An Iranian man lights a firework during the Wednesday Fire celebration (Chaharshanbeh Suri in Persian) at a park in Tehran, Iran on March 12, 2024. (Photo by Majid Asgaripour/WANA vie Reuters)

God of Wealth arrives at the Lunar New Year celebration at Thean Hou Temple on February 10, 2024, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Chinese New Year in Malaysia is marked by family gatherings, festive adornments and traditional rituals embodying a spirit of hope and renewal for the year ahead, and aims to bring joy and prosperity to all while fostering a sense of unity and hope for a successful Year of the Dragon. (Photo by Annice Lyn/Getty Images)

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark serves in her match against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during day four of the Toray Pan Pacific Open at Ariake Colosseum on September 28, 2011 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

The first load of passengers queuing for the Bennie Railplane in Glasgow; the inventor George Bennie is third in the queue. The streamlined cars are self propelled, driven by air screws in front and behind, and hang from a steel girder. (Photo by J. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images). 4th July 1930

A migrant carries his belongings as he arrives at the Beijing railway station to catch a train in Beijing, Friday, February 13, 2015. (Photo by Andy Wong/AP Photo)

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.

Project Mermaids model. Project Mermaids lets ocean-lovers don tails and live out their siren fantasies. Clients can pay for a shoot that is either on land or underwater, with the images looking to raise awareness about preservation of beaches, seas and oceans. The project – which is shot by photographers Angelina Venturella and Chiara Salomoni – started purely to raise awareness, with celebrities dressing up as sirens as part of the cause. (Photo by Angelina Venturella/Chiara Salomoni/Caters News Agency)

The Sculpture Bank (2017) by Chinese artist Mu Boyan is exhibited along the Bondi to Tamarama Coastal walk as part of the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition in Sydney, Australia, October 18, 2018. (Photo by Charlotte Curd/The Guardian)