Afghan children buy breads from a bakery in Fayzabad of Badakhshan province on February 7, 2024. (Photo by Omer Abrar/AFP Photo)

Dressed in folk costumes, young women decorate a tree with painted Easter eggs in Dombrad, Hungary, Monday, April 5, 2021. (Photo by Attila Balazs/MTI via AP Photo)

A woman waits outside a shop wearing protective gear due to the COVID-19 pandemic in downtown Lima, Peru, Monday, July 6, 2020. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)

A robot dog is seen before the Gujarat Titans versus Delhi Capitals match in the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad, India on April 19, 2025. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)

A man walks through floodwater as rain pours in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 24, 2025. (Photo by Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters)

Revellers take part in the annual block party known as “Casa Comigo” (Marry Me), during carnival festivities in Sao Paulo, Brazil on February 15, 2020. (Photo by Rahel Patrasso/Reuters)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these striking images of 2017 are no exception. The photo highlights include incredible snapshots of the natural world as well as some awesome animal and human encounters. The vibrant gallery also shows thrill-seekers pushing themselves to the limit with breathtaking stunts captured in perfect clarity. The pictures have been taken by a host of photographers from around the world. Here: The two lion cubs singing their hearts out at Antelope park in Zimbabwe. (Photo by David Jenkins/Caters News Agency)

A Ukrainian serviceman hugs his relative after returning from captivity during a POWs exchange between Russia and Ukraine, in Ukraine, Monday December 30, 2024. (Photo by Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo)