“Cassowaries are large, flightless birds related to emus and (more distantly) to ostriches, rheas, and kiwis”, writes Olivia Judson in the September issue of National Geographic magazine. How large? People-size: Adult males stand well over five foot five and top 110 pounds. Females are even taller, and can weigh more than 160 pounds. Dangerous when roused, they’re shy and peaceable when left alone. But even birds this big and tough are prey to habitat loss. The dense New Guinea and Australia rain forests where they live have dwindled. Today cassowaries might number 1,500 to 2,000. And because they help shape those same forests – by moving seeds from one place to another – “if they vanish”, Judson writes, “the structure of the forest would gradually change” too. (Photo by Christian Ziegler/National Geographic)

Ultra Orthodox Jewish men watch a bonfire during the Jewish holiday of Lag Ba-Omer in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood April 27, 2013. Israelis celebrate the Jewish holiday of Lag Ba-Omer, which marks the end of a plague in the Middle Ages that killed thousands of disciples of a revered rabbi in the holy land, by lighting bonfires across the country. (Photo by Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

Lindsay Heimbach goes airborne while sledding down a hill on Mt. Lemmon December 27, 2008. (Photo by James Gregg/Arizona Daily Star)

“Sepak takraw or kick volleyball, is a sport native to the Malay-Thai Peninsula. Sepak takraw differs from the similar sport of volleyball in its use of a rattan ball and only allowing players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball. It is a popular sport in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Philippines”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Hyun Ju Kim of Korea kicks over the net against Yukie Sato of Japan during the round robin match between Korea and Japan during day one of the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup at Titiwangsa Stadium on July 21, 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images for UFA Sports)

The "Wedding Palace" (Bagt Kosgi) is located in the southwest of Ashgabat. while the building was designed in a sphere shape surrounded by the eight-corner "Oguzkhan Star" on the corners of the building. There is a map of Turkmenistan on the outer space of the sphere whose radius is 32 meters and it can be seen from far away as the sun reflects off it.

Rangoli, also known as kolam or Muggu, is a folk art from India in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. It is usually made during Diwali, Onam, Pongal and other Indian festivals. They are meant to be sacred welcoming areas for the Hindu deities. The ancient symbols have been passed down through the ages, from each generation to the next, keeping both the art form and the tradition alive. Similar practices are followed in different Indian states: in Tamil Nadu, there is Kolam in Tamil Nadu; Mandana in Rajasthan; Chaookpurna in Chhattisgarh; Alpana in West Bengal; Aripana in Bihar; Chowk pujan in Uttar Pradesh; Muggu in Andhra Pradesh and others.

An Ambassador car, licensed as taxi rolls past other vehicles through a busy road in Kolkata, india, Monday, May 26, 2014. India's oldest car factory has abruptly suspended production of the hulking Ambassador sedan that has a nearly seven-decade history as the car of the Indian elite. (Photo by Bikas Das/AP Photo)

Models showcase Valentine's Day underwear celebrating the results of a recent survey revealing that men find the lingerie, boxer shorts and vests, the biggest turn on ahead of February 14 Valentine celebrations, at Waterloo on February 2, 2006 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)