Mohamed Mostafa, 35, carries dyed yarns at a dye workshop in old Cairo, Egypt, March 17, 2016. Egypt's hard currency crisis and competition from modern factories in Asia and at home threaten one of the last dye workshops in Egypt. But one of its owners takes comfort in the trade's ancient resilience. Mohamed Mostafa boasts that the profession dates back 3,000 years, so it can survive anything. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

Each year Nikon Small World recognizes the excellence of photography taken under the microscope. The contest showcases the beauty and complexity of life. Anyone interested in microscopy and photography can enter the contest and in its 42nd year, Nikon Small World received 2,000 entries from 70 countries. Here: 11th Place; Scales of a butterfly wing underside (Vanessa atalanta). (Photo by Francis Sneyers/Nikon's Small World 2016)

Horrified animal welfare groups fear baby sharks kept as a bizarre attraction in a brothel have been eaten – by the landlord. Shocking videos show the the fish crammed into an aquarium illuminated with red lights hanging above s*x works at a seedy “gentlemen's club” in, Bangkok Thailand. Five exotic black tip sharks – which can grow up to 8.5ft – float in the filthy water while holidaymakers take their pick of women in skimpy dresses. The deadly fish were just one form on entertainment employed by the establishment in the Thai capital Bangkok. (Photo by SWNS.com)

A staff member removes a coffin from a room of the “Corpse Hotel” in Kawasaki, Japan, April 20, 2016. Many so-called corpse hotels have emerged as a flourishing business in the city following a crunch in crematoriums. Families can rent a room in Sousou on a daily charge of 9,000 Japanese yen (£58, €74, $84) to keep the body of the deceased relative for up to four days until they find a crematorium. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

A young man, who says he is part of a local criminal gang, poses for a picture holding a gun in the neighbourhood of Korogcho in Nairobi, Kenya, March 19, 2015. Around 2 million people live in the shantytowns packed in around Kenya's capital. Crime is high amid chronic unemployment levels, while basic services and sanitation are scarce. Residents try to make the best of things, eking out a living and picking up work where they can. (Photo by Siegfried Modola/Reuters)

On the streets of Kunming, Yunnan Province, you can find odd couple – a dog and a cat who sits on his four-legged companion. They are Vantsay and Mimi. The owner of animals, a 42-year-old retired policeman Xu Jin is surprised with so strong friendship. “When I got the dog, and I began to take her for a walk, the cat became plaintive, – says the man. – So I bought a leash and began to take her too. Soon, however, the cat began to tire and quickly realized that it is much easier to ride on the back of a dog. ”

A photographer has captured the bizarre beauty of sphynx cats in a series of intriguing portraits. Creative Alicia Rius snapped them from different angles showing off their unusual flesh, colourings and bones. In the images the cats can be seen curiously playing, observing their surroundings and even grooming themselves. (Photo by Alicia Rius/Caters News)

Inside the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia’s Danakil desert, camel caravans are used to carry salt. For centuries, the essential mineral has been mined by the Afar people, known for their ability to withstand extremes. The terrain is rugged, travelers are scarce and so are motor vehicles, where the average annual temperature is the highest in the world, and can rise to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, 50 degrees Celsius. (Photo by Ziv Koren/Polaris)