Drastic inequality is by no means new in New York. Jacob A. Riis was called a muckraker after he chose to spotlight the city’s poverty at the turn of the 20th century by photographing it. Here: Sweatshop in Hester Street, 1889-1890. (Photo by Jacob A. Riis/Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Roger William Riis)

It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)

The Spanish photographer Xavi Bou digitally combines sequential pictures of birds to create a single image, or chronophotograph, that reveals the shapes of their flight paths against Catalonian skies. His work shows the variety and beauty to be found in the daily activities of the local birds, including spiralling storks, swooping starlings and giddy swifts. Here: European herring gulls at Llobregat Delta. (Photo by Xavi Bou/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Kung Fu master Li Liangui practices “Suogugong” Kung Fu and his wife Liang Xiaoyan (R) practices Qigong at a park in Beijing, China, June 30, 2016. For 50 years, kung fu master Li Liangui has been contorting his body into eye-watering positions while practising one of the more unusual and less popular Chinese martial art forms. The 70-year-old is an expert in suogugong, or body shrinking kung fu, where practitioners dislocate their bones to help them achieve unlikely positions and feats. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Pietro Sighel of Italy crashes during his heat of the men's 1,000-meter during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, February 5, 2022, in Beijing. (Photo by David J. Phillip/AP Photo)

Figure skater Alexandra Trusova of Team ROC practices during a training session at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China on February 19, 2022. (Photo by Valery Sharifulin/TASS)

A three-metre-tall painted bronze sculpture, Seated Man 2016, by the artist Sean Henry, is lifted into its new home on July 23, 2019 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, England. (Photo by Christopher Thomond/The Guardian)

Bienne Terita of Australia fends of Heather Cowell of Great Britain during the 2024 Perth SVNS women's match between Australia and Great Britain at HBF Park on January 26, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)