A general view shows the part of the skyline of Dubai covered in an early morning fog on October 5, 2015. (Photo by Rene Slama/AFP Photo)

Ukrainian Air Force officers attend a graduation ceremony at the National University of Defence of Ukraine in Kiev, April 24, 2015. (Photo by Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

Thai LGBT community participates in Gay Freedom Day Parade in Bangkok, Thailand on November 29, 2018. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)

Burka-wearing Afghan women walk past a clothing shop, in Herat, Afghanistan, Tuesday, November 23, 2021. (Photo by Petros Giannakouris/AP Photo)

Tyson Fury (left) and Oleksandr Usyk during a press conference at Outernet London on Thursday, November 16, 2023. (Photo by Zac Goodwin/PA Wire)

A talented artist has created breathtaking intimate portraits by using detailed maps of the world as his canvas. Cardiff-based illustrator, Ed Fairburn, combines the patchwork of roads, terrains and rivers to for his unique sketches. Photo: Ink on a 1977 road map of Germany. (Photo by Ed Fairburn/Rex Features)

At the end of rice harvesting season, the folks of the Kagawa and Niigata Prefectures in Japan hold a straw festival to celebrate the abundance of the harvest. Dried straws cover wooden frames to form larger-than-life sculptures from animals like sharks and gorillas to vessels such as ships and tanks. The family-friendly event invites visitors of all ages to engage, interact, and play on the enormous structures.

These poignant portraits look to shine awareness on the plight of some of the world’s most endangered ecosystems and species of wildlife. The images combine animals, art and celebrity, with Asia's top models posing with the likes of rhinos, giraffes, leopards and marine life. Here: Mikki Yao with an Asian Elephant. (Photo by Sean Lee-Davies/Caters News)