“These Rajasthani sisters were sitting on the staircase inside their house relaxing and enjoy a cup of masala chai”. (Photo by Firdaus Hadzri/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)

The Golden Gai is a sliver of old Tokyo in a modern metropolis filled with endless gleaming buildings. It's a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction, for sure. But it's also a place for a few drinks and friendly chatter among exhausted workers known as “salarymen”. Here: A man strolls through a narrow alleyway clustered with tiny bars and restaurants at the Golden Gai in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, July 17, 2019. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

A cyclist rides in al-Qudra desert in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, on June 8, 2020. (Photo by Giuseppe Cacace/AFP Photo)

A pornographer posing as a fashion photographer sets up a photoshoot with an unsuspecting model, in the hope of getting some illicit footage. He suggests she try wearing something a little more suggestive. (Photo by Pryor/Three Lions/Getty Images). Circa 1955

A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (Photo byh Ethan Swope/AP Photo)

A man wears a gas mask as he holds a bouquet of flowers, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus on Valentine’s Day in Hong Kong, China on February 14, 2020. (Photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Looking for love by Tony Wu, USA. Highly commended, Animal Portraits. “Accentuating his mature appearance with pastel colours, protruding lips and an outstanding pink forehead, this Asian sheepshead wrasse sets out to impress females and see off rivals, which he will head-butt and bite, near Japan’s remote Sado Island. Individuals start out as females, and when they reach a certain age and size – up to a metre (more than 3 feet) long – can transform into males. Long-lived and slow-growing, the species is intrinsically vulnerable to overfishing”. (Photo by Tony Wu/2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

Journeys and adventures winner – This is My Jungle. A wild elephant attacks a jeep full of people. “We should respect nature and care more about it, but we should also avoid taking unnecessary and reckless risks”. (Photo by Savvi Sergey/SIPA Contest)