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.

The characters fighting for Westeros in Game of Thrones are fighting mostly for CGI backdrops. Like many others TV series and movies, visual effects is a huge part of the production process as it handles details both great and small. A great credit to Game of Thrones is that the story is so good that we forget about the effects, and another great credit goes to the VFX team because their work is seamless. If you want to see the seams, you have to get a visual breakdown of how the shots are put together.

San Zhi, Taiwan is an abandoned vacation resort on the northern coast of Taiwan. It was built in the early 1980s, but construction of the futuristic resort ceased after a series of fatal accidents.
Even though it never opened as a vacation resort, San Zhi can still be toured. The strange pod-like buildings act as a tourist attraction. The colors of the pod-like buildings depend on their location. The buildings in the west are green, in the east pink, in the south blue, and in the north white

“Ada Wong is a fictional character in the Resident Evil horror franchise by Capcom, introduced as a supporting character in the video game Resident Evil 2 in 1998. She is widely regarded as one of the most popular female characters in the series, alongside Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield, as well as one of the most attractive female characters in video games”. – Wikipedia

Photo: “Ada Wong” (Resident Evil Cosplay). Model: Giulia Valenti. (Photo by Massimiliano Pellegrini)

Cats and p*rn have got to be the two most searched keywords on the Internet, and finally there’s a whole page dedicated to both! “Des Hommes et des Chatons” tumblr page presents a hilarious series of diptychs showing hot guys and cats doing similar expressions and poses. And as if it wasn’t enough, the combinations include such celebrities as Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Pierce Brosnan.

Cats and p*rn have got to be the two most searched keywords on the Internet, and finally there’s a whole page dedicated to both! “Des Hommes et des Chatons” tumblr page presents a hilarious series of diptychs showing hot guys and cats doing similar expressions and poses. And as if it wasn’t enough, the combinations include such celebrities as Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Pierce Brosnan.

“Memoirs of a Geisha” – For its May 2013 cover story, Elle Vietnam gets inspired by the Japanese-influence of spring collections and Geisha beauty. Model Tian Yi evokes the theme perfectly in a series of images which juxtapose an urban backdrop with the ornate prints and sleek silhouettes of Prada, Dries van Noten, Dior, Thakoon and more selected by stylist Anna Katsanis. Photographer Oliver Stalmans captures the Chinese beauty in this elegant shoot. (Photo by Oliver Stalmans)

Two giant puppets, a deep sea diver and his niece, roam through the streets of Liverpool, northern England, and April 20–23 looking for each other during the Sea Odyssey festival. The free event, organized by the French company Royal de Luxe is one of a series of events marking the 100th anniversary of the sinking of The Titanic. The liner, registered in Liverpool, sank on its maiden voyage to New York on April 15, 1912.

Photo: A giant deep sea diver emerges from the Albert Dock to begin a journey through the streets of Liverpool during the Titanic Sea Odyssey on April 20 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong)