Photograph of Brazilian Chapada dos Veadeiros under the Milky Way wins global award

The aerial photograph of Minab, created by Iranian photographer Mortaza Hossein-Aghandi, won first place at the 'Glimpse into Life During War' photo festival. This was reported by the Mehr publication on Monday after the final evaluation of the selected works.

Three winning images were announced by the jury. First place was awarded to Hossein-Aghandi for his photograph depicting Minab. Second place was given to Hassan Kaedi for a picture taken in Tehran, and third place went to Jamshid Farajand Fard with an image from Kurdistan.

The photograph that received the main prize had previously been recognized internationally, winning the Gold Award in the 'Editorial/Press' category at the Golden Shot Photography Awards 2026 in June.

This aerial shot by Aghandi captured the funeral procession and burial of 168 students and teachers who died as a result of the attack on a school in Minab. The winning picture presents a bird's-eye view of a historical and tragic moment, documenting the farewell to young victims of a widely condemned crime committed by the US and the Zionist regime.

In the small city of Minab, the loss of so many young lives has become a heavy burden for the community. To honor the memory of the victims, a large area was converted into a cemetery, where graves were dug in neat, endless rows. It is this striking scene that makes Aghandi's photograph outstanding: the overhead view demonstrates the distressing arrangement of these small graves, each symbolizing a prematurely ended life. The entire population of the city gathered around this solemn place in mourning, and their collective grief creates a powerful contrast to the orderly rows of buried students.

The three winning works were selected from fifty photographs that passed the preliminary selection for the festival. The final jury consisted of representatives from France and Iran with experience in photography, photojournalism, documentary filmmaking, art history, exhibition curation, and international cultural events.

The jury included French photojournalist Michel Setbun, Iranian documentarian and photographer Mehrdad Oskuie, French writer, photographer, and art historian Guillaume de Sardes, Iranian photographer and visual artist Mariam Rahmaniian, and Bakhtash Hosseinimanesh, who has experience participating in international events between Iran and France.

Setbun is a well-known figure in French photojournalism, with ten years of experience covering international events and conflicts. Oskuie is an internationally recognized documentarian and researcher whose work also includes the history of photography. De Sardes serves as a writer, photographer, art historian, and exhibition curator, while Rahmaniian is active in the field of photography and fine arts. Hosseinimanesh has participated in cultural and international exchange between Iran and France.

The competition winner will receive the festival trophy, a commemorative plaque, and a cash prize. Winners of second and third place will also receive commemorative plaques and monetary awards.

In addition to the three winning works, 47 other selected pieces will be honored with official certificates of participation and jury diplomas. All 50 photographs will be exhibited in Paris. The first exhibition will take place from November 5 to 18, and the second is scheduled for December in Paris.

The artistic director of the festival is Mohammadreza Keyvanfar, a photographer, documentarian, and teacher of photography and cinematography. The executive secretary is Sayid Vahid Yaghubi.

An exhibition of photographs created by Cape Town photographer Gary Van Wyk offers a deep dive into the life, culture, and spiritual traditions of the Huni Kuin people living in the Brazilian Amazon. This people are closely tied to their identity with the forest environment.

The exhibition, titled 'Novo Futuro: The Huni Kuin of the Amazon,' marks the first time Van Wyk's work has been displayed. His shots were taken through establishing trusting relationships and shared experiences during a visit to a Huni Kuin village in the state of Acre, in the Brazilian Amazon.

The main goal of the project is to go beyond formal portraits, capturing personal moments and connections between people, their ancestral knowledge, and nature.

Van Wyk made contact with the Huni Kuin people through a mutual acquaintance who invited him to meet with the community's spiritual leaders. Following this, he was invited to visit the village, where he spent about twelve days. This experience formed the foundation for the exhibition, which aims to convey the community's stories through photographs shaped during the interactions.

Van Wyk stated that this work is intended as a gift to the people he photographed. He emphasized that he wants the images to carry the energy and beauty of the Huni Kuin beyond their village, helping viewers learn about these people and their role in protecting the Amazonian nature.

When discussing the inspiration for documenting the Huni Kuin people for 'Novo Futuro,' Van Wyk explained that he met them through a mutual friend who invited him to meet with the spiritual leaders. Then, at the leaders' invitation, he visited the village and stayed in the Amazon for almost twelve days. This experience defined the exhibition.

In response to the question of how the exhibition can establish a meaningful connection between the audience and the Huni Kuin people, Van Wyk repeated that it is 'a gift to the Huni Kuin people, a special gift from every person in the village.' He added that it is important for his works to transmit the energy and beauty of the Huni Kuin, bringing them to people so they can recognize and see these people who protect nature from the depths of the Amazon.

For the Huni Kuin people, the forest is more than just a place to live; it is central to their worldview, culture, and spiritual life, which is reflected in all of Van Wyk's photographs. The exhibition explores how the community honors its ancestors and maintains a connection with the surrounding world.

At the opening event, the Huni Kuin spiritual leader Ninawa Pai da Mata performed traditional music and sacred chants, allowing visitors to experience elements of the community's living cultural traditions. The photographs captured moments of joy, emotion, and daily life, offering an intimate look at the people behind these images.

Van Wyk's approach focuses on authentic human connection, presenting portraits that aim to convey individuality and candid moments, rather than merely documenting appearance.

This exhibition is part of Van Wyk's broader creative journey dedicated to exploring the interconnections between people, place, and identity. Among his previous projects are documentation of conservation initiatives by the organization ORCKA in Namibia, as well as the Nama people from Richterfeld in the award-winning documentary 'Out of Mined.' His latest work with the Huni Kuin continues this interest in communities, their environment, and the stories they share.

Through photography, Van Wyk seeks to bring these stories to a wider public while maintaining respect for the people who entrusted him with their stories.

The week featured several scientific and news highlights. Politically, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected as President of Brazil, and Olhar Digital analyzed his government plan focused on science and technology.

On another front, the United States Department of Defense granted SpaceX access to confidential data tracking orbital objects. This agreement, signed between Elon Musk's company and the US Space Force, allowed a private entity enhanced access to the US Space Command's High Precision Catalog, which monitors bodies in orbit, sparking discussions about national security and the company's role in commercial space traffic.

In the field of scientific communication, biomedical engineer Daniel Dahis was honored with the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication. He is the first Brazilian to receive this award, granted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine of the United States (NASEM), with the announcement made on Monday (26).

This award aims to value professionals who make science accessible to the public. In the 2026 edition, 24 individuals were honored across eight distinct categories, encompassing researchers, journalists, and content creators. Each category has a main winner, who receives US$ 40 thousand (approximately R$ 216 thousand), in addition to two recognized recipients each receiving US$ 20 thousand (about R$ 108 thousand).

Dahis received the award in the 'Research Scientist: Early Career' category, designated for scientists in the early stages of their careers. His recognition highlights the science outreach work he conducts on social media, where he has over 750 thousand followers, sharing videos on topics such as vaccines, diseases, treatments, and recent discoveries.

Regarding astronomical phenomena, intensely bright fireballs can be observed during Halloween. This event is linked to the Taurids, an annual meteor shower that attracts astronomers due to its visual spectacle and the potential presence of larger fragments.

The Taurids are segmented into two streams: the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids. The first occurs between September and November in the Southern Hemisphere, characterized by continuous activity and a low hourly rate of meteors. Its peak is predicted for Thursday (5), although observation depends on weather conditions, darkness, and the apparent position of the meteors. The second stream takes place between October and December, peaking in November, also showing a low hourly frequency but potentially surprising with very luminous fireballs.

The distinguishing feature of this shower is the fireballs, which are exceptionally bright meteors capable of surpassing the brightness of Venus and remaining visible longer than other light trails. Coinciding with the Halloween period, on October 31st, these flashes are known as Halloween fireballs.

Additionally, a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), released on Tuesday (27), indicated that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached record levels in 2025. This accumulation of gases intensifies heat retention on the planet, contributing to global warming.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 426.8 parts per million, while methane and nitrous oxide also registered historical highs. The WMO projects that CO2 concentration will continue to rise throughout 2026.