Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem has been awarded the prestigious 2024 World Press Photo of the Year for his powerful image capturing the devastation of conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The winning photograph depicts a Palestinian woman, Inas Abu Maamar, cradling the lifeless body of her five-year-old niece, Saly, in the morgue of Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. The scene, captured on Oct. 17, 2023, amidst the Israeli bombing of the enclave, portrays the profound grief and anguish experienced by civilians caught in the midst of conflict.

Rickey Rogers, Reuters Global Editor for Pictures and Video, announced Salem's achievement at a ceremony in Amsterdam, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the human impact of war, especially on children. Salem, a seasoned photojournalist who has been with Reuters since 2003, responded to the news with humility, acknowledging the somber nature of the photograph while expressing gratitude for its recognition and the opportunity to raise awareness about the realities of war.

The World Press Photo Foundation, based in Amsterdam, underscored the dangers faced by journalists covering conflicts, particularly during the Israel-Hamas war. The organization noted that 99 journalists and media employees had lost their lives in the line of duty during the conflict, highlighting the risks inherent in documenting humanitarian crises.

Joumana El Zein Khoury, the executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation, emphasized the trauma experienced by journalists in conflict zones and emphasized the importance of shedding light on the humanitarian impact of war through visual storytelling.

Salem's award-winning photograph, described by the jury as "composed with care and respect," provides a poignant glimpse into the unimaginable loss experienced by Palestinian families amidst the violence in Gaza. The image captures the chaos and desperation of civilians seeking information about their loved ones, with Abu Maamar's refusal to let go of her niece's body serving as a poignant symbol of the broader human tragedy unfolding in the region.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi (PTI): The intention of the bomb hoax emails received by over 100 Delhi schools was to "create mass panic and disturb public order," the Delhi Police says in an FIR registered by its Special Cell.

According to an official source, who has access to the FIR, at least 125 bomb threat calls were received from different schools from 5.47 am to 2.13 pm on Wednesday.

The person said that after receiving the calls, PCR vehicles were rushed to schools, and district police, BDS, MAC, Special Cell and Crime Control Room, DDMA, NDRF, Fire CATS and several other agencies were alerted.

Movement of these units to the schools "resulted in massive inconvenience," read a part of the FIR, according to the source.

The officials evacuated the schools in an "elaborate exercise" and carried out anti-sabotage checks across the city, he said.

The emails were apparently sent with the "conspiratorial intention of creating mass panic and to disturb public," the source said.

The FIR has been registered at Special Cell Police Station under IPC sections 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication), and 120 (B) (punishment of criminal conspiracy).

Around 200 schools in Delhi-NCR received an identical threat email Wednesday claiming that explosives had been planted in their premises, triggering massive evacuations and searches as panic-stricken parents rushed to pick up their children.

Nothing was found during searches by authorities which later declared it a mass hoax.