Two Herens cows lock horns during the qualification round of the annual “Battle of the Queens” cow fight finals in Aproz, in the western Alpine canton of Valais May 5, 2013. Each year when taken to the alpine pastures, the cows test their strength and fight for the herd's leadership. The competition continues until a new queen has forced all the other cows to retreat. (Photo by Valentin Flauraud/Reuters)

“In 1967, Zhang Yaxin was 34 and working as a photojournalist at China’s state-controlled Xinhua News Agency when he was assigned to a top-secret government project. He was to be the official photographer of a new arts program led by Chairman Mao and his wife – the Model Operas. Though he was not to know it then, Zhang would spend the next seven years documenting the evolution of one of the most dramatic and elaborate attempts to redefine artistic sensibilities in modern art history”. – Chengcheng Jiang via TIME. Photo: Raid on the White Tiger Regiment, 1971. (Photo by Zhang Yaxin/Courtesy See+ Gallery, Beijing)

Beautiful, strange and occasionally alarming pictures from the shortlist for this year’s Wellcome image awards – which celebrate the very best in science photography and imaging – from an x-ray of a bat to a micrograph of a kidney stone. The exhibition opens on 12 March at three science centres and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Photo: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x. (Photo by Stefan Eberhard/Wellcome Images)

A Palestinian fisherman cleans up his fishing net after the Israeli decision to close Gaza's fishing zone, on the beach in Gaza City, Tuesday, August 18, 2020. (Photo by Khalil Hamra/AP Photo)

An orphan plays with her new hula hoop during the food and toy distribution, for total about 500 orphans in 11 orphanages, by National Muslim COVID-19 Response Committee to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan at Good hope markazil Banatil Islamia orphans centre in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 25, 2020. (Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP Photo)

Indonesian firefighters spray disinfectant at the public area near an elephant enclosure at Ragunan Zoo prior to its reopening this weekend after weeks of closure due to the large-scale restrictions imposed to help curb the new coronavirus outbreak, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 17, 2020. As Indonesia's overall virus caseload continues to rise, the capital city has moved to restore normalcy by lifting some restrictions, saying that the spread of the virus in the city of 11 million has slowed after peaking in mid-April. (Photo by Dita Alangkara/AP Photo)

A Flame Skimmer or Firecracker Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) rests on a small branch in Topanga, California, USA, 18 June 2018. The Flame Skimmer dragonfly is found in the Western United States near ponds and creeks. (Photo by Mike Nelson/EPA/EFE)

A monkey leaps into a pond on a hot day in Allahabad on May 19, 2017. According to local reports temperatures have soared in the northern Indian city to 47.28 Celsius. (Photo by Sanjay Kanojia/AFP Photo)