Latest news with #NapalmGirl
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Please. End the suffering and feed Gaza's poor, starving children
Forty-five children died of starvation or malnutrition in Gaza on Thursday. Reports vary between 100 and 300 in the past six weeks, including a six-week-old baby. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by IDF gunfire meant to 'disperse crowds' at aid distribution sites, all located in militarised zones. Freelance journalists in Gaza are reporting widespread hunger. The World Health Organisation says 25 per cent of Gaza's population is facing 'famine-like conditions', and director Tedros Adhanom Gadbreyesus has said it's a 'mass starvation, and it's man-made'. Let's call a spade a spade: Israel is starving Palestinians to death. Marilyn Lebeter, Smiths Creek After the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced that Israel had a right to defend itself but that the response should be measured and proportional. There was the expected pile-on against her by the usual suspects. If only her sentiments had been followed. Article 33 of Geneva Convention IV identifies the collective punishment of a people as a war crime. We learn today that one in five children in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition. People are dying of starvation daily, while tons of aid remains blocked at the borders. In the years to come, this will be recognised as the crime against humanity that it is. It needs to be stopped today. Jack Amond, Cabarita With the fox in charge of the henhouse, the Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) will deny seeing any starvation on its watch. Which is strange really, given the IDF performs military strikes with almost pinpoint accuracy. The death toll of civilians in those misnamed 'humanitarian aid' lines has risen to more than 1000. How has the GHF allowed this to happen? It's a despicable state of affairs and needs universal condemnation, and action. Helen Lewin, Tumbi Umbi They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so how poignant that the Herald front page carries the photo of one-year-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, who is facing life-threatening malnutrition (' Suffer the children ', July 25). When will the world take more decisive action to bring an end to this catastrophic war in Gaza and allow aid to flow? When will all the folk who talk about antisemitism raise their voices to rein in Netanyahu's tyrannical quest for power and domination of the Palestinians? I hope Muhammad's picture will be seared into people's consciousness, just like the 'Napalm Girl' picture taken during the Vietnam War. Rhonda Seymour, Castle Hill I'm totally distraught from the shocking images of starvation emerging from Gaza. I don't care what the rest of the world is doing – I want the Australian government to be courageous and place immediate sanctions on the Israeli government now. It is not a Zionist thing or a Jewish thing or an Israeli thing. It's a humanitarian thing. Matt Bower, Green Point The heartbreaking front page picture of an emaciated child and mother reduced me to tears of utter despair. How can this be allowed to happen? So much rhetoric from world leaders to absolutely no avail, as the appalling carnage continues. Elizabeth Kroon, Randwick Your front-page photo is today's real-life version of Michelangelo's The Pieta. Shame on those countries enabling Netanyahu's behaviour. Shame on the rest of us for standing idly by and watching the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, illustrated starkly by the photo. Meg Pickup, Ballina A picture, or a cartoon, tells a thousand words. The front-page photo of a mother cradling her starving child, together with the Wilcox cartoon highlighting the fate of Gazans at the hands of Israel, make clear the horrors now experienced by the Palestinian people. The denial of humanitarian aid and the killing of those seeking it is obscene, immoral and a crime against humanity. Michael Healy, Raworth I looked at the Herald's front-page photo today and wept yet again. How much longer before the world stops talking and does something about removing Benjamin Netanyahu? How is it that this man is allowed to continue, day by day, wreaking death and starvation on the defenceless? Enough talking. Margaret Ryan, Bexley The children of Gaza are being starved to death. They are paying the ultimate price for the 1200 people killed by Hamas in October 2023. There is a moral obligation for Australia to join South Africa in filing the case of genocide against Israel in the International Court of Justice. Mark Porter, New Lambton To accompany your front-page headline 'Suffer the children', a reference to the so-called mass starvation in Gaza, you feature a photo of an emaciated child and a very healthy, well-fed woman, purportedly the child's mother. How is it that the child is cachectic, yet the mother is well nourished? George Fishman, Vaucluse It is morally indefensible for Australia to remain silent while thousands of civilians in Gaza are bombed, starved and displaced. The deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools and aid convoys has been widely documented and condemned by the UN and humanitarian organisations. As an Australian, I am ashamed that our government has yet to call for sanctions or even a permanent ceasefire. Silence is not neutrality – it is complicity. We must not stand by while war crimes are carried out. Australia must act. Deborah Nestola, Brighton (Vic) Starvation and malnutrition are growing alarmingly in Gaza. Shame on the world's leaders for remaining so passive for so long. Only now, when images of skeletal children emerge and the weight of public pressure grows, are they saying something. Enough of the meek voices and the moral relativism – concrete, consequential action to stop this atrocity is needed now. Alexander Lane, Thornleigh Day after day we hear resolutions from nations, the UN and the International Criminal Court condemning the actions of the Israel Defence Forces. We hear terms such as mass starvation, genocide and war crimes, yet the situation in Gaza rages on with no sign of ending, and the world looks on helplessly. Similarly, the war in Ukraine continues after three years, with the US and European nations seemingly powerless to intervene to bring a halt to this unjust war. Given all of this, it is difficult to imagine how the world would respond in any meaningful way to any action by China to seize Taiwan. Phil Peak, Dubbo Waleed Aly exposes a painful conundrum in the debate over antisemitism (' Segal's antisemitism plan takes us down a path we should fear to tread ', July 25). Considering the events in Gaza and the West Bank right now, it is to be expected that compassionate people will condemn unbearable cruelty. While we argue over whether criticism of Israel or Zionism is antisemitic or not, innocent men, women and children are dying every day in Gaza from weaponised starvation or being shot for approaching a food convoy. Israel controls the food shipments into Gaza, so Israel is responsible for the present catastrophe. Israel, not Jewish people in general. Just how does one object to these inhumane events without being called antisemitic? Bruce Spence, Balmain I defy anyone to remain dry-eyed after seeing the photo published with Waleed Aly's article – children holding saucepans forward in the hope of getting a little bit of food, but the look of resignation on their faces is heartbreaking. I had just answered a survey regarding the food that gets delivered to my door, do you mind, and the contrast hit hard. Please, powers that be, get food and water to the starving people of Gaza. Now. Pen Layton-Caisley, Marrickville Undeserved loyalty It could be argued that US Navy presidential appointee Jerry Hendrix is well wide of the mark when he claims that Australia is 'noticeably fickle' in its dealings with the mighty US of A (' WA shipyard 'can be base with US',' July 25). History shows that our country has been a remarkably reliable partner in the many military adventures in which America has been involved, from the forgotten Korean War right down to Vietnam and the disastrous invasion of Iraq. When the US wanted a loyal deputy for some of its rather questionable international activities, the Australians, among other minor powers, were there for them. To now deliver us a kick in the guts for possible disloyalty shows a huge lack of respect and abysmal ignorance. Derrick Mason, Boorowa Hard to swallow Have I got this right? The Nationals want 'an independent scientific panel' to assess the government's decision about importing beef from the US, but ignore all the other independent scientific panels that urge fast action on climate change. Please explain (' Will lifting US ban put more foreign meat on menus? ', July 25). Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown Having been born and raised in a California farming community, I have witnessed US beef production. Cattle are penned and grain fed. The conditions and smells are horrid. The animals are paralysed up to their chest in their own waste. It's offensive and inhumane. I'm not a vegetarian, but I believe that no animal deserves that kind of misery. As far as I'm concerned, there's little contest between US beef and Australian beef. Australian beef wins hands down – it's healthier, tastier, has less fat and the production is more humane. I don't like the idea of capitulating to a bully like Trump and I sure as hell won't be buying US beef, or dining where it is on the menu. Alph William, Red Rock Providing biosecurity safeguards on American meat are met, I doubt their meat will pose a threat to Australian suppliers. Having lived and worked in various parts of America, Australians will only buy American meat once, and regret that decision, as it falls a long way short of the quality and taste of Australian meat. My meat consumption declined whenever I was living there. As an added bonus, if we allow American meat into Australia and no one buys it, Donald Trump will go apoplectic, which is always fun to watch. Victor Marshall, Meander (Tas) Herald readers seem to have little regard for the decision to allow US beef into Australia (Letters, July 25). But looking at the decision from the federal government's position, it would be electoral poison to make the wrong decision given the consequences of getting it wrong, thus I see it as a well-considered move. I also believe the decision 'plays' Trump spectacularly, given his shallow knowledge of beef markets and how tariffs work. Phil Armour, Yass So American beef is finally entering our market. I won't buy it or anything else from America. If we all do the same the message will soon filter through to importers. Olga Stosic, Gordon Degrees of folly No one expects free university education, but the HECS system as it stands is seriously flawed (Letters, July 25). The problem lies with indexation of the debt every year. This makes paying it off almost impossible in a lifetime. Then there's the problem of the fee increase in some degrees to steer students towards STEM subjects. No wonder there is a teacher shortage when doing an arts degree costs so much more than other degrees. Why is this Morrison folly still in existence? Judith Rostron, Killarney Heights Why do we have to put a negative spin on everything? (' As bill to slash HECS debt edges closer, is it enough to ease pain? ' July 25). Instead of celebrating small steps, we criticise and undermine any change for not being big enough, or costing too much, or other perceived issues. No wonder our government is timid and slow to move ahead. Margaret Grove, Concord Fossil fools Thank heavens the NSW Court of Appeal has punctured the illusion that we should not care about carbon emissions from our coal and gas just because they get burnt overseas (' Court overturns massive coal mine approval ', July 25). Australia is the third-largest exporter of fossil fuels on the planet, yet we wash our hands of any responsibility for the emissions they cause. It's a bit like being one of the largest producers of heroin but denying responsibility for how people use it. Similarly, the ruling of the International Court of Justice holding fossil fuel producers liable for the consequences of climate change is another sign that we need to move away from our economic reliance on exporting coal and gas. It will come back and bite us. Neil Ormerod, Kingsgrove Political chameleon The 'Chameleon of Canberra', Scott Morrison, said he was appearing in a personal capacity at a US congressional hearing (' Morrison: Australians 'going to sleep' on China threat', July 25). No, he is now a defence industry lobbyist working mainly for US and UK interests. Australians may be accused of going to sleep on the China threat, but we have woken up to Morrison. Paul McShane, Burradoo Morrison is trying to wriggle out of responsibility for insinuating that a Chinese laboratory was responsible for COVID, which led to the disastrous bans on our products. The truth is that Morrison got us into that mess and it has taken Anthony Albanese's skilled diplomacy to restore relations with our biggest trading partner. Morrison should have the decency to acknowledge that. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer Voting changes Perhaps a fair voting solution for the troubling ages of 16-17 and 85-plus is to allow both to only opt in if they wish to vote. The elderly could be spared a chore they are no longer inspired by, or capable of, and only the politically committed youth will bother. Allan Kreuiter, Roseville Seditious content Sally Spurr is a well-travelled, regular Herald correspondent. I am perplexed as to why, having successfully negotiated US immigration, she would be nervous about going through customs (Letters, July 25). What was she carrying? The Herald? Ross Drynan, Lindfield
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First Post
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
History Today: How the haunting image of ‘Napalm Girl' was taken during Vietnam War
On June 8, 1972, the photograph of a naked, frightened child running from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War was taken. The girl in the image, later recognised globally as the 'Napalm Girl', was Phan Thi Kim Phuc. The photo went on to become one of the most iconic anti-war images of the 20th century. Also on this day in 1948, Air India operated its first international flight, connecting Mumbai to London read more The child at the centre of the image, later known worldwide as the 'Napalm Girl,' is Phan Thi Kim Phuc. AFP/File Photo On June 8, 1972, a powerful photograph was taken that later became one of the most well-known anti-war images of the 20th century. The image, officially named 'The Terror of War,' is better remembered by the nickname 'Napalm Girl,' referring to the nine-year-old girl at the centre, seen running naked and severely burned. Also on this day in 1949, George Orwell's novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' was released. Its character 'Big Brother,' a symbol of constant surveillance and strict government control, became a lasting reference in political conversations around the world. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Further, Air India launched its first international flight on this day in 1948. The journey was from Mumbai to London. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, is your one-stop destination to explore key events. Let's take a look at these events: 'Napalm Girl' photo was clicked A haunting photograph of children running from a napalm strike became one of the most powerful images not only of the Vietnam War, but of the entire 20th century. It was on this day in 1972 that the picture of a terrified, naked child fleeing a napalm attack during the war was taken. The photograph, shot on June 8 near the village of Trang Bang, showed the horror and chaos of a conflict that, by some estimates, killed over a million civilians. The child at the centre of the image, later known worldwide as the ' Napalm Girl ,' is Phan Thi Kim Phuc. Now 59, she lives in Canada and has served as a Unesco Goodwill Ambassador since 1994, advocating for children impacted by war. On the day the image was captured, South Vietnamese troops were trying to retake Trang Bang from communist forces. After days of clashes, the South Vietnamese air force sent Skyraider planes to bomb what they believed were enemy targets. But civilians, including Kim Phuc and her family, were still inside a nearby Buddhist temple. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When napalm bombs were dropped, panic spread. Kim Phuc, her clothes burning, tore them off and ran towards Route 1. Associated Press (AP) Photographer Nick Ut and other journalists were already waiting near the village, expecting fresh fighting. The photo quickly became a powerful reminder of the war's toll on civilians and helped spark global protests against the conflict. George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' was released On this day in 1949, George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' was published as a powerful warning about the dangers of totalitarian rule. The novel left a strong mark on readers with its bleak view of a future where citizens are watched constantly, and free thought is crushed by state control. Concepts like Big Brother and the Thought Police are now widely used to describe threats to privacy and personal freedom. 'Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.' George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece Nineteen Eighty Four was published #onthisday in 1949, but did you know it was nearly titled The Last Man in Europe? — Penguin Books UK (@PenguinUKBooks) June 8, 2019 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Orwell wrote the book after reflecting on the rise of both Nazism and Stalinism. The story paints a grim picture of a society where thinking differently leads to torture, constant surveillance is the norm, and government propaganda overrides truth. It brought Orwell lasting fame, with its portrayal of a world where language is manipulated and dissent is punished, serving as a lasting reminder of the dangers of unchecked power. When Air India's first international flight took off On this day in 1948, Air India launched its first international flight from Mumbai (then Bombay) to London, with stops in Cairo and Geneva. The flight departed on June 8 and reached London on June 10, carrying 35 passengers. Among them were JRD Tata and Nawab Amir Ali Khan of Jamnagar. Air India's first international flight from Mumbai. Image: Air India The journey was flown by Captain KR Guzdar in a 40-seater Lockheed Martin L-749 Constellation aircraft. The plane was named Malabar Princess. Though Air India already had domestic flying experience, international operations required extra planning. Special staff were appointed, new teams were hired, and offices were opened in Cairo, Geneva, and London to support the route. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This Day, That Year 632: Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam and the Muslim community, died in Medina. 1867: Franz Joseph was crowned King of Hungary. 1936: The Indian State Broadcasting Service was officially renamed All India Radio. 2002: Serena Williams won her first French Open title by defeating her sister Venus Williams in the final. 2009: The United Nations observed World Oceans Day for the first time.
Toronto Star
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
‘Napalm Girl' says she has ‘no doubt' who took famous photo amid controversy
It is one of history's most famous photos, an indelible image of fear and helplessness in a long, brutal war. At its centre is a naked nine-year-old-girl, her clothes and skin burned by napalm, her arms outstretched. Her name is Kim Phuc. She is better known as the 'Napalm Girl.' The photo, officially 'The Terror of War,' won a Pulitzer Prize, was named the World Press Photo of the Year in 1973 and is seen as galvanizing anti-war protests that led to the end of the Vietnam War. Nearly 53 years later, it is under fire as a new documentary alleges the photo was not taken by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut, but a Vietnamese freelancer.
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The real legacy of ‘Napalm Girl'
Advertisement To their credit, both AP and World Press Photo undertook Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up ''Napalm Girl' has become embroidered with media myths — false, dubious, or improbable tales about and/or propagated by the news media,' W. Joseph Campbell wrote in his eye-opening 2016 book, ' Advertisement The photo of the children running from their village is in the same category. Ever since 'Napalm Girl' first appeared, multiple distortions and exaggerations have attached to it. The most pernicious was that the children in the picture had been attacked by Americans. In fact, as contemporaneous news accounts made clear, the napalming of Trang Bàng was a tragic case of friendly fire by South Vietnam. For example, Yet the horror depicted in the photo has Campbell cites other instances of the claim, which keeps recurring. In a story mentioning the photograph as recently as January, Campbell punctures other myths about 'Napalm Girl.' One is that the picture exerted such emotional power that it galvanized American public opinion against the war. Another is that its appearance sped up the US withdrawal from Vietnam. Advertisement Not so. Claims that 'Napalm Girl' stirred Americans to oppose the war have been made again and again. Journalism professor Samuel Freedman's assertion that the 'searing image played no small part in deepening opposition in the United States to the war' is one of many assembled in Campbell's book. But a majority of Americans had turned against the war long before June 1972. As before 'Napalm Girl,' 61 percent of respondents said they opposed the war. That number remained largely unchanged until the war was over. No evidence has ever shown that the photograph had a measurable effect on public opinion. Nor is there any evidence that it shortened the war, another claim that has been made many times — including by Ut, who has told interviewers that the picture 'stopped the war in Vietnam.' In reality, the United States began The tragedy of Trang Bàng was real. The suffering in that photograph was real. But the myth that the image changed history is not. 'Napalm Girl' remains unforgettable — not for the influence it wielded but for the agony it captured. In the end, its true legacy is not about the power of journalism but about the cruelty of war. Advertisement Jeff Jacoby can be reached at
LeMonde
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
World Press Photo Executive Director Joumana El Zein Khoury: 'The legend surrounding the Napalm Girl photo is being challenged'
In January, the film The Stringer, shown at the Sundance Festival in the United States, sparked controversy by claiming that one of the world's most famous photographs, The Terror of War – better known as Napalm Girl – had been wrongly credited to Nick Ut of the Associated Press (AP) when it was actually taken by another Vietnamese photographer, Nguyen Thanh Nghe. Since then, AP has published its own investigation and decided to maintain credit to Ut. However, World Press Photo, which runs a prestigious annual photojournalism competition and awarded the image in 1973, took a different path: It no longer attributes the image to Ut, though it has not reassigned credit to another photographer. The organization's executive director, Joumana El Zein Khoury, explained the reasoning behind the decision. Why did World Press Photo feel the need to take a position on the 'Napalm Girl' photograph? Our organization has existed for 70 years, and we take questions of transparency and accuracy very seriously. When doubts arise about a prize-winning photo, we have a process in place. So, when the documentary The Stringer was shown in January at the Sundance Festival, we conducted our own investigation. We waited for the AP to release its own findings before going public. And we found that there were valid questions surrounding this photo. We decided to keep the 1973 prize for the photograph, but have suspended the attribution until further evidence emerges.
