Shiite Muslim pilgrims march with flags en route to Karbala from Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province on September 5, 2022, ahead of the holiday of Arbaeen. (Photo by Asaad Niazi/AFP Photo)
Orthodox believers participate in a procession in St. Petersburg, Russia, 12 September 2022. The procession marks the 298th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky, who is considered to be a heavenly protector of St. Petersburg. (Photo by Anatoly Maltsev/EPA/EFE)
Sparks fly in front of the Milky Way in Himachal Pradesh, India on May 12, 2023. Lit steel wool is spun in front of the stunning cluster of stars and over a pool of water. The scene was pictured in the Himalayas, by using a 30 second exposure to capture the stars and movement of sparks. (Photo by Ganesh Bagal/Solent News/Rex Features/Shutterstock)
Grand prize winner: environmental photographer of the year 2023; also 1st place in the humanity v nature category; and winner of the 2023 public award. Lopé national park, Gabon, 2021. An angry elephant tries to defend itself after it was hit by a train that crosses paths the animals use within Lopé national park. Park officials decided the elephant was too severely injured to be saved. After it was killed, the park director distributed the meat to local people. As the forest loses its carrying capacity to sustain its megafauna, this kind of human-wildlife conflict is increasing. (Photo by Jasper Doest/Environmental Photography Award)
A Kashmiri Shiite Muslim mourns as he flagellates himself during a Muharram procession in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, July 27, 2023. Muharram is a month of mourning for Shiite Muslims in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. (Photo by Dar Yasin/AP Photo)