A cormorant swallows a catfish — and other news in pictures

, The TimesSilversmith Katie Watson hammering designs onto a silver sphere.

Katie Watson, a silversmith, uses chasing and repoussé techniques to create designs on jewellery and silverware in her studio on the Marchmont Estate in the Scottish Borders

PHIL WILKINSON

Tourists pose in front of a display of roses and fruit frozen in ice blocks in Shenyang, Liaoning Province.

Shenyang, a city in China’s northeastern Liaoning province, attracts tourists with winter attractions including ice installations

VCG/GETTY IMAGES

Drone light show forming a character in the sky above a cityscape at night.

A themed drone light show is part of the tenth anniversary carnival for Honor of Kings, one of China’s most popular video games, in the city of Shenzhen, where its developer is based

VCG/GETTY IMAGES

Close-up of a Zaragozas parade member with a red mask and a person wearing a white mask and green hat behind them.

The Zaragozas parade through the streets of Sanare, Venezuela, during festivities marking Holy Innocents Day — the day on which King Herod is said to have ordered the execution of all male children to kill Jesus

MAXWELL BRICENO/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES

An otter lying on its back in seaweed, paws extended upwards.

An otter floats on kelp and seaweed off Mull, in the Inner Hebrides. Such relaxed behaviour is only seen when an otter feels completely safe in its patch

JOHN WELLS/TWOPOINTO MEDIA

John Kobra Acevedo in his 7ft Voltron costume.

John Kobra Acevedo, from Salina, Kansas, spent eight months creating a 7ft Voltron costume for Comic Con, crafted from gym floor foam and inspired by the 1985 animated series Voltron: Defender of the Universe

JOHN KOBRA ACEVEDO/SWNS

People participating in a traditional parade of fish-shaped lanterns in Huangshan.

People parade through Huangshan, Anhui province, with traditional fish-shaped lanterns to pray for a good harvest and prosperity. The event is recognised as part of China’s intangible cultural heritage

SHI YALEI/VCG/GETTY IMAGES

A large herring gull flying among many smaller black-headed gulls against a black background.

A single herring gull among a flock of smaller black-headed gulls over Tice’s Meadow, a nature reserve near Farnham, Surrey

JON HAWKINS/TWOPOINTO MEDIA

A donkey with an open mouth showing its teeth.

Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary in Oxfordshire, is caring for more than 100 rescued and neglected donkeys and other animals. It provides lifelong support and rehabilitation

GEOFFREY SWAINE/AVALON

A star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, featuring clouds of cold hydrogen glowing deep red with newborn stars and dark clouds in the foreground.

A section of N159, a star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, captured by the Hubble space telescope, shows glowing clouds of hydrogen lit by newborn stars and carved by stellar winds

NASA/TWOPOINTO MEDIA

Ricky Evans in a colorful shirt with his mouth open, holding green pom-poms during the World Darts Championship.

Ricky Evans takes to the stage for his match against Charlie Manby on day 16 of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London

JOHN WALTON/PA

Horses and jockeys jumping over a water obstacle at Newbury Racecourse.

Freddie Mitchell rides Old Cowboy, number 5, over the water jump on their way to winning a handicap chase at Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire

ALAN CROWHURST/GETTY IMAGES

A father and son cast fishing nets in an algae-blanketed river in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

A father and son cast their fishing nets in an algae-covered river in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. They must navigate the thick growths to keep their livelihood going

BIPUL AHMED/SOLENT NEWS

Newborn giraffe calf standing in an enclosure, with its mother partially visible.

A male giraffe calf was born to Ijuma at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire as part of the international conservation breeding programme for endangered reticulated giraffes. He is already 6ft tall

ALEX SIMPSON/WHIPSNADE ZOO

Cambodian Buddhist nuns sitting on white mats in an outdoor prayer ceremony.

Cambodian Buddhists pray for peace at a ceremony in the capital, Phnom Penh

HENG SINITH/AP

Performer in a costume, holding a staff, participates in the traditional Rauhnacht run during "The Twelve Nights of Christmas" in Beilngries, Germany, surrounded by fire and sparks.

Devils, witches, and fire-breathing monsters take to the streets of Beilngries, Bavaria, for the ancient “Rauhnacht” run, which aims to drive away winter and evil spirits

CHRISTIAN MANG/REUTERS

A red squirrel peeking out from behind a tree trunk.

A red squirrel forages for food in Widdale red squirrel reserve in the Yorkshire Dales near Hawes, North Yorkshire

DANNY LAWSON/PA

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