Miss Langata Prison 2016 Ruth Kamande poses for a photograph as female inmates participate in a fashion parade as part of their Valentine's Day celebration, dubbed “love behind bars” inside the Langata Women Maximum Security Prison in Kenya's capital Nairobi, February 14, 2017. (Photo by Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)

A woman runs while another woman ducks down to avoid teargas as police disperse supporters of the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, during a demonstration against Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, 09 May 2016. (Photo by Dai Kurokawa/EPA)

A policeman jumps as he tried to avoid a tear gas grenade thrown back towards police by protesters in the Mathare neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Kenyans angered by the rising cost of living were back protesting on the streets of the capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday, as they awaited a speech by a longtime opposition leader. (Photo by AP Photo/Stringer)

Men dressed in protective suits stand around the coffin of Kenyan doctor Daniel Alushula who died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during his funeral in the village of Khumusalaba, in Kakamega county, Kenya on November 13, 2020. (Photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters)

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)

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

“These stunning ultra-high speed photos of water droplets were captured by photographer, Ronny Tertnes, 48, from Bergen, Norway. They show the water’s displacement as various liquids are being dropped in. Ronny, who works full time as an IT administrator, set up his camera and flash rigs to capture the exact moment a droplet hit the surface, sometimes causing several drops to collide into each other”. – TwoByTwoEditorial.co.uk. (Photo by Ronny Tertnes/TwoByTwoEditorial.co.uk)