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.
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Patna (PTI): The body of a Bihar Police personnel was found hanging from the ceiling of a room in his barracks here, a senior officer said on Sunday.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma said a havildar with Bihar State Armed Police-1, popularly known as "Gorkha battalion", died allegedly by suicide as he had been suffering from some ailment.
The deceased left behind "two suicide notes", one in Hindi and the other in his native language Nepali.
"From the suicide notes, it appears that Navraj Sunar, the deceased havildar, had been suffering from some ailment which had caused him much mental anguish and may have driven him to take the extreme step," the SSP said.
The body was being sent to the native village of the deceased in Nepal after a post-mortem examination, while further investigations were on, with forensic experts inspecting the site of the incident.
