A view of children mannequins wrapped in purple and white barricade tape placed in front of the Cologne Cathedral, installed there by German artist Dennis Josef Meseg, called “Shattered Souls – in a Sea of Silence”, to protest against the abuse scandals in the Catholic Church in Cologne, Germany on August 3, 2023. (Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)

Bouwe Brouwer: Postcards from Fryslân (series finalist). “People from Fryslân are looked upon by the rest of the Netherlands as stubborn people. Going back as far as the Spanish occupation, they have a history of resisting authority. Postcards from Fryslân is still an ongoing project – hopefully a lifelong one. When it started, it represented only a collection of places that seemed interesting. Currently, the hope is to cover most of the province, as you never know in advance where the best narratives are. But still, it is all candid, unposed and in the public realm”. (Photo by Bouwe Brouwer/Street Photographers Awards 2021)

In more “raccoons are getting more like us” news, a drunk raccoon was found in a liquor store in Virginia, US in the first decade of December 2025. The animal had got into the shop via some loose ceiling tiles, knocked bottles of spirits off the shelves, lapped up the contents and passed out in the toilets. Once it had sobered up, it was released back into the wild – no doubt with a crashing hangover. (Photo by AP Photo)

Contestants prepares ahead of the first-ever Miss Trans Israel beauty pageant in Tel Aviv, Israel May 27, 2016. The winner will represent Israel in Miss Trans Star International contest in Barcelona in September. (Photo by Amir Cohen/Reuters)

A competitor poses on the catwalk during the Miss Bumbum Brazil 2017 pageant in Sao Paulo on November 07, 2017. Fifteen candidates are competing in the annual pageant to select the Brazil's sexiest female rear end. (Photo by Nelson Almeida/AFP Photo)

Australian surfer Sally Fitzgibbons rides a wave during the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games at the El Tunco beach in El Salvador on June 6, 2023. (Photo by Marvin Recinos/AFP Photo)

Germany's Darja Varfolomeev competes in the individual all-around final of the Olympic qualifier 40th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Valencia on August 26, 2023. (Photo by Jose Jordan/AFP Photo)

The 12th round of the 2024 Motocross World Championship got under way in Lombok, Indonesia, on July 07, 2024. Jeffrey Herlings of the Netherlands won the round, and there are eight more to go. (Photo by IPA/Splash News and Pictures/Rex Features/Shutterstock)