Pictures of the month — and your chance to ask our photographers about them
, Photographer |
Jack Hill
, Chief News Photographer |
Richard Pohle
, Photographer
The Times
Have you ever wondered how our photographers get the perfect shot?
James Glossop will be online from 1pm on Wednesday to answer your questions. You can ask about anything, from equipment and lighting to how he gets into prime position, in the comments below.
I've always loved photographing aircraft so it was with some excitement I was assigned to go to Poland to photograph the the jets of Poland, Britain and Sweden taking part in a tri-nation operation to intercept Russian aircraft flying too close to Nato borders. Here a Polish MIG 29 screams low over the Polish air force base of Malbork after returning from a training exercise
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
John Healey posed at Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham for The Sunday Times before an interview about Monday's strategic defence review. I got about eight minutes to do this shoot, but managed three or four different setups. I used a deliberately stark lighting style and something called a Gobo projector, with a narrow slit in it to channel light into the spot where the defence secretary stood
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
I had a fascinating assignment in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the surrounding areas, now under M23 control after government forces were pushed out in January. With permission we visited the mines at Rubaya, a punishing three-hour drive on one of the worst roads I've travelled
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Rubaya is a critical mining town producing coltan and manganese, key minerals used in modern tech. I chose this shot for its scale — I wanted to convey the enormity of the operation and the conditions involved
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Before VE Day, the Tower of London planted 30,000 ceramic poppies. I was there mainly to photograph the volunteers tirelessly assembling and planting the poppies but was aware the pictures weren't quite working as nothing I was photographing said 'Tower of London'. Towards the end of my time there I saw several yeoman warders watching from the side. I knew then that this was the picture I needed. I quickly asked permission to photograph one of them and asked if he could plant a poppy and he readily agreed. I was delighted when this image made the front page of The Times the following day
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
I was in Ramsgate, Kent, for the 85th anniversary of the astonishing rescue of British troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940. To mark the anniversary of Operation Dynamo many of the original Dunkirk Little Ships made the crossing again. I was lucky to secure a spot on a pilot boat that accompanied them partway into the Channel
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Soldiers at Pirbright barracks in Surrey carry the flags of the Commonwealth as they prepare for the VE Day parade in central London. I always like to photograph the rehearsal for a state occasion more than the actual event as you can get much closer to events and catch little moments of detail before discipline takes over
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
On the Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland, the annual puffin census involves birds being weighed using an unusual method: placing them upside down in a jug. I knew from the moment I shot this picture that it would be the one that got used, because it hadn't been seen before
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
Earlier in the month, I travelled with Sir Keir Starmer to the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania. I liked the symmetry and formality of this frame — the grandeur of the honour guard welcoming our prime minister to the Presidential Palace for his meeting with the Albanian president, Bajram Begaj
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Ukrainian recruits are put through a seven-week intensive battle training course in East Anglia run by British and other Nato soldiers intended to give them more 'survivability'. I spent a full day with them as they were put through their paces by the Irish Guards. Here a group of Ukrainians carry a mock casualty away from a battle area. The British soldiers admitted a bond grows through the training and the Ukrainians' inevitable departure to war is always an emotional day
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Before the Great Ouseburn Garden Festival in North Yorkshire on Sunday, a retired headteacher called Caroline Smale restores some of her fellow villagers' colourful garden gnomes to their former glory. A light into a large brolly helped to fill the foreground in this image while maintaining the outdoor feel
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
Every two years the members of what must be the most exclusive club in the world — the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association — attend a service of remembrance and a royal reception. To stand among these incredible people is an absolute honour, and although a couple can't be photographed for security reasons I was greeted warmly. Here one Victoria Cross recipient, Johnson Beharry, waits for the King to arrive at Windsor Castle. In the background other members of the association talk among themselves
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
King Charles exits his car on arrival in Bradford, where he made a number of visits relating to the city's status as 2025 City of Culture. I like the way he appears to be staring me down
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
With a sense of circularity I found myself near Dunkirk again later in the month, this time working on an immigration story. I'd seen groups near the camps heading towards bus stops, some carrying life jackets. With ideal weather forecast for the next day, I travelled to Gravelines beach at dawn. The sunrise revealed hundreds of people, either hidden in the dunes or gathered along the foreshore, waiting to board a dinghy
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
When boarding begins, it quickly becomes organised chaos. It must be a nerve-racking ordeal for everyone involved
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
I used a DJI Mini 2 drone to capture this scene of swimmers at Ilkley Lido in West Yorkshire on its opening weekend. The distinctive shape of the pool helped catch the eye of the picture editors
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
There are several dress rehearsals for Trooping the Colour; the first is known as the Brigade Major's Review. This is always great to photograph as we can stand in positions usually reserved for TV cameras that give a unique view that isn't available on big day. No members of the royal family are present, so I can concentrate on the precision drill of the guardsmen. Using a 500mm lens, I focused in on the tight formations to create this view
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Year 11 school leavers celebrate their 'graduation' by throwing mortarboards in the air in what has become an annual tradition at BBG Academy near Bradford, West Yorkshire. There are very few cases where I use my Canon R5's full speed ability to capture 20 frames per second — you simply end up with too many images to edit — but this was one of them
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Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Thailand and Cambodia cannot afford this war – but neither is prepared to give an inch
The tank screeches as it rolls into the ad-hoc military base before four battle-weary soldiers jump out to re-inspect the hefty vehicle. Around them, the thud of artillery fire reverberates, a near-constant reminder that the forested front line is just three miles south. This is not the image that comes to mind when most people think of Thailand. But since Thursday, when simmering tensions over a long-disputed border with Cambodia ignited into open conflict, these troops have been at the forefront of clashes that have claimed 33 lives, including children. Lt Nitipon, who gave only his first name, told The Telegraph in Sisaket province on Saturday: 'You can hear two sounds right now – one is from artillery fire, the second is from the rocket launcher. It's coming from both sides… all I can tell you is that we are protecting our sovereignty.' The Thai soldier added that while his unit had no intention of ceding ground, they had not escaped their battles unscathed. 'This is the duty for me as a soldier, and I'm very proud to do my duty… but of course I don't want the war to go on because it only brings losses,' Lt Nitipon said. 'People in our unit have been injured and are in treatment right now at the field hospital.' On Saturday, Thailand and Cambodia traded fresh accusations and heavy artillery fire as the conflict between the south-east Asian neighbours entered a third day, with few signs of imminent de-escalation on the ground. In Sisaket – where even the normally ubiquitous 7-11 convenience shops had closed their doors in eerily quiet border towns – military trucks tore down the deserted roads leading to the front line. Throughout the afternoon, The Telegraph heard the frequent boom of artillery. Clashes also spread further west to coastal regions on Saturday, where Thailand's navy joined the fight, despite continued international calls to cease violence, including an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday. Donald Trump, the US president, wrote on social media on Saturday, referring to tariff negotiations: '[We] do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting – And I have told them so!' But while both sides have talked of peace, Thailand prefers bilateral talks and Cambodia favours international arbitration. Each has also claimed that the other has undermined armistice efforts by continuing to attack civilians, and criticised the use of assets including F-16 jets and rocket launchers. Tita Sanglee, a Bangkok-based associate fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute think tank, said: 'I think the Thai military is [trying] to weaken Cambodia's military capabilities before negotiating. 'But my sense is that the fighting will be contained along the border, but will be quite intense. The two sides are at odds over how to resolve disputes, but it's not in their interest to escalate this geographically, partly because of tourism and economic interests.' Bitter spats between the two rivals are not new, with much of the animosity dating back to differing interpretations of a colonial-era map, leading to disputed ownership of ancient temples. But the latest violence is now bloodier than the previous major outbreak, between 2008 and 2011. On Saturday, Cambodia's defence ministry said at least 15 people have been killed so far, while Thailand has put the death toll at 20. In all, 21 civilians have lost their lives across both countries, including an eight-year-old. Thongdee Nimit, 67, said perched on a red plastic chair in the evacuation centre where she's been since Thursday: 'This is the heaviest fighting that I remember. 'The warning came and not even three minutes later – boom, boom, boom. 'It was so scary, and all the soldiers were coming saying 'get out', 'get out'. It wasn't like this at all last time.' Ms Nimit is among thousands of evacuees sheltering in a covered concrete schoolyard, where they are sleeping and eating on mats with little refuge from the humid weather. In all, officials estimate that more than 138,000 people have now been forced to flee their homes in Thailand, plus a further 35,000 in Cambodia. Yinh Ya, an NGO executive who fled Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province after witnessing heavy shooting, said: 'We left the home and just evacuated the people out, we left out animals and our assets.' 'We're worried because they [Thailand] have used drones and jets to attack the military along the border already,' he told The Telegraph by phone, laying blame squarely at Bangkok's door. 'Even though there has been tension for months, everyone here was shocked by how fast it all happened. There is a lot of fear.' Animosity between the two nations re-emerged in May, after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish on the disputed 508-mile border. But relations truly imploded after two groups of Thai soldiers were injured by landmines on Wednesday. Thailand claims the ordnance was newly laid, but Cambodia says they are leftovers from a final stint of fighting during the murderous Khmer Rouge regime. Still, soon after the incident, both sides downgraded relations, expelled their neighbour's ambassador and recalled embassy staff. Then on Thursday, heightened tensions ignited into deadly clashes – both sides blame the other for starting the violence. Yet the embers of war are also being fanned by strongmen politicians in Bangkok and Phnom Penh. Escalating tensions have mirrored a rapid decline in relations between Hun Sen and Thaksin Shinawatra, two former prime ministers whose children now hold the role. Or at least, Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn did – until Hun Sen leaked an audio of a call last month where she kow-towed to the Cambodian leader and criticised her own military, a major red line in Thailand. She has since been suspended, and Thailand plunged into a political crisis. Analysts attempting to explain Hun Sen' s motives for unravelling a once-close friendship – the two men had called each other 'godbrothers' – say it may be linked to a crackdown by the Thai government on scam centres in Cambodia, or because of Thaksin's push to legalise casinos in Thailand, which would threaten business across the border. But through the fighting, he has succeeded at bringing the country together against a common enemy, said Mu Sochua, the head of the opposition Khmer Movement for Democracy. She told The Telegraph: 'His tactic is working… it's like a big wave of outrage,' 'There's nothing to stop this nationalistic sentiment at this moment.' A similar outpouring has been seen in Thailand, where local media have also reported attacks on migrant workers. In Bangkok, one motorbike taxi was seen with a sign on his back on Saturday saying he would 'not accept orders from Khmer/Cambodian people'. Yet, despite his attempts, Thaksin may not be able to capitalise in the same way as Hun Sen, a largely authoritarian figure who has significantly more power domestically. Peter Mumford, the head of the Eurasia group's south-east Asia office, said: 'The military skirmish puts further political pressure on… Paetongtarn and likely emboldens their conservative opponents.' 'If the security or domestic political situation worsens, speculation about a military coup will grow – though we are not there yet.' Yet in Sisaket on Saturday, few were thinking about national politics. Instead, weary residents too anxious to sleep amid artillery fire just wanted life to return to normal – though they, like the soldiers, felt Cambodia was at fault. Pawana Apaisila, a resident, said: 'I cannot sleep at night because I'm just thinking about what's happening and our home. 'None of this is worth it. But then, if we cave to them [Cambodia], I think they will keep wanting more. I am a Thai citizen, I feel we cannot keep losing our land to them.'
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Five dead after Ukraine and Russia trade drone and missile attacks as talks stall
In Ukraine's Dnipro region, three people died in Russian shelling, while two were killed in Russia's Rostov region after a Ukrainian drone strike. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 235 drones and 27 missiles in a 'massive combined attack' overnight. Ten missiles and 25 drones found their targets, striking nine locations, while air defences shot down or intercepted the rest, according to Ukraine's Air Force. 'A terrible night. A massive combined attack on the region,' Serhiy Lysak, the governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, wrote on Telegram. An additional six people were injured, he said, posting photos of smashed buildings, burnt-out cars and firefighters battling blazes. In Dnipro city, a multi-storey building and a business were damaged, and a fire engulfed a shopping centre outside the city. Ukraine's southern Dnipro and northeastern Sumy regions also came under heavy rocket and drone attack. Officials in Sumy reported three people injured after Russian drones hit a central square and damaged the regional administration building. Kharkiv also sustained intense bombardment. Ukraine's emergency services said six people were hurt, including four rescuers injured in a so-called 'double tap' strike, where a second attack follows the first to target emergency workers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that Russia would feel the consequences. Russian military enterprises, Russian logistics, Russian airports must feel that the Russian war has real consequences for them,' he said. 'There can be absolutely no silence in response to such strikes, and Ukrainian long-range drones ensure this.' Ukraine's attacks on Russia have also intensified in recent months. Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 54 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 24 over the Bryansk region and 12 over Rostov. Officials in Moscow and other areas also reported drone attacks, though most were shot down. In Russia's Rostov region, which borders Ukraine, acting governor Yuri Slyusar said a Ukrainian drone attack killed two people. Drones also struck an industrial facility in the neighbouring Stavropol region, sparking a brief fire, according to governor Vladimir Vladimirov. Officials also reported drone attacks on Moscow and the Penza region southeast of the capital, though they were intercepted. In Russia's Ingushetia region in the North Caucasus, a woman and three children were injured after a drone fell on a home, regional health officials said. On the battlefield, Russia's Defence Ministry claimed to have seized the village of Zelenyi Hai in the eastern Donetsk region and Maliivka in the Dnipro region. Kyiv did not comment on the claims. Mr Zelensky said he had been briefed by Chief of Staff Oleksandr Syrsky on 'active and long-range actions on Russian territory,' including clashes in Pokrovsky and efforts to repel Russian advances into the Sumy region. 'Our forces are consistently blocking Russian attempts to advance deep into the Sumy region from the border,' he said. Mr Zelensky added that drone production in Ukraine this year would 'significantly exceed' earlier forecasts. In Moscow, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that peace talks had never truly been on the West's agenda. 'If the West wanted 'real peace' in Ukraine, it would stop supplying Kyiv with weapons,' she said, according to state news agency TASS. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed its overnight strikes had hit Ukrainian military sites 'that manufacture components for missile weapons, as well as produce ammunition and explosives.' The Independent could not verify this claim.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
Reeves abandons inheritance tax raid on grieving military families
Rachel Reeves has abandoned plans to impose new inheritance tax changes on the grieving families of military personnel. The Chancellor has dropped a proposal to tax death in service payments, which are tax-free lump sums given to the families of deceased Armed Forces members. Changes unveiled in the October Budget would have made off-duty death in service payments subject to inheritance tax for the first time, if not going to a spouse or civil partner. It would have meant that children or partners of unmarried servicemen and women would have had to pay death duties on the benefit from April 2027. The Treasury has been forced to abandon the proposals after pressure from Armed Forces organisations, which said the move would have a 'corrosive' effect on trust among servicemen. The Government said that following its consultation, it had decided not to go ahead with the reform. 'Another U-turn' by Labour Mark Francois, the shadow Armed Forces minister, told The Telegraph that he welcomed the decision, 'even though it represents another U-turn by this Labour Government'. He added: 'It was always unfair that married partners of service personnel would be exempted from these changes to inheritance tax liabilities, while unmarried partners, in long-term relationships, would not. 'We highlighted this to ministers, on behalf of service families on multiple occasions and I am pleased for their sake, that common sense has now finally prevailed.' It comes after Ms Reeves's department had to water down proposals to scrap the universal winter fuel payment and reforms to the welfare system. The Government said: 'From 6 April 2027 all death in service benefits payable from registered pension schemes will be out of scope of Inheritance Tax, regardless of whether the scheme is discretionary or non-discretionary.' The HMRC document said that the new plans were 'in line with the broader policy objective of removing inconsistencies in the Inheritance Tax treatment of different types of pension benefits'. Labour 'standing up' for service personnel? Death in service payments are usually a lump sum paid to named beneficiaries of a worker who dies while on the company payroll. It is typically the equivalent of four-times the late individual's salary. For members of the Armed Forces, these are paid whether or not the individual was 'on duty' at the time of their death. Those who die 'on duty' were to continue to benefit from a separate tax-free arrangement on their death in service payments from 2027. But a military worker who dies while technically 'off duty', such as by sudden illness or accident, would have been stung by the proposed inheritance tax rules. Maj Gen Neil Marshall, the chief executive of the Forces Pension Society, told The Telegraph in January that military servicemen and women are unable to put the payment into trust, because they are part of the Armed Forces pension scheme. Labour sought to shore up support from the Armed Forces community at last year's general election, declaring the party would be 'standing up' for service personnel and veterans. The party was successful in winning over voters from military backgrounds, most notably winning in Aldershot, the site of a major garrison, for the first time in more than a century.
