Nature in all its wonder

• Breathtaking pictures from the International Garden Photographer of the Year awards revealed to the public
• More than 18,000 entries were made, with a Polish photographer's shot of a climbing hydrangea crowned the winner 
• Stunning images came from across the globe, including a number of awe-inspiring photographs taken in Britain
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From delicate flowers to misty forests, stunningly vibrant landscapes and even a spider snaring a lizard in its web, these images are all finalists in the International Garden Photographer of the Year.

The overall champion from 18,000 entries was The Ballerinas, by Polish photographer Magdalena Wasiczek showing a climbing hydrangea.

The amazing colourful yet delicate shot was also the winner of the Beauty of Plants category.

Worthy winner: Magdalena Wasiczek's 'stunning' picture of climbing Hydrangea petiolaris took first prize in the International Garden Photographer of the Year awards

Mark Gray stumbled across this vibrant scene as he ran a photography workshop in Mount Buffalo Park in Victoria, Australia

Andrea Jones, whose inspiring pictures of gardens have been shortlisted for the award in the past, was up early enough to take this snap of a frosty landscape

Breathtaking: The National Trust Thrift flowering on the cliff tops above Hartland Quay at sunset, North Devon, in June 2013

Predator and prey: This chilling image by Peter Battye is entitled Life and Death and shows a spider snaring a lizard in its web

Delicate, pink flowers surround the Levant Mine and Beam Engine in Trewellard, Pendeen, near St Just, in Cornwall

Both these images - a close up shot of a leaf on the Acer Palmatum (left) and a canopy of crowns in Richmond Park (right) - were chosen as winners

This ghostly image of anemones blowing in the wind on a river bank in Holland was highly commended by the judges

Julia Robson shot this picture of a Ranunculus bud in her living room after buying the plant from her local supermarket

This beautiful image of a Cornflower shot in natural light, with the evening sun coming in from the side, was shot by Gillian Hunt

Britain was well represented with a picture of Peacock Gardens in Great Dixter, Sussex winning the Beautiful Gardens category as well as a stunning shot of a poppy field in Pembrokeshire, a garden in Alnwick, a shot in the Olympic Park, Bushy Park in London, a nature reserve in Woking and the coastlines of Norfolk and Devon all winning honours.

All the colours of nature and hues of the seasons were represented in winning entries from India, Australia, Slovenia, Italy, USA, Switzerland, Holland, France, Turkey and South Africa

The twelve categories are The Beauty of Plants, Beautiful Gardens, Wildlife in the Garden, Wildflower Landscapes, The Bountiful Earth, Greening the City, Trees Woods and Forests, Young Garden Photographer of the Year for the under 16s, European Garden Photography Award and a series of portfolios.

The last two categories Changing Coastlines and Breathing Spaces are both sponsored by the National Trust.

This over-worldly image of a Gloxinia flower, from the same family as the African violet, was taken in Winter Gardens, in Wanganui, New Zealand

A snail with an intricate spiral shell crawls along a stick, hovering on the edge as it looks for a way back down to solid ground in Italy

An abstract image of an Astrantia flower head was among the finalists, with the glorious photograph entitled 'Starburst'

All the colours of nature and hues of the seasons were represented in winning entries from India, Australia, Slovenia, Italy, USA, Switzerland, Holland, France, Turkey and South Africa

British floral photographer Jacky Parker's Breeze photograph came in third its category after impressing the judges

Organised in conjunction with the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the photographers will have their work taken on tour and published in a book

Jocelyn Horsfall said her photograph of a sweep of petals was 'purity and simplicity in a graceful curve of light and shade'

This photograph of an Anemone blanda blue flower - common name Winter windflower - came in a second place in the Macro art section

Award-winner: This close-up of a Growing Agave plant by Minghui Yuan came in first place in its category

Photographer Gillian Plummer was fascinated by this Fatsia japonica seed head and its unique structure

Taken in Makanda, Illinois, the central florets of this bloom of Dahlia named Bodacious give it the illusion of having tongues of fire

This wintry picture of an Anemone by Mandy Disher was a finalist in the monochrome category of the prestigious competition

The last rays of an evening sunset beam down on a poppy field in Prembrokeshire, with Yuliy Vasilev taking this picture at just the right moment to capture the moment's full beauty

Photographers could enter single images or themed portfolios of six.

There are over £13,000 worth of cash prizes and medals from the Royal Photographic Society.

International Garden Photographer of the Year judge Clive Nichols said of the overall winner: 'This stunning image of Hydrangea petiolaris is a worthy winner.

'What I particularly like about the shot is the way the photographer has melted the rich purples and oranges of the hydrangea into the out of focus background, creating a delicious melange of colours.

'The focus on the single delicate hydrangea flower is spot on, creating a striking and unusual winter portrait'.

Organised in conjunction with the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the photographers will have their work taken on tour and published in a book.

A cyclist whizzes under cherry blossom trees in a park in Washington DC in this long exposure photograph by Amanda Kleinman

This cross section of a bud of the Passion flower (Passiflora cerulae) was captured by mounting it to a microscope and chemically staining it to reveal its structure

Jefflin Ling's photograph of bamboo in Malaysia was converted into a monochrome image by a computer, but still retains a natural feel

Nature at its finest: Unaware of the camera, a spotted ladybird ascends the stem of a buttercup in the height of Spring

This vibrant image of the Van Dusen botanical gardens in Vancouver, Canada, was taken by Penelope Slack on a Canon EOS 50D camera

Professional photographer Beth Buglione captured this awe-inspiring scene as sunlight shone onto a stream

The sun peeks through the trees as water cascades down steps between rows of flowers in a National Trust herb garden

Photographer Robert Canis, from Kent, took this atmospheric photograph on a beach on the English coastline

While it may be less floral than some of the other photographs in its category, this picture of peeling eucalyptus bark in Singleton Botanic Gardens, Swansea, was highly commended by the judges

A sea of colour: A rainbow of flowers mounted on a wall surround a woman in David Thurston's Selfie for a City Girl

The sun shines through the mist over clipped evergreen hedges, topiary and pencil pines over a frosty Les Jardins de Quercy in southern France

Not a soul can be seen for miles in Jon Gibbs' astonishing photograph from the sand dunes at Holkham Bay in Norfolk

Garden Photographer of the Year was set up by five members of the Garden Photographers' Association in 2007.

As a response to entries and enquiries from outside Great Britain, it added 'International' to the title in 2008.

Its first exhibition took place at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in May 2008 and quickly established itself as the world's premier garden and plant photography event specialising in garden, plant, flower and botanical photography.

The competition is open to everyone anywhere in the world.

Images do not have to be taken in a specified year and there is no distinction drawn between professional and amateur photographers.

This year's exhibition will be launched on Saturday at Kew Gardens and runs until April 6.

It will then go on tour, stopping at Cyprus, Sydney, Portugal, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Sheringham Park Norfolk, Ness Botanic Garden, Wirral and Tintinhull Garden, Somerset.

There is also a book available of the exhibition.

Eden Hazard signs new five-and-a-half-year deal worth £200,000-per-week with Chelsea

• Eden Hazard has signed a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge
• The Belgian winger's new deal is set to be worth up to £200,000 per week
• The deal is worth a huge £57million over the course of five and a half years 

Eden Hazard has become the first big-money beneficiary of the lucrative Premier League TV rights deal after penning a new contract worth a whopping £57million.

Chelsea have confirmed the Belgium international has penned a new five-and-a-half year contract worth £200,000-per-week.

The news comes in a week that the Premier League confirmed a £5billion deal with Sky Sports and BT Sport to show live matches over three seasons from the start of the 2016-17 campaign. 

Eden Hazard, with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia, has signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea

Hazard signs a new contract in the presence of club secretary David Barnard and Granovskaia

The 24-year-old poses inside Stamford Bridge after signing his new deal with the club

The Belgian playmaker has scored 13 goals in all competitions for Chelsea this season

WHO IS MARINA GRANOVSKAIA?

After sealing deals for the likes of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and even Jose Mourinho himself in the past, director Marina Granovskaia has quickly become the most influential figure at the club.

A Canadian and Russian national, Granovskaia is the voice of owner Roman Abramovich on the ground. She is trusted implicitly by Abramovich, having advised him and his companies for 17 years since graduating from Moscow State University.

She was central to Mourinho’s return from Real Madrid and to big-money transfers such as Costa’s £32million move from Atletico Madrid.

Her style is perhaps best described as polite but firm, although there are stories that it went a little further than that during John Terry’s contract talks.

The staggering TV rights package will see increased revenue for Premier League clubs and is likely to result in increased transfer fees and wages.

And Hazard's deal - which puts him amongst the highest paid at Stamford Bridge - merely underlines the growing financial power of clubs in England's top-flight.

The Belgian's new deal has been an open secret for some time, with manager Jose Mourinho insisting on several occasions that the talented forward would extend his contract.

'The manager has helped me improve a lot, the fans have been fantastic and I have an amazing understanding with my team-mates,' Hazard said. 

Hazard celebrates scoring Chelsea's first goal during a 2-1 win against Aston Villa last weekend 

'I always try to give pleasure to the supporters with my style of play and it is nice to know they appreciate my work.

'I hope we can repay that support by winning lots of trophies, beginning with the Capital One Cup at Wembley, and after that, we can push hard towards the end of the season.'

Mourinho added: 'I am very happy that Eden has signed a new contract.

'It shows he believes in the club's coaching staff and players to help him become the best player in the world.

'He is already a top player and his evolution has been fantastic. He is still very young and he can become the best.'

Hazard's new deal looks set to be worth worth a huge £57million over the course of five and a half years

Jose Mourinho had revealed that he wasn't concerned by the length of time Hazard's deal seemed to take

Hazard (left) was named PFA Young Player of the Year at the end of last season

Lukisan termahal di dunia RM1.06 bilion

LUKISAN Paul Gauguin yang dijual pada harga RM1.06 bilion dalam satu acara lelongan, sekali gus menjadikannya paling mahal di dunia. - AGENSI

BASEL, Switzerland – Lukisan yang dihasilkan Paul Gauguin pada abad ke-19 berjaya memecahkan rekod karya seni paling mahal apabila dijual pada harga mencecah £197 juta (RM1.06 bilion) pada satu lelongan di sini baru-baru ini.

Lukisan yang diberi nama Nafea faa ipoipo itu memaparkan dua wanita Tahiti selepas Paul menghabiskan masa di pulau tropika itu pada penghujung abad ke-19.

Bekas pemiliknya, Rudolf Staechelin yang merupakan seorang pengumpul hasil seni dan berasal dari sini mengesahkan penjualan tersebut. Dia menyatakan, lukisan itu dijual berikutan harga yang ditawarkan cukup lumayan.

“Persoalannya, mengapa sekarang? Ia adalah kerana harga yang ditawarkan kepada kami cukup lumayan,” katanya kepada New York Times.
Rudolf bagaimanapun enggan mendedahkan identiti pembeli tersebut, namun ada dakwaan yang mengatakan lukisan itu dibeli oleh kerajaan Qatar.

Jika laporan mengenai jualan tersebut disahkan, ia sekali gus akan memadam rekod sebelum ini yang dipegang artis seni Paul Cezanne selepas lukisannyayang bertajuk The Card Players dilelong pada harga £170 juta (RM918 juta).

Gauguin dan Cezanne merupakan sebahagian daripada pelukis kelahiran Perancis yang melonjak reputasi selepas kematian mereka.– Agensi

Cristiano Ronaldo has a £1BILLION release clause

• Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes says his client would cost £1bn
• Mendes: 'He’s the world's most expensive player because he’s the best'
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Cristiano Ronaldo would cost £1billion to lure away from Real Madrid, according to his super agent Jorge Mendes, who believes he will see out his career with the Galacticos.

The Real Madrid star is not only better than Lionel Messi, he is the best sportsman in history claimed Mendes, who has brokered some of the biggest transfers in European football.

‘He’s the most expensive player in the world because he’s the best footballer, the best sportsman ever in the world,’ Mendes told the BBC’s Dan Roan. ‘It’s impossible to say his worth. Cristano Ronaldo? One billion. His buyout clause one billion, so it is one billion. 

Cristiano Ronaldo will never leave Real Madrid for another club, insists the forward's agent Jorge Mendes

Mendes rates Ronaldo as worth £1billion and believes he will never return to Manchester United

‘If for any reason they decided to sell him tomorrow for £300m, someone would pay. He loves the Manchester United supporters because he was there six years he but he will finish his career at Real Madrid, for sure.’

Portuguese Mendes has risen from a DJ bar owner in Porto, where he became friends with many footballers, to one of the most powerful men in the game who has reportedly taken charge of transfers worth more than £1bn in total. 

He negotiated Angel di Maria’s £59.7m move to Manchester United and Diego Costa’s £32m purchase by Chelsea last summer. He also represents Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and David de Gea. 

Mendes pictured with his most famous client Ronaldo earlier in the Real Madrid forward's career

Ronaldo's super agent Mendes has other players such as Radamel Falcao (right) on his books

But Ronaldo, who moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for £80m in 2009 is his most important client. 

That was a record-breaking transfer fee at the time but Mendes claimed it would not be long before a club paid £200m for a player.

‘Clubs like Manchester United or Real Madrid, if a player is worth £200m, of course they can do it,’ said Mendes, who also said players are worth even more than clubs are currently paying. 

‘The most important part of the game is the players,’ he said. They deserve the maximum amount possible. Of course there is a limit but you can pay until this limit. I think the limit may be in three years or maybe after that.’

Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for £80million in 2009

Ronaldo is congratulated by FIFA president Sepp Blatter after winning this year's Ballon d'Or

Mendes claims Ronaldo is the best sportsman in history that it would cost £1bn to lure him away from Madrid

The incredible supercars of Qatar

They are the extravagant playthings of multi-millionaires usually seen roaring along streets in oil-rich Arab nations or locked away in the garages of the mega wealthy.

New pictures have emerged of a stunning fleet of supercars in Qatar, including a one-of-a-kind Bugatti Veyron with an eye-watering price tag of £1.76million.

Some of the other pricey and powerful vehicles include a Lamborghini Aventador, a Ferrari 458 Italia and a McLaren P1, which have a collective price tag of over £1million.

The images are indicative of how the luxury car culture fuels the lifestyle of young rich men in Qatar, a country known for its oil wealth.

Last summer, similarly glamorous vehicles were reported on the streets of Knightsbridge in London as Qataris, Saudis and Kuwaitis migrated - complete with their cars - to Britain to escape the Middle East's baking mid-summer months. 

Luxurious: Three expensive Lamborghini Aventadors are lined up with their doors open alongside a Maserati Quattroporte in a car park in Qatar

Glamorous: One of the world's most expensive and powerful cars, the Bugatti Veyron. The Vitesse Lang Lang edition sets back owners an eye-watering £1.76million

High octane: A red, white and blue trio of Ferraris are positioned side-by-side in an otherwise empty parking area in oil-rich Qatar

Need for speed: Some of the other pricey and powerful vehicles in the video include this stunning black and white McLaren P1

Supercars are a common sight in Arab nations, including in Qatar. Pictured is a luxurious red Lexus LFA on display in a car showroom

Luxury lifestyle: Qatari men look far and wide to secure their dream vehicles. Pictured is a white Ferrari 458 Italia Speciale

Living the high life: Two BMW M5 cars gleam in the Qatari sun last year against a backdrop of palm trees

Ready to fly: A yellow McLaren P1 sits with its doors open as a passer-by admires some of the glamorous vehicles parked up nearby

Glamorous: An orange Lamborghini Aventador is pictured alongside more ordinary vehicles parked on one of Qatar's streets at night

Supercars are a regular sight on the roads in Qatar. In this picture a racing spec Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, painted in classic red, is taken for a desert drive

Eye-catching: Crowds assemble in a parking area in Qatar to admire a range of classic cars including this distinctive orange Ford GT

Sparkling: Polished and ready to go, a racing spec Nissan GTR - complete with over-sized wheel arches - goes on display at another event

Under starter's orders: A fleet of expensive Ferraris, including a 458 Italia Speciale, are lined up before being driven around a circuit in Qatar

Keeping cool: A proud driver smiles and holds his arm out of the window of his Aston Martin as the powerful vehicle roars down a road 

License to thrill: Young wealthy men are prepared to part with huge sums for the right car. Pictured is a classic-looking Aston Martin One-77 

Glamorous: A fluorescent green Lamborghini Huracan sits alongside a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta as drivers gather in the car park

One for the desert? A six wheel drive Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG SUV 6x6 makes an appearance in Qatar as a guard signals to the driver

This Porsche GT spyder is an example of one of the slightly more affordable supercars among those pictured on the streets in Qatar in 2014