High waves batter a breakwater at a port at Kihou town in Mie prefecture, central Japan on October 6, 2014. Strong typhoon Phanfone slammed into Japan, packing gusts and huge waves that have already swept three US military officials out to sea, as it made a beeline for Tokyo. (Photo by AFP Photo/Jiji Press)

Widows, who have been abandoned by their families, light sparklers after offering prayers on the banks of the river Yamuna as part of Diwali celebrations organised by non-governmental organisation Sulabh International in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh October 21, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

New species have been created by an enterprising artist who has merged photos of animals together in this incredible series of pictures. Californian Sarah DeRemer, 25, started making hybrid animals as a way to improve her photoshop skills. Here: cross between a tabby cat and a sparrow. (Photo by Sarah DeRemer/Caters News)

“Guns have a massive amount of power associated with them. They are designed to kill. We decided to photograph portraits of them in a similar way you might photograph a powerful person. Like powerful people, pistols have this “perfect” quality that we wanted to explore. As we started shooting them, we could see flaws in their design. Metal burring around the barrels, scratches in the metal. This imperfection and detail were very interesting to us; connecting us back to these images as portraits”. – Peter Andrew. (Photo by Peter Andrew/Simon Duffy/Derek Blais)

While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese amateur photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated. While the phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms have been known for some time, biologists have only recently began to understand the reasons behind it. Photo: Bioluminescent phytoplankton washes up on Maldives beach. (Photo by Will Ho)

Pakistani Christian Maria Akbar, 15, checks herself in the mirror, after having her make up done by hairdresser Razia Rehmat, 39, in preparation for Christmas holiday, at a hair salon, in a slum that hosts Christian families, on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, December 24, 2014. (Photo by Muhammed Muheisen/AP Photo)

Venezuela: An anti-government protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask throws a molotov cocktail at the Bolivarian National Police during clashes in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, April 17, 2014. Opposition protesters have been demonstrating against high crime, high inflation and shortages of basic goods since mid-February. (Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

This female orangutan was born at the zoo in the German capital of Berlin. German online users have fallen in love with Berlin Zoo's most recent addition – this newborn orangutan. The female orangutan was born in the early hours of 12th January at the zoo in the German capital of Berlin and weighed a tiny 1.8 kilograms, normally regarded as small for an orangutan baby but nevertheless the infant is healthy and strong. (Photo by Europics/Zoo Berlin)