Harnaam Kaur has polycystic ovary syndrome, which can cause excessive hair growth. She was just 11 years old when a beard started to appear on her face and the hair quickly spread to her chest and arms.

French sculptor Pierre Matter was born in 1964. “A mystical child, then a tormented teenager, he studied mathematics half-heartedly. It was only logical that he headed naturally, though initially in an erratic manner, for the mysterious universe of artistic creation. His slow progression in this field led him to try out many kinds of expression and material, from oil to gouache to ink, from comic strips to canvas, and also bas-relief in stone.”

A 15-year-old girl denied a horse from her parents has turned to a cow to fulfil her riding dreams. Teenager Regina Mayer, from southern Germany, is able to ride her cow, Luna. She has even trained her bovine pet to soar over a beer-crate hurdle like a regular show jumper. Why, you may well ask, when most cow-owners are surely content to let the creatures chew and lactate and sit down to indicate the imminent arrival of rain? Well, Regina's parents wouldn't let her have a horse.

For 20 years, Joann Biondi worked as a freelance writer. Then one day she adopted a kitten that had been tossed in a garbage can and left for dead. That kitten had an unusual quirk; he liked to wear clothes and pose for the camera. So Joann started shooting, and then she got serious about photography. Fast forward four years and that kitten is now Lorenzo the Cat, a feline art photography project that has gotten both the cat and the photographer a lot of attention; gallery shows, museum exhibits, and stories in major media outlets throughout the world. Amid it all Lorenzo has remained a mellow dude who still likes to roll around in the dirt, chase lizards, and knock things off the kitchen counter when his food bowl is empty.

Central to The Capture Site on the R103 in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands – where Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1963 – is a sculptural installation by Johannesburg artist Marco Cianfanelli. When viewed from a distance, the 50 painted laser-cut steel columns form the image of Madiba’s face. Click on the image below for more on The Capture Site.

Palestinian couples participate in a mass wedding ceremony in Hamad City in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo)

A Palestinian man rides his horse on a beach in Gaza City February 17, 2017. (Photo by Mohammed Salem/Reuters)