed on dust storms that blow salt, sand and chemical residue as a result of the area's devastating environmental changes.

Beached fishing boat is seen in Aral sea near port Moinac, Uzbekistan Karakalpakstan Republic.Moinac,a quiet village nondescript Soviet aechitecture,is the gateway for the fast-disappearing Aral sea.The Aral sea disaster was a Soviet plan who tapped the rivers that fed the Aral sea,in order to irrigate new cotton fields and wanted to bring water to Central Asia. The Aral Sea´s shrinkage has devastated the lan around it.Yhe climate around the lake has changed.Salt,sand and dust from exposed bed is blown hundreds of kilimetres in big salt.dust sandsturms,which also pick up residues of the chemicals from cultivated land.The catalogue of health problems is awful: salt and dust blamed respiratory ill-nesses and cancers of the throat and oesophagus.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Tuesday April 24, 2007, Samarkand

A woman in her wedding shop in Samarkand. Samarkand is one the oldest cities in the world. It is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province. The city is most noted for its central position on the Silk Road between China and the West, and for being an Islamic center for scholarly study. In the 14th century, it became the capital of the empire of Timur (Tamerlane), and is the site of his mausoleum (the Gur-e Amir). The Bibi-Khanym Mosque remains one of the city's most notable landmarks. The Registan was the ancient centre of the city.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Saturday April 7, 2007, Biquará, India

Major dams in construction to save Indian villages

The village of Chicaldá is predicted to submerge and disappear during the next monsoon. The construction of large dams on the Narmada River in central India and its impact on millions of people living in the river valley has become one of the most important social issues in contemporary India. The controversy over large dams on the River Narmada has come to symbolize the struggle for a just and equitable society in India. The struggle of the people of the Narmada valley against large dams began when the people to be displaced by SSP began organizing in 1985-86. Since then the struggle has spread to encompass other major dams in various stages of planning and construction chiefly Maheshwar, Narmada Sagar, Maan, Goi and Jobat. Tawa and Bargi Dams were completed in 1973 and 1989 respectively have seen the affected people organize post-displacement to demand their rights.The Narmada dams project is the second biggest in the world. Amongst the 30 large dams planned for the Narmada, the Sardar Sarovar dam is the largest. With a proposed height of 136.5 m.

Indian men smoke in a hindu temple.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Tuesday March 18, 2008, Seville, Spain

Spaniards celebrate Holy Week in Seville

Spanish Catholics mark Holy Week in the city of Seville. Considered one of the mst important annual event in the city, Holy week celebrations are marked by the proccesions of floats depiciting scenes from the bible. Also prominet are proccesions by religius brotherhoods, whose memners often wear dark penintential robes and hoods. Hundreds of easter proccesions take place around the clock in spain during Holy week, drawing thousand of visitors.

Dressed in robes and black hoods, members of the "El Cerro" brotherhood take part in a Holy Week procession.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday March 21, 2008, Seville, Spain

Spaniards celebrate Holy Week in Seville

"Costaleros" carry a procession statue as part of the "San Juanico" brotherhood's Holy Week procession the city of Seville. Considered one of the most important annual event in the city, Holy Week celebrations are marked by processions of floats depicting scenes from the bible. Also prominent are processions by religious brotherhoods, whose members often wear dark penitential robes and hoods. Hundreds of Easter processions take place around the clock in Spain during Holy Week, drawing thousands of visitors.

Costaleros charged with carrying religious statues during a procession, take part in a Holy Week observance.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Saturday April 7, 2007, Biquara, India

Indian citizens struggle amid the construction of giant dams

The construction of large dams on the Narmada River in central India and their impact on millions of people living in the river valley has become one of the most important social issues in contemporary India. The struggle of the residents of the Narmada Valley against construction of large dams began after the groups of residents slated for displacement began to organize in 1985. Since then, the struggle has spread and now encompasses other major dams in various stages of planning and construction, among them: Maheshwar, Narmada Sagar, Maan, Goi, and Jobat.

An Indian women wearing a headscarf in Biquara. Residents of the village fear it will be submerged during the next monsoon.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday June 30, 2006, Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories

Israelis delay planned invasion of northern Gaza

Palestinians living in Gaza continue to deal with the hardships imposed after Israel's incursion into southern Gaza, following the kidnapping by Palestinian militants of an Israeli soldier. Recent air strikes by Israeli war planes destroyed several key bridges in the area as well as a power plant, but Israel's planned ground invasion of northern Gaza has been delayed in a possible sign of diplomatic progress in the crisis.

A veiled Palestinian woman and child attend Friday prayers inside a mosque.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Thursday February 21, 2008, Madrid, Spain

A day in the life of Spanish PM Zapatero

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero exits a meeting with fellow Cabinet ministers at his residence, Moncloa. Spain's ruling Socialist party is cementing its lead over the center-right opposition just two week's ahead of the nation's general election. Spanish voters are set to take to the polls on March 9th.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero inside his official residence, the Moncloa.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday July 24, 2009, Madrid, Spain

Alvaro Sainz, lawyer.

Herbert Smith Law Firm lawyer Alvaro Sainz poses in the elevator of the offices in the center of Madrid.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Friday April 4, 2008, Granada, Spain

Granada literary festival

Writer Ahdaf Soueif in conversation with Peter Florence, director of the Hay festival, in Carmen de los Mártires center in La Alhambra Palace.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Tuesday June 23, 2009, Sanlucar La Mayor, Spain

Spain is Europe's leader in solar energy

The largest solar power-generating plant in Europe is located near Seville. Spain has quickly moved into renewable energy, with wind power alone fulfilling 11.5 percent of demand so far for 2009. The country ranks third worldwide in terms of overall installed wind-power with capacity at nearly 16,000 megawatts, trailing only Germany at 24,000 megawatts and the United States at over 25,000 megawatts.

Solar arrays, seen from a distance from a sunflower field, at a thermal electric plant in Spain.

Credit: Laura Leon / Polaris

Laura Leon