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A marine conservation photojournalist’s “magical” picture shining a light on the underwater world of a tadpole species has earned him the title of Wildlife Photographer Of The Year.

Shane Gross, from Canada, captured the western toad tadpoles while snorkelling through lily pads in Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

He managed to snap a cloud of the amphibians, which are a near-threatened species due to habitat destruction and predators, while avoiding the visibility-reducing layers of silt and algae covering the bottom.

Titled The Swarm Of Life, the photograph has been crowned the winner of the Natural History Museum’s prestigious Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2024 competition out of a record-breaking 59,228 entries, from 117 countries and territories.

Kathy Moran, chair of the jury, said they were “captivated by the mix of light, energy and connectivity between the environment and the tadpoles”.

This is the first time the species has been featured in the competition, which is now in its 60th year, she added.

Life Under Dead Wood

Life Under Dead Wood.
Pic: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, from Germany, was awarded the title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, for an up-close image featuring slime mould on the right, and a macroscopic animal called a springtail on the left, taken in Berlin.

Tinker-Tsavalas used a technique called focus stacking, combining 36 images with different areas of focus together.

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Judges said it showed great skill and “incredible attention to detail, patience and perseverance”.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition, impact awards for both adult and young photographers were introduced this year, recognising conservation success.

Recording By Hand

Liwia Pawłowska watches as a relaxed common whitethroat is gently held by abird ringer.Liwia is fascinated by bird ringing, and has been photographing ringing sessionssince she was nine.

The young impact award was given to Liwia Pawłowska, from Poland, for her image of a common whitethroat taken during a bird ringing, a technique that records length, sex, condition and age to help scientists monitor populations and track migration.

Hope For The Ninu

Hope for the Ninu 
Pic: Jannico Kelk/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

In the adult category, Australian photographer Jannico Kelk picked up the prize for a picture of a greater bilby, a small marsupial also referred to as the ninu, which was one near extinction due to predators such as foxes and cats. Fenced reserves, however, have allowed the population to grow.

Here are the other category winners.

Free As A Bird – Alberto Roman Gomez, Spain (10 and under)

Free As A Bird - Alberto Roman Gomez/ Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Alberto watched from the window of his father’s car at the edge of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, in Cadiz, Andalusia, to take this picture – managing to capture the stonechat bird as it was perched, between trips to gather insects.

An Evening Meal – Parham Pourahmad, USA (11-14)

An Evening Meal.
Pic:Parham Pourahmad/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Parham visited the Ed R Levin County Park in Milpitas, California, most weekends over a summer to take photographs showing the wildlife living in a busy city park. This picture shows a young Cooper’s hawk eating a squirrel in the last rays of sunset.

Frontier of the Lynx – Igor Metelskiy, Russia

Frontier of the Lynx.
Pic: Igor Metelskiy/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A lynx stretches in the early evening sunshine in the Lazovsky District in Primorsky Krai, Russia. The remote location and changing weather conditions meant access was tricky, and it took more than six months of waiting for Metelskiy to capture the image of the elusive animal.

On Watch – John E Marriott, Canada

On Watch.
Pic: John E Marriott/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

This image also features a lynx, this one with its fully grown young sheltering from the wind behind it. Marriott had tracked the family group for almost a week through snowy forests in Yukon.

Practice Makes Perfect – Jack Zhi, USA

Practice Makes Perfect 
Pic: Jack Zhi/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A young falcon practises its hunting skills on a butterfly above its sea-cliff nest. This was taken in an area in Los Angeles, California, visited by Zhi over the past eight years.

A Tranquil Moment – Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod, Sri Lanka

A Tranquil Moment.
Pic: Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

This picture shows a young toque macaque sleeping in an adult’s arms, taken after a morning of photographing birds and leopards at the Wilpattu National Park. Vinod spotted a troop of the macaques moving through trees above, and used a telephoto lens to frame this moment as a young monkey slept between feeds.

Wetland Wrestle – Karine Aigner, USA

Wetland Wrestle.
Pic: Karine Aigner/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Karine Aigner was leading a tour group when she noticed an odd shape in the water along the Transpantaneira Highway, in Mato Grosso, Brazil – binoculars confirmed she was looking at a flash of a yellow anaconda, coiling itself around the snout of a yacare caiman.

The Demolition Squad – Ingo Arndt, Germany

The Demolition Squad.
Pic: Ingo Arndt/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Arndt’s image shows the dismemberment of a blue ground beetle by red wood ants – carving the dead animal into pieces tiny enough to fit through the entrance to their nest in Hessen, Germany.

The Artful Crow – Jiri Hrebicek, Czech Republic

The Artful Crow
Pic: Jiri Hrebicek/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

This perching carrion crow, pictured in Basel, Switzerland, looks almost like an impressionist painting, judges said. To create the effect, Hrebicek moved his camera in different directions, while using a long shutter speed.

A Diet of Deadly Plastic – Justin Gilligan, Australia

A Diet Of Deadly Plastic - Justin Gilligan

A mosaic created from some 403 pieces of plastic found inside the digestive tract of a dead flesh-footed shearwater, taken on Lord Howe Island, New South Wales. Gilligan took the picture while documenting the work of Adrift Lab, which brings biologists from different countries together to study the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems.

Old Man of the Glen – Fortunato Gatto, Italy

Old Man Of The Glen - Fortunato Gatto/ Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Gatto captured these pale “old man’s beard’ lichens on a gnarled birch tree in the pinewoods of Glen Affric, in the Scottish Highlands. The lichens indicate it as an area of minimal air pollution – in a forest which has stood for at least 8,300 years, according to pollen analysis.

Under the Waterline – Matthew Smith, UK/Australia

Under the Waterline 
Pic: Matthew Smith/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Smith used a specially made extension he designed for the front of his underwater camera housing to create this split image of a leopard seal beneath the Antarctic ice in Paradise Harbour. The young seal made several close, curious passes, he said. “When it looked straight into the lens barrel, I knew I had something good.”

Tiger in Town – Robin Darius Conz, Germany

Tiger in Town.
Pic: Robin Darius Conz/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A tiger sits on a hillside against the backdrop of a town where forests once grew in Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India. Conz was following the big cat as part of a documentary team filming the wildlife of the Western Ghats.

Dusting for New Evidence – Britta Jaschinski, Germany/UK

Dusting for New Evidence
Pic: Britta Jaschinski/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Jaschinski spent time at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) border force department, where confiscated animal products are tested. This image shows a crime scene investigator from London’s Met Police dusting for prints on a confiscated tusk at Heathrow Airport.

Dolphins of the Forest – Thomas Peschak, Germany/South Africa

Dolphins of the Forest.
Pic: Thomas Peschak/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Peschak documents the relationship between endangered Amazon river dolphins, which are also known as botos or pink river dolphins, and the people with whom they share their home in the waters of both Brazil and Colombia.

The Serengeti of the Sea – Sage Ono, USA

A clutch of tubesnout (Aulorhychus flavidus) eggs on display, carefully nestled in the crooks of giant kelp. With the changing seasons of Monterey Bay come all the little signs of new life. The ruby-red eggs and golden kelp in the darkness of the nutrient-rich, summer water take on the appearance of carefully arranged jewelry in a shop window. Looking closer at the ordinary happenings in the environment reveals the meticulous beauty of the natural world. Taken in 2022 in Monterey Bay, USA.

Sage Ono decided to take up underwater photography after being inspired by stories told by his grandfather, a retired marine biologist. This image, taken in the kelp forests in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California, shows tube-snout fish eggs sparkling next to the glowing kelp.

The Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2024 exhibition opens at the Natural History Museum, London, on Friday 11 October

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BBC confirms Gary Lineker will step down as Match Of The Day presenter

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BBC confirms Gary Lineker will step down as Match Of The Day presenter

Gary Lineker will step down as host of Match Of The Day at the end of the season, the BBC has confirmed.

The 63-year-old will continue to host coverage of the FA Cup in 2025/26 and the World Cup in 2026, the broadcaster announced.

Lineker will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast while his The Rest Is Football podcast, which features BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, will now be hosted on BBC Sounds.

The former England footballer said: “I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.”

Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “Gary is a world-class presenter, and we’re delighted that he’ll lead our coverage of the next World Cup and continue to lead our live coverage of the FA Cup.

“After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show, which continues to attract millions of viewers each week.

“He’ll be hugely missed on the show but we’re so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football.”

Analysis: Will the next generation know him only as a podcasting mogul?

FILE - TV soccer pundits and former soccer players Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker, from left, watch the FA Cup sixth round soccer match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England, Sunday, June 28, 2020. (Shaun Botterill/Pool via AP, File)
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Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Lineker, who present the podcast The Rest Is Football. Pic: AP


Lineker has hosted the Premier League highlights show since 1999, after his predecessor Des Lynam moved to ITV.

He is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which produces popular shows such as The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment, as well as his own football podcast.

The company, founded in 2014, claims to be the UK’s largest independent podcast firm and said in September its podcasts had been downloaded more than 380 million times so far this year.

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Lineker has been the BBC’s highest-paid star in recent years for his work on shows including Match Of The Day and Sports Personality Of The Year, as well as coverage of major tournaments including World Cups and European Championships.

He received about £1.35m during the 2023-24 financial year, according to the BBC’s most recent figures.

It is unclear who will take over from Lineker on Match Of The Day.

Former Tottenham Hotspur footballer Jermaine Jenas had at one point been considered to be his natural successor but he was sacked from the BBC in August over claims of inappropriate behaviour.

Lineker enjoyed a successful career as a striker, winning 80 caps for England, before moving into broadcasting.

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Match Of The Day without Lineker is the end of an era – will the next generation know him only as a podcasting mogul?

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Match Of The Day without Lineker is the end of an era - will the next generation know him only as a podcasting mogul?

No one under the age of 25 knows Match of the Day without Gary Lineker.

A TV era is ending with the Saturday night hot seat being vacated when the Premier League season ends in May, Sky News has been told.

The arrival of a new director of BBC Sport made this decision increasingly inevitable as Alex Kay-Jelski is said to be shaking up how sport is covered on air and online.

Gary Lineker next to the FA Cup trophy during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Rodney Parade, Newport. Picture date: Sunday January 28, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Newport. Photo credit should read: Nick Potts/PA Wire...RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
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Gary Lineker next to the FA Cup trophy in January of this year. Pic: PA

Few could have anticipated Lineker – the England scoring sensation – reinventing himself as a broadcasting institution, and becoming the heir to Des Lynam from 1999.

Few certainly could have anticipated his longevity on BBC One and the longevity of the football highlights format – with clips of games available online long before MOTD’s post-10pm kick-off.

There is no doubting how accomplished Lineker has become in the challenging live TV environment.

But off-air conduct became a growing source of friction between the BBC hierarchy and its highest earner.

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Choosing to use his social media platform to dish out political views demonstrated a social conscience.

But those posts – critical of the Conservatives and pro-Palestinian – sent out to millions of followers seemed to conflict with social media policies at an organisation that sees itself as a bastion of political neutrality.

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Gary Lineker to leave BBC’s MOTD

Ultimately they sparked one of the biggest political furores in BBC history when a comparison of the Tory government’s asylum policy with 1930s Germany led to him being taken off air last year.

And BBC colleagues walked out in solidarity.

BBC Sport presenter Gary Lineker (right) and pundit Alan Shearer, returning to TV screens following a row over impartiality, is seen before the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Picture date: Saturday March 18, 2023.
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Presenter Gary Lineker and pundit Alan Shearer, returning to TV screens following Lineker’s row with the BBC over impartiality last year. Pic: PA

He didn’t want to back down and scored a victory, allowing him to express views on issues as long as it did not cross into campaigning.

But his views on football also caused concern with criticism of the England team going beyond anything he would say on the BBC.

The expletive used about Three Lions performances at Euro 2024 came on his own The Rest Is Football podcast, generating weeks of coverage promoting the sideline.

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But the sideline has developed into a huge commercial success with podcasts from Goalhanger dominating the listening chart from politics to history and entertainment, beyond his own football shows.

The BBC could continue to buy in Goalhanger podcasts after Lineker presents his last World Cup for them in 2026.

And soon a new generation might only know Lineker, not as the striker or BBC presenter, but as the podcasting millionaire.

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Megan Fox announces pregnancy in picture covered in ‘black paint’

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Megan Fox announces pregnancy in picture covered in 'black paint'

Megan Fox has revealed she is pregnant as she posted a daring photo of her appearing to be naked and covered in what looked like black paint.

Cradling her baby bump, the 38-year-old Hollywood actress and mother-of-three knelt on the floor and stared into the camera, with the caption “Nothing is ever really lost. Welcome back”.

A second image in the Instagram post showed her hand holding a pregnancy test that read “YES+”.

Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actress Fox shares three children, Noah, Bodhi and Journey, with her ex-husband, actor Brian Austin Green.

The pair filed for divorce in 2020, the same year that the US star began her relationship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly, real name Colson Baker.

Although she did not specifically reveal the father of her unborn child, Fox tagged 34-year-old Kelly in the post.

The caption “Nothing is ever really lost. Welcome back” may be a reference to a previous miscarriage.

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It remains to be seen whether Fox will publicly discuss the baby’s father.

Megan Fox with Machine Gun Kelly in 2022. Pic: Reuters/ Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Fox with Machine Gun Kelly in 2022. Pic: Reuters/ Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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On the Call Her Daddy podcast in March this year, host Alex Cooper asked her to address her relationship with Kelly.

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“I think what I’ve learned from being in this relationship is that it’s not for public consumption,” Fox replied.

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