As a social experiment, journalist Esther Honig contacted Photoshop artists across the world and told them to make her beautiful, and they did. Honigh said she was surprised by how her image was altered, saying the process has greatly changed her perception of beauty. Photo: “Before & After” project: Greece. (Photo by Esther Honig)

A young devotee of the Nine Emperor Gods has a large needle pushed through his cheek during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival in the southern province of Phuket on October 1, 2016. (Photo by Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP Photo)

Some are in it just for the money, others to help buy a meal. Then there are those who trade for fun or to spend time among friends. Millions of investors – pensioners, security guards, high-school students – dominate China's stock markets, conducting about 80 percent of all trades. Retirees gather in brokerage houses dotted around China also to enjoy some company and savour the air conditioning on hot days. Some start as young as 13, trading from home with an eye on future careers in finance. Winning isn't guaranteed. This year, among the most turbulent in China's financial history, its stock markets more than doubled in the six months to May, only to crash amid concerns that growth in the country, which makes everything from cars to steel, is slowing faster than previously thought. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)

Fighting Infections (single image) | Fighting Pandemic by Sudipto Das. “It’s exhausting. A tram conductor in Kolkata, India, wears protective clothing from head to toe even in the heat of a summer afternoon. This was when restrictions were easing after India’s first Covid-19 lockdown – public transport was running, but staff were advised to suit up like this. We’ve all grown used to saluting the efforts of healthcare workers, but plenty of other people in public-facing jobs have performed gruelling duties too to keep people safe”. (Photo by Sudipto Das/Wellcome Photography Prize 2021)

Street vendors hold campaign posters for presidential candidate Patrice Talon ahead of the second round of Benin's presidential election on Sunday in Cotonou, Benin, March 18, 2016. (Photo by Charles Placide Tossou/Reuters)

A tattoo of a weapon covers the arm of a female inmate waiting to compete in the annual beauty contest at Talavera Bruce penitentiary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early Thursday, November 23, 2017. Jail authorities say they organize the annual contest to encourage self-esteem, fight idleness and promote integration among women prisoners. (Photo by Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo)

A spinning top is seen on a hand during a performance at Sanxia old street in New Taipei City, Taiwan May 8, 2016. Taiwan's ancient folk art of spinning tops is kept alive by a group of enthusiasts who perform intricate tricks with the toys at a temple in Taipei, the capital. (Photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

I had to stay late at work, Chubut, Argentina. “South sea elephant in Patagonia (Isla Escondida) They adopt very curious gestures!”. (Photo by Luis Burgue/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020)