KEY POINTS:
An image of a group of young Lebanese driving a car through bombed-out South Beirut, taken by Spencer Platt of Getty Images, has won the top World Press Photo prize for news photography.
Described by judges as full of "complexities and contradictions", the photo shows five people in a bright red car - one taking pictures with her camera phone, another with her expression hidden behind designer sunglasses - driving amid rubble with crumbled buildings in the background.
"It is a definitive moment in time, one that cannot be replicated," said Michele McNally, chairwoman of the judging panel and assistant managing editor at the New York Times. The picture also took top prize in the daily life category.
Reuters photographer Akintunde Akinleye won first prize in the spot news category for his picture of a man washing soot off his face after a December gas pipeline explosion in Lagos, Nigeria.
Images illustrating Israel's 34-day war against Hizbollah in Lebanon last year made up a large number of the winners in 10 categories. McNally said war, famine and genocide were prevalent among the news themes for 2006.
The Associated Press won six awards, while five went to Reuters. Getty Images, which has been pushing into news, sports and entertainment photography, won four awards.
The Amsterdam-based World Press Photo organisation said that more than 78,000 images were submitted by 4460 photographers from 124 countries.
Platt will receive his award of €10,000 ($19,300) at an awards ceremony in Amsterdam in April.
- REUTERS
