Londoners enjoy a “Silent Night” as Big Ben falls silent, London, UK on August 21, 2017. ose Allerston from Clapham, London said “After a stressful day in the office, I couldn't think of anything better than going home and climbing into bed – but when I saw this bed opposite Big Ben I just couldn't resist getting in for a snuggle”. (Photo by Imagewise Ltd/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

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)

A livestock vendor gives bath to a bull at a cattle market ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, on the outskirts of Karachi on June 10, 2024. (Photo by Asif Hassan/AFP Photo)

Darryl Horner jnr riding Flying Agent (bottom R) races away to defeat Steven Pateman riding Bit of a Lad in Race 6, the 3yb Scotty Stewart Brierly Steeplechase, on Brierly Day during the Warrnambool Jumps Carnival at Warrnambool Racing Club on May 04, 2021 in Warrnambool, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

Runner-up. “The heavens opened and the streets around Shibuya, Tokyo, were suddenly drenched in even more colour and movement. I was taking photos (my friend was holding the umbrella) when I noticed this woman at the crossing. I’m pleased with the futuristic feel of the image”. (Photo by Katherine Bridgestock/The Guardian)

Costumed participants of a lacquer and leather ship, the so-called “Torture Ship”, kiss before putting out to Lake Constance for a pleasure cruise at the harbor of Friedrichshafen, Germany, 29 June 2019. Hundreds of leather and rubber fans set sail for the boat trip through the night on Lake Constance. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/EPA/EFE)

A man enjoys rain showers during high tides near the sea front in Mumbai on July 6, 2023. (Photo by Punit Paranjpe/AFP Photo)

Napoli fans celebrate after winning the Coppa Italia final against Juventus FC, in central Naples, Italy on June 17, 2020. Napoli won the Italian Cup with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Juventus following a 0-0 draw in a match played at the Rome Olympic Stadium. (Photo by Salvatore Laporta/IPA/Rex Features/Shutterstock)