---
title: "Scottish Ballet goes insectoid, and more from around the world"
description: "Moving, tragic, surprising, inspiring, terrifying, shocking ... a selection of recent images from our planet."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "IN PICTURES"
author: "Daily Maverick Photo Team"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/photo-team/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-09-scottish-ballet-goes-insectoid-and-more-from-around-the-world/"
published: "2026-09-09T23:46:08"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 758
---

# Scottish Ballet goes insectoid, and more from around the world

> Moving, tragic, surprising, inspiring, terrifying, shocking ... a selection of recent images from our planet.

By Daily Maverick Photo Team · Published 10 September 2026, 01:46 SAST

## Key points
- Scottish Ballet returns with “Emergence”, inspired by swarm intelligence research and bee colony behaviour.
- Political and civic moments: Nigel Farage at the Reform UK conference, Norway’s royal funeral, and mass protests by retired security personnel in Beirut over plunging pensions.
- Conflict and human tragedy: Israeli air strikes in Gaza, the Amazon cargo plane crash in Miami, 9/11 memorial preparations, and a child‑marriage case spotlighting Afghan returnee hardship.
- Environment and hazards: accelerated coastal erosion at Birling Gap and heavy surf from Hurricane Marie prompting evacuations along the US Pacific coast.

## Content

![Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage delivers a keynote speech during the annual Reform UK party conference at the National Exhibition Centre on September 04, 2026 in Birmingham, England. Reform UK enters its September 2026 annual party conference facing a recent dip in opinion polls, dropping to 22%–23% in national voting intention after peaking at 28% in May. For the first time in over 18 months, the party has slipped behind the Conservatives into third place in select polling, squeezed by a resurgent Labour Party under Prime Minister Andy Burnham and new competition on the right. (Photo: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/eVjgErurvWr0omrf_EqSEs08lAs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29h_279412.jpg)

*Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage delivers a keynote speech during the party’s annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, on 4 September. (Photo: Anthony Devlin / Getty Images)*

![People visit the chalk cliffs on September 7, 2026 in Birling Gap, England. The famous chalk cliffs at England's South Downs are losing around 30 to 50 centimetres every year due to continuous coastal erosion caused by a number of factors including constant buffeting from the sea and heavy winter rains. Slab failures, in which large sections of the cliffs have fallen away, also contributes to the problem while specific weather extremes such as El Niño storms can cause years worth of erosion to happen in just a few week weeks. The cliffs and surrounding country park see around 500,000 to 1,000,000 visitors each year. (Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/UuYzuLymCl9k2yVZKEusLMW6MOI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29k_566498.jpg)

*Visitors walk along the famous chalk cliffs at Birling Gap in England’s South Downs on 7 September. Heavy seas, extreme weather and slab failures drive continuous coastal erosion, destroying up to 50cm of the landmark each year. The cliffs and surrounding country park attract about 500,000 to 1,000,000 visitors each year. (Photo: Carl Court / Getty Images)*

![Jim Maroon (right) and Victor Pedraza, workers at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, push water brooms and vacuums through the water during the evening cleaning of one of the 9/11 Memorial reflecting pools as the museum prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on September 3, 2026, in New York City. The two pools, located at the bottom of the memorial’s 30-foot waterfalls, are cleaned of debris that has fallen into the pools five nights a week. The workers use a broom and a vacuum to clean the pools in knee-deep water, a routine that can take up to seven hours a night because each pool has nearly an acre of surface area. The two pools sit in the footprint of the original Twin Towers at the World Trade Center. As the nation makes preparations to commemorate the anniversary, many New Yorkers still remember the day two planes brought down the Twin Towers, killing nearly 3000 people. While the area around the Towers has largely been rebuilt, the event retains its solemn significance in the nation's largest city 25 years later. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/m8URHdcScMCYKxyTXSygop53Kn4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29i_951429.jpg)

*Jim Maroon (right) and Victor Pedraza clean one of the two 9/11 memorial reflecting pools on 3 September, as New York prepares for the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The five-night-a-week cleaning process takes up to seven hours per pool, both of which are situated in the original footprint of the ill-fated World Trade Center. (Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty Images)*

![In an aerial view, a Pacific Ocean wave crashes into a seawall protecting beachside homes on September 7, 2026 in Long Beach, California. Heavy surf generated by offshore Hurricane Marie, amid a record-breaking ocean heat and an emerging El Niño, caused minor coastal flooding and forced the evacuation of roughly 20 beachfront homes along the Long Beach Peninsula. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/IwdeUIkVZDw80tmyrZb7yCM2eS4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29q_868328.jpg)

*A Pacific Ocean wave crashes into a seawall protecting beachside homes on 7 September in Long Beach, California. Heavy surf generated by offshore Hurricane Marie, amid a record-breaking ocean heat and an emerging El Niño, caused minor coastal flooding and forced the evacuation of roughly 20 beachfront homes along the Long Beach Peninsula. (Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images)*

![Investigators continue work to determine what caused the crash of an Amazon cargo plane at Miami International Airport on September 07, 2026 in Miami, Florida. According to reports, at least five people died, and five others were injured during the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration said Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the runway while landing around 2 p.m. on September 6th after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/-nh0W4zkJUU2MY-wfte-hOC58RM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29o_302526.jpg)

*Investigators continue work to determine what caused the crash of an Amazon cargo plane at Miami International Airport on 7 September. At least five people died, and five others were injured during the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration said Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the runway while landing on 6 September after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images)*

![epaselect epa13225470 People gather on Palace Square to see Norway's King Haakon VIII, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus on the Palace Balcony after King Harald V's funeral, in Oslo, Norway, 09 September 2026.  (Photo: EPA/Hakon Mosvold Larsen)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/WR77ILpyYxiIRj9f1BfrcDPLtP8=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29g_453596.jpg)

*People gather on Palace Square in Oslo, Norway, after the funeral of King Harald V on 9 September to see King Haakon VIII, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus on the Palace Balcony. (Photo: Hakon Mosvold Larsen / EPA)*

![A retired member of the Lebanese security forces, shrouded in smoke from burning tires, waves a national flag during a protest in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, 09 September 2026. Retired military and security personnel staged a sit-in outside government headquarters ahead of a Cabinet meeting scheduled to discuss the 2027 budget, demanding inflation adjustments to their monthly pensions and wages, which have been severely devalued by the country's ongoing financial crisis.  (EPA/WAEL HAMZEH)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/SUGSpXIZ22lBaTBnVFWAnqJjKcE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29a_388632.jpg)

*A retired member of the Lebanese security forces, shrouded in smoke from burning tyres, waves a national flag during a protest in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on 9 September. Retired military and security personnel staged a sit-in outside government headquarters ahead of a Cabinet meeting scheduled to discuss the 2027 budget, demanding inflation adjustments to their monthly pensions and wages, which have been severely devalued by the country’s ongoing financial crisis. (Photo: Wael Hamzeh / EPA)*

![A retired member of the Lebanese security forces shouts slogans next to burning tires during a protest in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, 09 September 2026. Retired military and security personnel staged a sit-in outside government headquarters ahead of a Cabinet meeting scheduled to discuss the 2027 budget, demanding inflation adjustments to their monthly pensions and wages, which have been severely devalued by the country's ongoing financial crisis.  (Photo: EPA/WAEL HAMZEH)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/sNYHFiwYvnB_58oIvgDOmQUL3zc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-inPictures29_543978.jpg)

*A retired member of the Lebanese security forces shouts slogans next to burning tyres during the protest in downtown Beirut on 9 September. (Photo: Wael Hamzeh / EPA)*

![Flames and smoke engulf an area during an Israeli air strike on a building in Al-Shati refugee camp, Gaza City, 09 September 2026.  (Photo: EPA/MOHAMMED SABER)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/Xfqex3SYiGfWcJIzivjGc6TsLgE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29b_612720.jpg)

*Flames and smoke engulf an area during an Israeli air strike on a building in Al-Shati refugee camp, Gaza City, on 9 September. (Photo: Mohammed Saber / EPA)*

![Palwasha, 12, reacts at her family's home in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 08 September 2026 (issued 09 September 2026). According to the family, severe poverty following their recent deportation from Pakistan led Palwasha's mother to arrange her marriage to a 25-year-old man for a cash settlement. Palwasha opposes the union and remains with her parents, her case highlighting a surge in child marriages among destitute Afghan returnee families struggling under severe economic hardship.  (Photo: EPA/SAMIULLAH POPAL)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/SL2TDE9ICrfx61kED1xNcAQJam4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29c_488152.jpg)

*Palwasha (12) at her family home in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on 8 September. Following their recent deportation from Pakistan, her family arranged her marriage to a 25-year-old man for a cash settlement due to severe poverty – a case highlighting a surge in child marriages among destitute Afghan returnees. (Photo: Samiullah Popal / EPA)*

![People take part in the annual West Indian Day Parade on September 7, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. This year's parade was held against the backdrop of Federal immigration enforcement intensifying against Caribbean and other Black immigrant communities, as Haitians lost their Temporary Protected Status. (Photo: Adam Gray/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/_A-Mre7F_UoYsk8g_REpLqQZPMI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29l_750596.jpg)

*People take part in the annual West Indian Day Parade on 7 September in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. This year’s parade was held against the backdrop of Federal immigration enforcement intensifying against Caribbean and other black immigrant communities, as Haitians lost their Temporary Protected Status. (Photo: Adam Gray / Getty Images)*

![Jon Batiste performs at the Mundo Stage at Cidade do Rock on September 07, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  (Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/gd4BmqXMRJTxnDO9n3tQIbzb0gU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29p_102422.jpg)

*Virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Jon Batiste plays a melodica at the Mundo Stage at Cidade do Rock on 7 September in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo: Buda Mendes / Getty Images)*

![Editor Rob Myers displays his fists as he arrives for the premiere of 'Dau' during the 83rd Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, 09 September 2026. The movie is presented in official competition 'Venezia 83' at the festival running from 02 to 12 September 2026.  (Photo: EPA/ETTORE FERRARI)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/dN2CycjU598kPJYXSYWyLfUOZYc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29e_224942.jpg)

*Editor Rob Myers displays his fists as he arrives for the premiere of ‘Dau’ during the 83rd Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on 9 September. ‘Dau’ is director Ilya Krzhanovsky’s epic experimental film project about the Soviet scientist and Nobel laureate Lev Landa. (Photo: Ettore Ferrari / EPA)*

![Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo XV arrives at the stadium before the game against the Texas State Bobcats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/jXnCAQ7v6GKkhLjjh9395UTngd0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29m_875296.jpg)

*Bevo XV, the mascot of the Texas Longhorns American football team, arrives at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on 5 September in Austin, Texas, before the game against the Texas State Bobcats. (Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)*

![A model presents a creation of the Chinese brand Snowflying during the 2026 China Fashion Week Autumn in Beijing, China, 09 September 2026. The 2026 China Fashion Week Autumn runs until 10 September.  (Photo: EPA/WU HAO)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/bcRDyZnQFdJbtLVqVaSxn_HN1nk=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29d_668049.jpg)

*A model presents a creation of the Chinese brand Snowflying during the 2026 China Fashion Week Autumn in Beijing, China, on 9 September. (Photo: Wu Hao / EPA)*

![Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts in his match with Ben Shelton of the United States during their Men's Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Ten of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 08, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/MAm1_phdxUaLtEYIDAK6vvQSzsw=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/PhotoEssay-InPictures29t_532564.jpg)

*Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during his US Open men’s singles quarterfinal match against Ben Shelton of the US at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on 8 September. Shelton won 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6 (10-7). (Photo: Julian Finney / Getty Images)*