Parallels

The Miraculous Love Kids music school founder Lanny Cordola (top left) stands with Madina Mohammadi (top center), Mursal (top right) and other students outside their rehearsal space in Kabul. Their favorite song is "Fragile" by Sting. "What we're trying to do with music is not singing and dancing and fancy stuff," Cordola says. "You know, these are songs of compassion and hope and healing." Peter Breslow/NPR hide caption

Ken Rapopo throws a pigeon in the air during a practice flight. This male pigeon will fly about 2 miles back to the winner's circle to find its female partner. Rapopo reports the bird's movements by walkie-talkie until it disappears from view. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

Parwena Dulkun is a Uighur model who divides her time between Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, and Beijing. Uighurs share traits from both Asian and European ancestors, a look that is in demand among modeling agencies throughout China. Photo courtesy of Parwena Dulkun hide caption

After a series of big tremors last August, Norcia's small community of Benedictine monks sought shelter on the mountainside high above the town. An earthquake devastated the town, seen here from the mountainside, in October. Sylvia Poggioli/NPR hide caption

Samir Hussain was attacked in 2015 by a gang of strangers, one of whom threw drain cleaner on his face. Joanna Kakissis/NPR hide caption

Hobby Lobby agreed earlier this month to a forfeiture of smuggled artifacts. Holly Hildreth/Moment Editorial/Getty Images hide caption

Protesters demonstrated near Seoul's gay pride festival on July 15. Ahn Young-joon/AP hide caption

Hundreds of pro-EU supporters gather on Whitehall on the first anniversary of the Brexit referendum to protest against the process of Britain leaving the European Union. Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft Media via Getty Images hide caption

Harold Cardenas Lema runs the blog La Joven Cuba out of the two-room apartment he shares with his mom and girlfriend. Carrie Kahn/NPR hide caption

Wild horses graze at the Doñana National Park, in the Guadalquivir delta, in southern Spain. Last year, UNESCO threatened to put Doñana on its so-called 'Danger List' of World Heritage Sites where wildlife or conservation are at risk. Cristina Quicler/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

A stage constructed amidst Roman ruins to host the rock opera Divine Nero has led some archaeologists and art historians to denounce what they see as the commercialization of the city's heritage. Stefano Montesi/Corbis via Getty Images hide caption

Sonata Director Aparna Sen is a veteran of the small, artistic cinema. She says while mainstream films often "commodify" women, "the good news is that many different films are now being made about women" and by women who are starting their own production companies. Julie McCarthy/NPR hide caption

In Beirut, an audience listens to testimonies about encounters with the police over homosexuality. The event was part of Beirut Pride week – the city's first. Alison Meuse/NPR hide caption

Ibrahim Habash walks with one of the many Palestinian recreational hiking groups that have sprung up largely in the last decade. The Israeli trails network, with its blue and white markings, extends into the West Bank, and Israeli and Palestinian hikers often cross paths on the same trails. Daniel Estrin/NPR hide caption

Runners assemble at the starting line of the third annual Qingyuan marathon. Rob Schmitz/NPR hide caption

Gen. John "Black Jack" Pershing visits Arlington National Cemetery in 1925. Pershing led the U.S. forces in World War I, the moment when the American military first displayed its might in a major foreign war. The U.S. military suffered heavy losses, but it also expanded dramatically, modernized and became more professional under Pershing's command. Library of Congress hide caption

Exhibits at Poland's newly opened Museum of the Second World War include photographs, letters and other memorabilia donated by private individuals. Czarek Sokolowski/AP hide caption

A tank heads off to support French troops in Juvigny, France, in this undated World War I photo. Tanks were introduced in the war. The watchmaker Cartier designed a metal band for its wristwatches based on tank treads, a tradition that continues to this day. Cartier's prototype for the tank watch was given as a gift to Gen. John Pershing, commander of the U.S. forces. AP hide caption