A handful of villages in the U.K. share the same name as cities or countries from around the world, and they’re spending life in the shadows of their more famous namesakes. Photo: A road sign points the way on August 6, 2013 in Toronto, England. Originally called Newton Cap in the county of Durham, built for workers at the nearby colliery, owner Henry Stobart re-named the village Toronto after visiting Canada. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

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)

“Google is launching balloons into near space to provide internet access to buildings below on the ground. About 30 of the superpressure balloons are being launched from New Zealand from where they will drift around the world on a controlled path. Attached equipment will offer 3G-like speeds to 50 testers in the country”. – BBC News. Photo: A Google balloon sails through the air with the Southern Alps mountains in the background, in Tekapo, New Zealand. (Photo by Jon Shenk/Associated Press)

Artist Jeff Uitto creates intricate sculptures from driftwood he finds along the coast of Washington. Uitto has sculpted wild horses, soaring eagles, and even a giraffe out of salvaged tree branches. But his work is more than giant animal sculptures. Uitto also has a clear talent for creating beautiful home furniture from driftwood. Finding the right piece of driftwood can take months, and the sculpting can take years.

Photo: A horse sculpture entirely made from driftwood by artist Jeffro Uitto. (Photo by Jeff Uitto/Caters News)

German photographer Tobias Lang had a brilliant idea, he started photographing his friends and their pets and suddenly folks from all over the world where asking him to capture them too. Check out his Facebook page to see. Tobias is in the process of putting together a coffee table book of his impressive collection. Photo: Pet owner Isabel with her blind housecat, “Captain Jack”. (Photo by Tobias Lang)

Award winning Italian Bodypainter Johannes Stötter, paints his models to blend in to their backgrounds. The artist and musician based in Italy has created some of the most unique and life-like pieces of art we've ever seen. And yes, while some works like the ready-to-eat human melon heads creep us out, it's fair to say Stötter has owned his craft. Photo: “Melon”. (Photo by Johannes Stötter)

Hong Kong art gallery director Sarah Greene said that Wolf, known for his work depicting mega-cities, has died Tuesday, April 24, 2019 night at his home. She said he was 64. Wolf won first prize in the World Press Photo competition in 2005 and 2010. Here: Architecture of Density #119, 2009. (Photo by Michael Wolf, courtesy of Flowers Gallery)

In his series “Ballerinas of Cairo”, photographer Mohamed Taher documents Egyptian dancers making the city streets their stage – pirouetting, leaping and posing their way through their country’s sprawling capital. The photos are, at first glance, stunning snapshots of a city’s vibrant culture in motion. (Photo by Mohamed Taher/Ballerinas of Cairo)