Tony North; First place, Breathing Spaces; Overall Winner; Blue Tajinaste, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. “Echium thyrsiflorum is endemic to the mountains of La Palma island – from high up, there was a magnificent view of both the caldera below, and the stars above. The Unesco La Palma biosphere reserve encompasses the entire island, with the Caldera de Taburiente containing mountains with a highest peak of 2,426 metres – the Roque de los Muchachos”. (Photo by Tony North/IGPOTY)

Sandra, a 29-year-old orangutan at Buenos Aires' zoo, on May 20, 2015. Sandra got cleared to leave a Buenos Aires zoo that was her home for 20 years, after a court ruled she was entitled to more desirable living conditions. (Photo by Juan Mabromata/AFP Photo)

Inspired by traditional Indian travelling photography studios, Arthur Crestani photographed the inhabitants of Gurgaon, a city built almost entirely by private companies. Arthur Crestani’s “Bad City Dreams” contrasts the glossy ideal sold by developers with urban reality. Here: Luxury Living Bhiwadi: “Sky Club on 18th Floor”. (Photo by Arthur Crestani/The Guardian)

Chinese US fashion blogger Jessica Wang poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film “Aline” at the 74th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters)

This month’s selection of travel imagery mixes quiet moments and superlative views. The overall 2018 prize is a West Greenland trip with Wild Photography Holidays. Here: “This was taken on a safari in Kruger national park, South Africa. The scene was like something straight out of a storybook: a wild baboon, impala and elephant crossing the road together, all lined up neatly in a row”. (Photo by Will Clarke/The Guardian)

Google has built its first self-driving car prototypes and hopes to test hundreds more models this summer. If all goes well, the company is planning a pilot program in California over the next few years.