Iraqi women cry over their brother's body, who was killed by a mortar shell fired by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists on civilians who were gathered to receive aid, in Al-Risala neighbourhood on March 22, 2017, as an ongoing offensive by Iraqi forces to retake the city from the group continues. Iraqi forces launched a major operation to recapture west Mosul – the most-populated urban area still held by IS – on February 19, and have retaken a series of neighbourhoods from the jihadists. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)

A Syrian man rides his bicycle past a man selling grains during a halt in fighting on February 29, 2016 in Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region, east of the capital Damascus. A UN-backed ceasefire deal took hold across parts of Syria, bringing relative calm to areas where the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's local affiliate are not present. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP Photo)

Al-Shamiyah Front fighters inspect a new locally-made cannon named “Borkan” (Volcano) as it was being launched towards forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad located in Aleppo artillery school, March 7, 2015. The “Borkan” is made out of four tubes attached to a loader, which can fire four shells at a time, and have a range of three kilometers (1.86 miles). (Photo by Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters)

With its huge eyes, comical name and diminutive size, Mark R. Smith’s image of a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid can’t help but raise a smile. A curiously endearing creature, the cephalopod is just 1.5cm across, its mantle cavity bearing more than a passing resemblance to a rather natty shower cap. But it is also a beautiful example of symbiosis – nature’s version of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” – for on the underside of the squid is a light organ which houses bioluminescent bacteria. The squid offers the bacteria protection and food, while the bacteria emit a glow – a handy trait that the squid uses to offset its silhouette, helping it to evade predators in the depths below. Mark R. Smith’s entry combines several images of a Hawaiian bobtail squid with different focus lengths to create a final picture with greater depth of field than normal. (Photo by Mark R. Smith/Wellcome Images/Macroscopic Solutions)

Blow-up unicorns, a pig on a pulley and chickens on the lam populate the polychrome pictures in this year’s LensCulture street photography awards. Here: Subida Al Cielo, by José Nieto. Finalist, single image. (Photo by José Nieto/LensCulture 2018 Street Photography Awards)

Determination: silver. Adam Pelech (No 3) of the New York Islanders and Brian Boyle of the Florida Panthers crash the boards during their game at Barclays Center in New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

People take home sacrificial animals after purchasing it at a cattle market ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in Karachi on July 19, 2021. (Photo by Asif Hassan/AFP Photo)

A Senegal fan before the World Cup group A soccer match between Qatar and Senegal, at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Friday, November 25, 2022. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)