This watering hole is the social hub of the veldt; the scrubby grasslands that stretch across Namibia. The scorched earth supports sometimes fragile populations of magnificent wildlife – from endangered predators to plentiful herds of game. But these gentle giraffes and elephants need to be careful: lions don’t sleep at night, they hunt! The spectacular starscape above southern Africa is unchanged since explorers first mapped the continent. The photographer, Pietro Olivetta from Italy, said he had to be patient to capture these shots – but it was worth the wait. (Photo by Pietro Olivetta/Caters News)

Sport category, winner: Yuan Peng. Liu Bingqing and Liu Yujie are twin sisters who have studied and trained in gymnastics since their early childhood in Jining, China. (Photo by Yuan Peng/Sony World Photography Awards)

A river otter (lontra longicaudis) of 6-weeks-old looks in the mirror during a bath in the Animal Welfare Unit of the Zoo in Cali, Colombia, on October 22, 2019. The baby otter was found abandoned brought to the Cali Zoo for breeding, for its extensive experience in raising these species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature the river otter (lontra longicaudis) are in danger of extinction, because of mining, agriculture, pollution of rivers and housing construction in their habitat. (Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP Photo)

People ride a boat on the Tianquan Lake during a foggy day in Xuyi in China's eastern Jiangsu province on November 20, 2019. (Photo by AFP Photo/China Stringer Network)

A woman carries an umbrella during a heat wave in Rome, Italy, 16 July 2023. Italy is facing the third heatwave of the summer on 16 July bringing record temperatures. The new heatwave is forecast to peak on 18 July, when temperatures in areas of southern Sardinian may reach 48 degrees Celsius, according to forecasts. On 15 July, the health ministry has put on red alert major Italian cities. (Photo by Massimo Percossi/EPA)

A young woman jumps into the river Rhine to cool off during high temperatures, near Kaiserstuhl, Switzerland, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Photo by Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP Photo)

A police officer reacts to flames during a protest against Chile's government in Santiago, Chile on November 4, 2019. Unrest began in Chile last October 18 with protests against a rise in transport tickets and other austerity measures and descended into vandalism, looting, and clashes between demonstrators and police. Protesters are angry about low salaries and pensions, poor public healthcare and education, and a yawning gap between rich and poor. (Photo by Henry Romero/Reuters)

Mariam Emad from Parkour Egypt “PKE” practices her parkour skills around buildings on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt on July 20, 2018. A group of Egyptian women gather at an abandoned park in a Cairo suburb once a week, climbing walls and jumping around in the strenuous physical discipline known as Parkour, while also challenging the country's conservative social norms. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)