A Bahá’í perspective on how education, service and meaningful participation can help young people become partners in building stronger, more united communities.

Founded in 1993, the museum has amassed about 900 paintings from thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, online auctions, donors and curbside trash in 31 states and 15 countries. About 100 pieces are on display.

Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 attracted more than 24,000 entries from photographers around the world, celebrating the beauty, diversity and behaviour of birdlife. The international competition recognises outstanding wildlife photography across eight adult categories, from bird behaviour and flight to conservation and creative perspectives. With conservation at its heart, the competition also supports grassroots projects through its charity partner, Birds on the Brink. This year’s awarded images offer a glimpse into the remarkable world of birds and the importance of protecting their habitats. Pictures courtesy of Bird Photographer of the Year. (For best view, click on image for fullscreen) A northern gannet appears to burst through the sun as it dives towards the water in this striking photograph, titled Sunball Rocket, by British photographer Henley Spiers. Captured in Shetland, Scotland, the image celebrates the seabird’s remarkable hunting abilities. Northern gannets can plunge into the sea at speeds of up to 86km/h, using their streamlined bodies and specially adapted anatomy to withstand the impact. The photograph received a Gold Award in the Birds in the Environment category and was named the overall winner of Bird Photographer of the Year 2026. Picture: Henley Spiers Gentoo penguins swim through the waters of Charcot Bay, Antarctica, in this photograph titled Back to Fishing by French photographer Romain Barats. While snorkelling in the bay, Barats encountered a group of the curious seabirds as they travelled to feed on fish and krill. The penguins swam rapidly around him, seemingly assessing whether he posed a threat. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Birds in the Environment category. Picture: Romain Barats A fledgling tawny frogmouth stretches its wings in the rain, seemingly shielding its siblings from falling water droplets, in Perth, Australia. Photographer Donald Chin captured the young bird’s wide eyes and open beak as it blends into the bark and shadows of the forest. The photograph, titled I’m Keeping Everyone Dry, received a Gold Award in the Bird Behaviour category. Picture: Donald Chin A yellow-legged gull perches on a rooftop in Rome, Italy, in this photograph titled Alter Ego by Italian photographer Gianluca Damiani. The image highlights how the birds have adapted to urban environments, using tall buildings as substitutes for coastal cliffs that provide nesting sites, roosts and perches. Dry pet food on the windowsill reflects the practice of residents feeding urban birds. The photograph received a Gold Award in the Urban Birds category. Picture: Gianluca Damiani A great blue heron has a fishing line and bobber tangled around its beak in this photograph titled Not a Good Day Fishing by American photographer Kent Stuart. The image was taken at a pond in Warren County, New Jersey, where Stuart was photographing waterbirds when the heron landed nearby. The discarded fishing equipment highlights the dangers of litter and lost tackle to wildlife. The photograph received a Gold Award in the Conservation category. Picture: Kent Stuart A discarded stuffed Egyptian vulture is discovered by a BirdLife Malta officer near an informal landfill in Malta in this photograph titled Discarded Evidence by Italian photographer Luca Eberle. The species is critically endangered in the Mediterranean and strictly protected, yet illegal hunting of migratory birds remains a concern on the island. The abandoned specimen may have been discarded to make room for another illegally killed bird. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Conservation category. Picture: Luca Eberle An Atlantic puffin is silhouetted against the shimmering ocean at sunset on Skomer Island in the United Kingdom in this photograph, titled Sunset Puffin, by German photographer Volker Widmann. Captured in the evening, after day visitors had left the island, the image highlights the seabird against the water’s reflections. The photograph received a Silver Award in the Best Portrait category. Picture: Volker Widmann A male greater sage-grouse displays its tail feathers during courtship in Utah, United States, in this award-winning photograph titled Radiant by American photographer Thomas Deliberto. Captured at sunrise, the backlighting makes the bird’s feathers appear to glow against the shadowed sagebrush hillside. The greater sage-grouse, the largest native grouse in North America, depends on sagebrush ecosystems in the western United States, but its population has declined sharply in recent years due to habitat loss. The image received a Gold Award in the Best Portrait category. Picture: Thomas Deliberto A male western parotia performs an elaborate courtship dance in the dark rainforest of Mingre, West Papua, Indonesia, in this photograph titled Tiny Dancer by Australian photographer David Stowe. The bird-of-paradise displays its distinctive movements in a dazzling attempt to attract a female. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Best Portrait category. Picture: David Stowe A juvenile bald eagle spreads its wings in relentless rain in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest in this photograph titled Spread Eagle by British photographer Mark Carwardine. Spotted from a Zodiac boat travelling along a forest inlet, the eagle maintained its posture despite the downpour. Eagles often spread their wings to dry their feathers or cool down, although the persistent rain made this a challenging task. The photograph received a Silver Award in the Bird Behaviour category. Picture: Mark Carwardine A short-eared owl flies over the salt marshes of British Columbia’s Fraser River Delta in Canada, turning its head towards the camera in this photograph by Swedish photographer Ivan Sjögren. Captured at dusk, the image was taken after Sjögren positioned himself in the grass to anticipate the owls’ hunting routes. The photograph, titled Eye-to-Eye with a Short-Eared Owl, received a Gold Award in the Birds in Flight category. Picture: Ivan Sjögren A Eurasian bittern flies between reedbeds against the light of the rising sun in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland, in this photograph titled Lord of the Reedbeds by Polish photographer Patryk Kurc. The image was captured from a floating hide, offering a glimpse of one of Poland’s most secretive bird species in flight. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Birds in Flight category. Picture: Patryk Kurc 1/12 MORE PICTURES: Stunning underwater worlds captured in Ocean Photographer of the Year awards

On 27 July 2026, the Acting Press Ombud partially upheld a complaint by Rema Tip Top Africa (Pty) Ltd about Moneyweb’s article, “Dunlop Industrial accused of withholding payment over ‘false allegations’ of collusion“. The Press Ombud found that the subheading “Court application” was inaccurate because the matter was an action rather than an application. The Press Ombud also found that the word “subsequently” in the sentence stating that Megan Naidu was dismissed by Dunlop was misleading, as it could wrongly imply that the dismissal resulted from the allegation of collusion. The bulk of the complaint was dismissed. Visit presscouncil.org.za for the full finding.

The Bulls could be closing in on a major Springbok signing after Kwagga Smith was released from his contract with Japanese club Shizuoka Blue Revs. The Japanese outfit confirmed on Tuesday that the 33-year-old loose forward had been released by mutual consent, bringing his eight-year stint in Japan to an end. Smith’s departure could open the door to a return to South African rugby, with Bulls coach Johan Ackermann having confirmed last month that the Pretoria-based franchise was interested in signing the double Rugby World Cup winner. Kwagga Smith leaves Japanese rugby legacy Kwagga Smith joined Yamaha Júbilo, as the Blue Revs were then known, in 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the standout overseas players in Japanese rugby. He made 78 appearances across competitions, earned five selections in the Top League and League One Team of the Season, and was named League One Player of the Season for the 2022/23 campaign. Smith also has 63 Test caps for the Springboks, with whom he has been part of two Rugby World Cup-winning squads – in 2019 and 2023. In announcing his departure, the Blue Revs praised Smith’s contribution to the club and his influence on teammates. “With 63 Test caps for South Africa, Smith brought a wealth of experience and an impressive track record to the team. He consistently led by example and served as a role model for his team-mates,” the club said. ［契約終了のお知らせ］#静岡ブルーレヴズ はこの度、 #クワッガ・スミス 選手との選手契約を終了することで双方合意に達しました。… pic.twitter.com/GGEAJGglLO— 静岡ブルーレヴズ SHIZUOKA BlueRevs🗻🏉 (@bluerevs) October 20, 2026 The Japanese side added that Smith had played an important role in shaping its history and was recognised as one of the league’s outstanding players. The club also expressed its gratitude for his achievements and wished him well for the future. Bulls could add more Springbok firepower Kwagga Smith’s availability comes at an interesting time for the Bulls, who are looking to strengthen their squad under Ackermann. A move to Pretoria would bring an experienced international campaigner back to South Africa and give the Bulls another versatile option in the loose forwards. Smith’s ability to operate across the loose forward positions, combined with his experience at the highest level, could make him an attractive addition to the squad. Smith’s last Test came on 29 November 2025 against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, a match the Springboks won 73-0.

Reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark and PGA Tour star Ben Griffin will make their debuts at the 2026 Nedbank Golf Challenge, with Africa’s Major returning to the Gary Player Country Club from 3 to 6 December. Clark and Griffin join an already star-studded field that includes Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau, defending champion Kristoffer Reitan, Marco Penge, and a wealth of top South African talent in Thriston Lawrence, Casey Jarvis, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Hennie du Plessis for the showpiece at Sun City. RELATED | How much does it cost to: Attend the 2026 Nedbank Golf Challenge Good company Clark, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, will be in good company at the Gary Player Country Club as the winner of the US Open in 2023 and 2026, joining fellow US Open champions Rose (2013) and DeChambeau (2020 and 2024) in South Africa. Griffin heads to Sun City as a three-time winner on the PGA Tour in 2025 who also finished in the top 10 of the PGA Championship and US Open that year. This year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge field will therefore be one of the strongest in recent history with five players within the top 40 on the Official World Golf Ranking – Clark as the current world number five, Rose as world number 21, Griffin as world number 28, Reitan as world number 32, and DeChambeau as world number 38. ‘Extremely excited’ “I am extremely excited about what this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge represents for our game as we continue to work to bring the best global talent together,” said Gary Player. “We have a field of top players from all tours competing against each other, which is what golf fans want to see. We have the winners of a combined five US Opens in our field. We have five players in the top 40 in the world playing. And then we have a wealth of young South Africans who will be able to test themselves against these world-class players.”

Datatec shareholders took two-thirds of a R7.05-billion special dividend in new shares instead of cash.

A researcher says the agents worked from start to finish without any human supervision at all.