With more than 40,000 followers on Twitter and 26,400 fans on Vine, it looks like Marutaro the hedgehog from Japan is one of the most popular hedgehogs on the Internet. And as his owner keeps on posting Marutaro’s pictures online daily, Marutaro’s popularity continues to grow. There are hundreds of cute photographs and videos of this little fellow, but the ones with little paper cut-out faces are probably the cutest. As Marutaro lies on his back, his owner gives him a variety of silly expressions and smiles. The 20 best of them will definitely boost your mood!

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

“A Brazilian hotel was evacuated in the capital, Brasilia, on Monday after a man took hostage an employee who was held for hours before he was safely released to police. Firefighters and police cordoned off the area and about 300 guests and other employees left the hotel – some reportedly told to leave by the man who took the employee hostage”. – Associated Press. (Photo by Evaristo Sa/AFP Photo)

The time of selfies with duck faces is long gone and ridiculed, though some persist in doing it. Helene Meldahl, however, didn’t want to give up the trend, but had to think of a creative way to keep doing it. So she decided to create comical pictures by drawing over the selfies that she has made. Some people just can’t stop taking pictures of themselves. It makes you wonder, what they would do in an era before the existence of cameras… Oh, poor souls, they would definitely suffer greatly without the possibility of sharing on instagram their “stunning looks” and the pictures of food that they eat every 2 seconds. (Photo by Helene Meldahl)

If you ever wanted to meet a live Pikachu, you might have a hard time finding one. However, there is a creature on this Earth that kind of looks like one. That creature’s name is Thecacera pacifica and it is a species of a sea slug. These little critters can be found in the Indian Ocean from African coast to Indonesia and Vanuatu. Their vibrant orange and blue colors look gorgeous, making it look like some sort of anemone. Also, as you might have guessed from the striking colors of the sea slug, just like most of anemones, this creature is very toxic. Thus, keeping it as a pet isn’t an option.

Dongchuan is a rural place located in the area of Wumeng Mountains. This place became one of the most favored destination spots for Chinese photographers all because of its red soil. The Wumeng’s scenery was first discovered in mid-90s. The first photographers who came here shot some award-winning photos, which made them keep the location of this place a secret. With time, however, more people found out about this place, making them want to visit these arid mountains. The contrasting red soil, yellow buckwheat, and brilliant blue skies make this place a paradise for photographers.

The Syrian refugee folklore troupe Abu Rustom perform at a wedding show at Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria February 20, 2017. The Syrian troupe is trying to keep its country's traditions alive by holding traditional dances and performing celebratory sword fights during weddings and other occasions, according to the troupe's leader. (Photo by Muhammad Hamed/Reuters)