A shot of a rare underwater spawning that only takes place around a full moon once a year has been named as the winner of this year’s Wildlife Photographer Of The Year competition.
Judges said French underwater photographer and biologist Laurent Ballesta’s image, entitled Creation, has an “otherworldly beauty” and reveals a “fleeting moment of fascinating animal behaviour” that very few people have ever seen.
It has been selected as the winner of the Natural History Museum’s prestigious annual competition, now in its 57th year, from more than 50,000 entries from 95 countries.
Image: Creation by Laurent Ballesta – Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2021 winner
Ballesta’s photograph captures camouflage groupers darting away from a milky cloud of eggs and sperm in Fakarava, French Polynesia. It was the result of returning to the lagoon every year for five years, diving day and night so as not to miss the annual spawning.
Writer and editor Rosamund Kidman Cox, chair of the judging panel, described the image as “surprising, energetic and intriguing” with “an otherworldly beauty”.
She added: “It also captures a magical moment – a truly explosive creation of life – leaving the tail-end of the exodus of eggs hanging for a moment like a symbolic question mark.”
Camouflage groupers are a vulnerable species threatened by overfishing, but in this area they are protected within a special biosphere reserve.
Natural History Museum director Dr Doug Gurr described Ballesta’s image as a “compelling reminder of what we stand to lose if we do not address humanity’s impact on our planet”, and said that “the protection provided to this endangered species by the biosphere reserve highlights the positive difference we can make”.
Image: Dome Home, by Vidyun R Hebba – Young Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2021 winner
Elsewhere, 10-year old Vidyun R Hebbar was awarded the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021 award for Dome Home, a colourful image of a tent spider pictured near his home in the city of Bengaluru, in India, as a tuk-tuk passes by in the background.
Dr Natalie Cooper, a Natural History Museum researcher, said it was “a great reminder to look more closely at the small animals we live with every day, and to take your camera with you everywhere”.
The two overall winners were selected from 19 category winners, showcasing everything from stunning animal portraits to interesting behaviour, as well as photojournalism images and portfolios. Here are the 17 other category winners.
Grizzly Leftovers by Zack Clothier – Animals In Their Environment winner
US photographer Zack Clothier decided the remains of a bull elk in Montana provided the perfect spot to set up a camera trap to capture any interested animals passing by. But melted snow and fallen trees meant a challenging journey back to the scene, and when the photographer did return his set-up had been ruined. However, this surprising shot of a grizzly bear turned out to be his last frame.
Reflection by Majed Ali – Animal Portrait winner, and Bedazzled by Alex Mustard – Natural Artistry winner
Majed Ali, from Kuwait, trekked for hours to find Kibande, an almost-40-year-old mountain gorilla, but it was worth it to get this snap of the ape closing its eyes in the rain, seemingly enjoying the shower. Mountain gorillas are found at altitudes of over 1,400 metres in two isolated populations – at the Virunga volcanoes in Rwanda and in Bwindi, Uganda – and are endangered due to habitat loss, disease, poaching and disruption caused by human activity.
UK photographer Alex Mustard’s image is of a juvenile ghost pipefish hiding among the arms of a feather star – its loud colours signify that it had not long landed on the reef; its colour pattern would later have changed, enabling it to blend in.
Spinning The Cradle by Gil Wizen – Behaviour: Invertebrates winner
Gil Wizen (Israel/ Canada) discovered this fishing spider under some loose bark in a forest near his home in southern Ontario, and managed to capture it stretching out silk to weave into its egg sac. “The action of the spinnerets reminded me of the movement of human fingers when weaving,” Wizen said.
The Intimate Touch by Shane Kalyn – Behaviour: Birds winner
This picture by Canadian photographer Shane Kalyn shows a raven courtship display captured in midwinter, the start of their breeding season. Lying on the frozen ground, he watched as the couple exchanged gifts – moss, twigs and small stones – and preened and serenaded each other before coming together for the perfect picture.
Head To Head by Stefano Unterthiner – Behaviour: Animals winner
Stefano Unterthiner, from Italy, followed these Svalbard reindeer during rutting season and caught these two battling for control of a harem, clashing antlers until the dominant male chased his rival away. Reindeer populations in the Arctic are affected by climate change, as increased rainfall can freeze on the ground and prevent access to plants that would otherwise sit under soft snow.
Where The Giant Newts Breed by Joao Rodrigues – Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles winner
Joao Rodrigues, from Portugal, came across a pair of courting sharp-ribbed salamanders in a flooded forest – his first chance in five years to dive into the lake, which only emerges in winters of exceptionally heavy rainfall. He said he had a split second to adjust his camera settings and capture the moment before the newts swam away.
Nursery Meltdown by Jennifer Hayes – Oceans: The Bigger Picture winner
Following a storm, it took hours of searching by helicopter for US photographer Jennifer Hayes to find this fractured sea ice used as a birthing platform by harp seals. “It was a pulse of life that took your breath away,” she said of her image. Every autumn, harp seals migrate south from the Arctic to their breeding grounds, delaying births until the sea ice forms. But they depend on the ice – which means that future population numbers are likely to be affected by climate change.
Rich Reflections by Justin Gilligan – Plants And Fungi winner
Justin Gilligan, from Australia, created the reflection of a marine ranger among the seaweed for this striking photograph, taken at the world’s southernmost tropical reef. He said he wanted to show how careful human management helps preserve a vibrant seaweed jungle – and had just 40 minutes in which tide conditions were right to get his image.
The Spider Room by Gil Wizen – Urban Wildlife winner
A second winning spider shot for Wizen, who found this venomous Brazilian wandering spider hiding under his bed after noticing tiny spiders all over the room. Yikes. Rather than run away, he grabbed his camera to capture what is one of the world’s most venomous spiders, which is the size of a human hand.
Road To Ruin by Javier Lafuente – Wetlands: The Bigger Picture winner
Using a drone, Javier Lafuente, from Spain, captures the stark line of a road slicing through a wetland landscape, which is home to more than a hundred species of birds.
Elephant In The Room by Adam Oswell – Photojournalism winner
Adam Oswell, from Australia, said he was disturbed by this scene of zoo visitors watching a young elephant perform under water. Elephant tourism has increased across Asia and in Thailand there are now said to be more elephants in captivity than in the wild.
The Healing Touch by Brent Stirton – Photojournalist Story winner
Brent Stirton, from South Africa, profiled a rehabilitation centre caring for chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This image shows the director of the centre sitting with a newly rescued chimp she is slowly introducing to the others.
Cool Time by Martin Gregus – Rising Star Portfolio winner
This image by Martin Gregus (Canada/Slovakia) shows two female polar bears cooling off and playing in shallow waters around Hudson Bay in Canada. Captured with a drone, he said he felt the heart shape symbolises the apparent affection between the two animals and “the love we as people owe to the natural world”.
Face-Off by Angel Fitor – Portfolio Award winner
These cichlid fish might look like they’re having a kiss, but they’re actually fighting over a snail shell. Angel Fitor, from Spain, captured the pair in Lake Tanganyika, which is spread across Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Zambia in Africa. Fitor monitored the lake bed for three weeks – and while this struggle was over in seconds, it was just long enough to get a winning shot.
Sunflower Songbird by Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco – 11-14 Years winner
Enjoying itself sitting in the sunflowers on a warm afternoon is a melodious warbler bird. Andres Luis Dominguez Blanco, from Spain, managed to shoot “the king of its territory” from his hide set up in his father’s car.
High-Flying Jay by Lasse Kurkela – 15-17 Years winner
Image: Lasse Kurkela (Finland) watches a Siber
Lasse Kurkela, from Finland, used pieces of cheese to get Siberian jays accustomed to his remotely controlled camera and to encourage them to follow a particular flight path so he could get the exact shot he wanted – one of the birds high in the sky, tiny against the forest trees.
Football and the royals are two subjects which have always attracted very outspoken fans. Now, aged 90, Lord Norman Foster is attempting to please both.
One of the one of the world’s most important living architects, he is known for being the vision behind some of the world’s most iconic designs – including London’s “Gherkin” building, the Millennium Bridge and the British Museum’s spectacular Great Court.
Arguably, however, two of his most talked about designs are yet to be built.
In June, his firm Foster + Partners was announced as having won the commission to build a national memorial in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Image: A conceptual image of what the new Manchester United stadium could look like. Pic: Foster + Partners/PA
Image: Pic: Foster + Partners/PA
‘A galvanising project’
“The fan base is incredible,” Lord Foster said of his excitement at being commissioned to work on the new ground.
For the renowned architect it is a homecoming of sorts, given Lord Foster’s working-class roots, having grown-up in Manchester.
Was he excited to be involved?
“You bet,” he exclaims.
“It’s a galvanising project… and so many things can naturally ride on the back of that sporting, emblematic kind of team.”
Set to cost around £2bn – with its three tall masts acting as a vast umbrella over Old Trafford – the design is part of a larger regeneration project which Lord Foster claims could be completed in five years.
Image: The stadium design is part of a larger regeneration project.
Pic: Foster + Partners/PA
It is described as a “master plan that will create streets, squares, neighbourhoods and connect with the heart of Manchester.”
Asked whether it will feel unlike any other British stadium, he said: “Manchester United is different and therefore its stadium’s going to be different… and better, of course.”
And what of the QEII memorial?
He says his design to remember the late monarch in London’s St James’ Park will be “more of all the good things”.
His plans include a statue of Queen Elizabeth II standing next to her husband Prince Philip, and a semi-glass bridge which is a nod to her wedding tiara.
Image: The royal gardens design. Pic: Foster+Partners and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA
As for those who’ve questioned whether maintaining its sparkle might prove to be problematic, Lord Foster insists it’ll be “less maintenance, more joy”.
He says his hope is “to address the many millions who traverse that [park], the daily commuters and many tourists, and to make that more human, to make it a better experience and a reminder of the legacy of the most extraordinary long-serving monarch”.
After collecting the London Design Festival’s prestigious lifetime achievement medal earlier this week, with six decades of experience under his belt, Lord Foster says he finds Britain’s inability to invest in infrastructure frustrating.
Image: Lord Foster speaks at the awards ceremony
“I lamented, like so many, the cancellation of HS2,” he says. The long-delayed rail route’s northern leg to Manchester was scrapped by Rishi Sunak in 2023.
“That was about levelling-up. It wasn’t about getting from one place in lightning speed, it was taking the burden off the regional network so it would serve local communities better.”
He says “connectivity is the answer to many of the social issues that we talk about”.
The tendency of politicians, he says, to prioritise short-term issues doesn’t help when it comes to seeing the bigger picture.
“There is not the awareness of the importance of design and planning… you do need a political awareness,” he says.
“The city is not static, it’s dynamic. It’s always changing, evolving, adapting to change, and it can do that well, or it can do it badly. But it needs planning, it needs anticipation.”
Donald Trump has claimed Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show was pulled off the air because of “bad ratings”.
Kimmel’s programme on US network ABC was axed after he criticised the US president and his allies for their response to the assassination of the right-wing influencerCharlie Kirk.
The decision led to accusations that free speech was under attack in the US, with Democrats including former US president Barack Obama and a number of celebrities sounding an alarm.
Mr Trump said: “Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings, more than anything else.”
“And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”
Speaking at a news conference alongside Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Trump added: “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.
“So, you know, you could call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”
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Image: Donald Trump attends a news conference with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Pic: Reuters
Aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump said: “When a host is on network television, there is a license. … I think maybe their license should be taken away.”
He said whether ABC’s license could be taken away over Mr Kimmel’s comments “will be up to Brendan Carr”, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
The US president also said that Mr Kimmel’s “ratings were worse than cold air. I think they got rid of cold air, which is a good thing to do. Look, that’s something that we should be talking about for licensing, too”.
The latest season of Jimmy Kimmel Live averaged 1.57 million viewers per episode, according to media research firm Nielsen – and the show’s YouTube channel has almost 21 million subscribers.
What did Kimmel say?
Kimmel made the controversial remark on Monday night.
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Jimmy Kimmel’s Charlie Kirk monologue
He said:“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Speaking about Mr Trump, he added: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
“Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he continued.
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Kimmel: Chairman of FCC hints at legal action
Free speech under attack?
Disney-owned ABC then said the show would be taken off air indefinitely, and with immediate effect, after network operator Nexstar – which operates a number of ABC affiliates – said it would stop broadcasting it.
But the move – months after fellow CBS late-night show host Stephen Colbert saw his programme cancelled – sparked concern over the state of freedom of speech in the country.
Former US president Barack Obama wrote on X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent, and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating it.”
Image: Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2016. Pic: Susan Walsh/AP
A string of high-profile celebrities, including actor Ben Stiller, criticised the decision. Mr Stiller reacted to another post on the news, replying: “This isn’t right.”
Actress Alison Brie said in an Instagram story: “This is unreal. And very scary.”
Actress Jean Smart and comedian Alex Edelman also attacked the move.
Image: Ben Stiller was among celebrities who rallied around Mr Kimmel. (Pic: Reuters)
The American Federation of Musicians, Directors Guild of America, IATSE and Sag Aftra have also condemned the ABC’s decision in a joint statement.
“The indefinite removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live under government pressure is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing trend of increasing interference in creative expression,” the unions said.
“This kind of political pressure on broadcasters and artists chills free speech and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of working Americans.”
What happened
Kimmel’s comments led to the Trump backer Mr Carr threatening to “take action” against Disney and ABC.
In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, he said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
After the show was pulled, he then praised Nexstar’s broadcasting division, saying “it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values”.
Image: Mr Trump, currently on a UK state visit, welcomed the move. (Pic: Reuters)
Kimmel’s suspension has triggered outrage from Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsom, who posted on X: “The @GOP [Republican Party] does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called for people “across the political spectrum… to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel”.
A representative for Kimmel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He has not issued any statement since the show’s withdrawal.
Sinclear, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, has called on Mr Kimmel to “issue a direct apology to the Kirk family” and “make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA” in a statement on Thursday.
The company said its ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Mr Kirk during Jimmy Kimmel Live’s timeslot on Friday.
Both Disney and Nexstar have FCC business ahead of them. Disney is seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and Nexstar needs the Trump administration go-ahead to complete its $6.2bn purchase of broadcast rival Tegna.
Mr Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson,appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday. Prosecutors said he had expressed negative views about Mr Kirk, an influential media figure in the MAGA movement.
Sally Rooney says she could not come to the UK to pick up an award earlier this week because she can “no longer safely enter the UK without facing arrest”.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK on 5 July.
The 34-year-old had won a Sky Arts Award, in the literature category, for her latest novel, Intermezzo, beating fellow writers Alan Hollinghurst and Gwyneth Lewis.
Rooney’s editor, Alex Bowler, attended the ceremony on Tuesday at London’s Roundhouse on her behalf.
Accepting the award, he read a statement from Rooney, which said: “I’m so touched and grateful to receive this prize.
“I truly loved writing Intermezzo, and it means the world to me to think that it found some small place in the lives of its readers. Thank you.
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“I wish that I could be with you this evening to accept the honour in person, but because of my support for non-violent anti-war protest, I’m advised that I can no longer safely enter the UK without potentially facing arrest.
“In that context, I want to thank you all the more warmly for honouring my work tonight and to reiterate my belief in the dignity and beauty of all human life and my solidarity with the people of Palestine.”
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Why was Palestine Action proscribed?
Rooney previously told the Irish Times that if backing the group “makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it”.
She has said she will use the proceeds of her work and her public platform to continue her support for Palestine Action and “direct action against genocide in whatever way I can”.
Palestine Action was banned under terrorism legislation in the UK, but not under Irish law.
Rooney currently lives in the west of Ireland.
More than 700 people have been arrested in relation to alleged support of Palestine Action since it was banned – including 522 during a protest in central London on 9 July.
The group was proscribed after the group claimed responsibility for damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton and was also linked to “allegations of a serious assault on staff”.
Israel’s foreign ministry said it “categorically rejects this distorted and false report” and called for the commission to be abolished.
On Wednesday night, stars including Richard Gere, Florence Pugh, Damon Albarn and Louis Theroux all appeared at the Together for Palestine concert, at Ovo Arena Wembley, which raised £1.5m to support Palestinian humanitarian organisations.