Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Its population was estimated to be around 6.5 million in 2012. A third (33%) of the country's population lives below the international poverty line which means living on less than U.S. $1.25 per day.

The pugs dressed in Parka jackets in Sonoma County, California. (Photo by Phillip Lauer/Barcroft Media)

The UK VELUX Lovers of Light competition attracted 15,000 entries from amateur, professional and mobile phone photographers. Entrants were asked to create a landscape image which celebrates and captures daylight. The judges have whittled these down to a shortlist of ten finalists. The winner will be announced at the end of march with the snapper of the best shot winning a trip to Norway – which will be made during the summer period when the country experiences 24 hour daylight. Photo: “Carousel in the mist”; Prokoshko, Bosnia. (Photo by Marko Stamatovic/PA Wire)

Through handmade craftmanship, multimedia artist Faig Ahmed creatively explores the ornate patterns and traditional designs of Azerbaijan carpets. He draws upon the culture and artistic traditions of the country in order to produce his unique and contemporary sculptures. By directly manipulating the wool, Ahmed transforms iconic carpet designs into modern creations.

Visitors take masks off to take pictures as hydrangea flowers are fully blooming at Meigetsu-in Buddhist temple Friday, June 11, 2021, in Kamakura, south of Tokyo. (Photo by Kiichiro Sato/AP Photo)

In a picture taken with an underwater camera, a couple stands in front of a Polynesian priest during their underwater wedding ceremony on October 25, 2014 in Bora-Bora, in French Polynesia. The ceremony lasts twenty minutes and costs around 2700 euros. (Photo by Ben Thouard/AFP Photo)

A participant, called a musher, races in the 33rd Aviemore Sled Dog Rally in Aviemore, Scotland January 23, 2016. The Siberian Husky Club of Britain is holding its annual sled dog rally over the weekend. (Photo by Russell Cheyne/Reuters)

The granddaughter of one of the family members cries after the eviction from their home in El Raval neighbourhood, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Barcelona, Spain, May 12, 2021. (Photo by Nacho Doce/Reuters)