Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, also known as Golden Rock is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda (7.3 metres (24 ft)) built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by devotees. According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha's hair. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill. The rock and the pagoda are at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo. It is the third most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma after the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Mahamuni Pagoda. A glimpse of the "gravity defying" Golden Rock is believed to be enough of an inspiration for any person to turn to Buddhism.

Farmers use tractors and burn tires, hay and manure as they block the highway between Morlaix and Brest during a demonstration against the market prices of their product, on July 22, 2015 in Morlaix, western of France. French farmers protesting over falling food prices threatened to step up blockades of cities, roads and tourist sites, as the government prepared to unveil emergency aid for them. Farmers have dumped manure in cities, blocked access roads and motorways and hindered tourists from reaching Mont St-Michel in northern France, one of France's most visited sites. (Photo by Fred Tanneau/AFP Photo)

Kiritimati is a far-flung outpost of the Republic of Kiribati. The world's largest coral atoll, Kiritimati has just one flight a week to either Fiji or Hawaii, four-and-a-half hours in either direction. Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati lies nearly 3,300 km (2,000 miles) to the west – about three weeks by boat. No lawyers are based on Kiritimati and the High Court only comes once or twice a year to clear a backlog of the most serious cases, bringing a public lawyer for defendants who can't afford their own. (Photo by Lincoln Feast/Reuters)

A dramatic rise in owning exotic pets in China is fuelling global demand for threatened species. The growing trade in alligators, snakes, monkeys, crocodiles and spiders is directly linked to species loss in some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Here: A fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is groomed in a pet store in central Beijing. Native to the Sahara in North Africa, the species became a popular pet after being depicted as a character in Disney’s 2016 animated movie Zootopia. Individuals can cost between $2,000–$3,000. (Photo by Sean Gallagher/The Guardian)

While most people head for cover at the first sign of a storm, this man runs straight toward it. Storm chaser and father of three Mike Olbinski is addicted to photographing extreme weather and regularly takes on tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms in a bid to capture extraordinary images. The photographer, from Phoenix, often travels hundreds of miles a day to reach the eye of a storm. He first became hooked on the unusual hobby almost a decade ago, following the birth of his daughter. Here: A stunning monsoon sunset coupled with intense lightning creating an amazing scene on August 26, 2017. (Photo by Mike Olbinski/Caters News Agency)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from historic launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 6, 2018. The world' s most powerful rocket, SpaceX' s Falcon Heavy, blasted off Tuesday on its highly anticipated maiden test flight, carrying CEO Elon Musk' s cherry red Tesla roadster to an orbit near Mars. Screams and cheers erupted at Cape Canaveral, Florida as the massive rocket fired its 27 engines and rumbled into the blue sky over the same NASA launchpad that served as a base for the US missions to Moon four decades ago. (Photo by Thom Baur/Reuters)

Fabian Ramirez, 11, scavenges a trash container for vegetables with his family that were discarded at the “Mercado de Abasto”, a market for vendors, during the fourth week of a quarantine to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus in Asuncion, Paraguay, Thursday, April 2, 2020. (Photo by Jorge Saenz/AP Photo)

Two visitors look at an artwork “Home Sweet Home: Pandemic Love 1” created by Hong Kong artist Mak Ying Tung at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world's most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)