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We are losers: Pakistanis have an epic meltdown on social media after Afghanistan brutally thrashes Pakistan in World Cup

OpIndia Staff
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We are losers: Pakistanis have an epic meltdown on social media after Afghanistan brutally thrashes Pakistan in World Cup

Hours after the Afghanistan cricket team defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets during their World Cup encounter on Monday (23rd October), Pakistani cricket fans had a prolonged meltdown on social media.

One Shuayb Khan announced that he broke his TV after watching the humiliating loss of Pakistan against Afghanistan. “I just smashed my TV infront of 40 guests at my party because of Pct. My wife just took our crying kids and said they’re all spending the week at a hotel,” he informed.

“This game has ruined my dream, my life, and my party. I can’t handle this anymore. Goodbye. I am no longer a Pct fan,” Khan further lamented.

One ‘Akrama’ wrote, “Afghanis cooking us like it’s a tandoor.”

Another Pakistani X user remarked, “We put the wrong captain (referring to Imran Khan) in jail.” The user suggested that Babar Azam should instead be sent behind bars for his disappointing captaincy.

Another user stated, “Put Babar azam in jail with Imran Khan to get some captaincy tips atleast.”

One Pakistani cricket fan tweeted, “I need a mid-tournament captaincy change. I can’t handle this embarrassment for the next 4 matches”

“Even the commentators are frustrated at the s*ithole Babar Azam’s captaincy,” wrote another Pakistani.

“I am sorry, Indian fans! We are losers,” wrote a popular Pakistani cricket enthusiast Farid Khan.

In a video shared by an Indian user, a Pakistani man was seen going on a tirade against his own team for its deplorable performance against Afghanistan team.

“Shame on you. I don’t even know where these 2-rupee players come from. Hold them tight, tear their underwear and slap the sh*t out of them…Have you any shame? Pakistan should not have lost to these rats (referring to Afghanistan). The one with good batting average has bent over before the average Afghanistan team and asked them to f*ck him,” the frustrated Pakistani fan was heard saying.

The match between Pakistan and Afghanistan was played at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Pakistan batted first and posted a score of 282 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 50 overs. Afghanistan’s bowlers Noor Ahmad and Navin-ul-Haq took 5 wickets between them.

The ‘underdogs’ were able to chase down the target in just 49 overs with the loss of only two wickets. Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah scored 65, 87 and 77 runs respectively.

Pakistan played with a defensive mindset and lost the game miserably. As expected, Pakistani cricket fans had an epic meltdown on social media.

Stipend for taking hostages, instructed to kidnap women and children: Israel drops chilling video of Hamas terrorists confessing to the massacre of Jews

ANI
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Stipend for taking hostages, instructed to kidnap women and children: Israel drops chilling video of Hamas terrorists confessing to the massacre of Jews

The Israel Securities Authority (ISA) released a video clip on Monday, purportedly showing Hamas terrorists confessing their active participation in the deadly terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7. 

A video file provided by ISA Communications was attached to the statements of the Hamas terrorists, involved in the October 7 attacks, during interrogation, the Authority added. 

In the video, the Hamas terrorists are purportedly heard saying that they were promised a stipend for taking civilian hostages from Israel to Gaza. “Whoever kidnaps a hostage and brings them to Gaza is to get a stipend of USD 10,000 and an apartment,” a Hamas terrorist is purportedly heard saying in the video. 

They are also heard saying that they were specifically instructed by their handlers to abduct elderly women and children. They said they were also asked to “cleanse the houses and kidnap as many prisoners as possible,” one of the terrorists said. 

“Her (a victim’s) dog came out and I shot him,” the terrorist is heard saying further in the video, adding, “Her body was lying on the floor, I shot her too. The commander yelled at me, saying (that) I was wasting bullets on a corpse.” 

Another Hamas terrorist said after doing their handler’s bidding, they burned down two houses. “We finished what we came to do and then burned down two houses,” he said. 

Over the course of the ongoing investigations into the October 7 killings, a number of “themes” (nature and manner of crimes) have come up repeatedly, the ISA said in their statement. 

While purportedly admitting to clear and explicit instructions received by Hamas to kill and abduct civilians, including the elderly, women and children, the terrorists, in the video clip, also shared other morbid details from of October 7 massacre in southern Israel. 

Meanwhile, the ISA said the senior commanders of the military wing of Hamas (of the rank of company commander rank and above) stayed behind in safe houses and in hiding while sending their gunmen to fight, die or be arrested in Israel. 

The Israel Security Forces reaffirmed their commitment to eliminate all terrorists involved in the massacre. 

“The Security Forces of the State of Israel will settle all accounts with all terrorists who participated in the massacre on 7/10,” the statement said. 

Launching unprecedented and coordinated attacks, an estimated 2,500 Hamas terrorists crossed over into Israel by land, air and sea, committing chilling acts of terror on civilians in southern Israel. 

The attacks left 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians, dead, according to reports. Some of these terrorists took at least 222 civilians hostage and brought them to Gaza, according to The Times of Israel. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Canadian diplomats were asked to leave after evidence of interference: From visas to Khalistanis, funding to farmers’ protests, and support to terrorism

OpIndia Staff
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Canadian diplomats were asked to leave after evidence of interference: From visas to Khalistanis, funding to farmers’ protests, and support to terrorism

Canadian diplomats were misusing their powers in different consulates across Chandigarh and other areas of Punjab, News18 reported citing top government sources. According to the report, Canadian diplomats were “very soft” in their approach and deliberately granted visas to individuals who had known criminal antecedents and supported the Khalistani terrorist movement. They extended visas to them to bolster support for the Khalistani cause.  

Sources said, “On multiple occasions, Canadians went very soft with the visa process. Visas were also given deliberately to send certain individuals, who were under probe and were likely to face action from agencies, to Canada”.

“They granted visas to people despite knowing their antecedents. Many people who have got such visas are indulging in criminal activities in Canada. These visas were given just to support the Khalistani cause so that the movement can gain maximum strength,” government sources added as quoted by News18.  

The Indian government reportedly has evidence of how the Canadian government supported farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws. They added that it was one of the topics where they (referring to the Canadian side) got involved directly and indirectly and instigated the diaspora in Canada and farmers in India.

They noted, “By instigating the diaspora, they managed funding for the agitation in India. It looked absolutely legitimate, but if we look at funds, which were regular to a family, suddenly multiplied ten to twenty times.” 

They added, “Their (Canadian diplomats) meetings with the Punjab government offices were regular and unwarranted. On certain occasions, some individuals also debriefed agencies formally and informally about the intent of Canadian officials.”

The sources stressed that India asked the Canadian government to withdraw 41 of its diplomats after a lot of deliberation and examination of the evidence presented by the Indian intelligence agencies and on-ground action.   

According to them, Canada had also been refusing to help India with extradition in certain cases. Additionally, it was not helping India to investigate those individuals who had gone and taken shelter in Canada. 

It is important to note that on 22nd October, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar pointed out that India has evidence of continuous inference by the Canadian government in India’s affairs. Regarding Canadian diplomatic interference in Indian affairs, he noted that a significant amount of the information hasn’t been shared with the public yet. According to him, more details could come up over a period of time which would make the public understand why India had to take those steps.

Minister Jaishankar said, “We haven’t made much of that public. My sense is over a period of time more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did.”

He explained why India sought parity in the presence of diplomatic staff. India invoked parity because there were concerns about “continuous interference” by the Canadian personnel in Indian affairs, Minister Jaishankar emphasised. 

He further stressed that seeking parity is permitted under the Vienna Convention and refuted the baseless allegations of the Canadian Foreign Minister who alleged that India violated International laws by asking it to reduce its diplomatic presence in India.  

Jaishankar noted, “Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this. In our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel.”

Afghanistan stun Pakistan with an emphatic 8-wicket victory in World Cup 2023: MoM Zadran dedicates victory to Afghans forcibly sent back from Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Afghanistan stun Pakistan with an emphatic 8-wicket victory in World Cup 2023: MoM Zadran dedicates victory to Afghans forcibly sent back from Pakistan

Known for scripting setbacks, the Afghanistan cricket team stunned Pakistan in an emphatic 8-wicket victory against neighbouring Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup 2023. With this defeat, Afghanistan created history by defeating Pakistan for the first time in an ODI.

Batting first, Pakistan scored a formidable score of 282, with captain Babar Azam contributing with a lacklustre half-century. Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad managed to pull breaks on Pakistan’s free-flowing run-scoring, chipping in two quick wickets, one of them being the big-prized wicket of Muhammad Rizwan. He later also took the wicket of Babar Azam, when Pakistan seemed poised to post a mammoth score.

However, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed managed to take Pakistan to a respectable score of 282. But Afghanistan’s batters put the spanners in the works for Pakistan, winning their first ODI match against Pakistan.

Charismatic batsmen Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran took Afghanistan to a flying start. The duo posted a quickfire partnership of 130 runs in 20 overs as it blunted Pakistan’s famed bowling line-up that has been off-colour so far in the World Cup.

Zadran, unfortunately, fell 13 short of a century after Pakistan’s premier bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, got him out in his second when Afghanistan were at 190. Middle-order batsman Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi batted with remarkable equanimity, never allowing the required run rate to go past their reach. Shah scored 77 unbeaten and Shahidi 48 runs to seal the victory for Afghanistan.

In the post-match presentation, Ibrahim Zadran, who was awarded the Man of the Match for his spirited 87, said he dedicated his award to Afghans who were forcibly sent back from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Pakistan will be playing South Africa in their next match, while Afghanistan will face off with their Asian counterpart, Sri Lanka.

‘Using parliamentary credentials of Mahua Moitra an error of judgment’: Darshan Hiranandani

ANI
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‘Using parliamentary credentials of Mahua Moitra an error of judgment’: Darshan Hiranandani

Days after submitting a sworn affidavit on his claims to Parliament’s ethics committee, the businessman at the centre of the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ scandal, Darshan Hiranandani, says he regrets the personal error of judgment of using TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s parliament login credentials.

In an interview with Television News Channel Times Now, Hiranandani says that the very fact that he got entangled in the matter was an error of judgment.

“I think that me being entangled in this whole matter is an error of my judgment. And like I said, I’ve been very clear and explicit in my affidavit about what happened. And, you know, I’ve got nothing more to add as far as that’s concerned” Hiranandani says in his interview.

“The reality is that after the complaint of Advocate Dehadrai brought the matter into, full limelight. It then snowballed into a political controversy with the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics, formally taking up the matter. Since it involved me by name directly and personally, it was incumbent upon me as a responsible citizen to bring the facts as they are before the public. Our groups are law-abiding businesses with a focus on building a nation. And frankly, I regret that my personal error of judgment has embarrassed my family directly and my employees and my company indirectly. But the reality is I felt that instead of a long process of investigation and denials, I must come forward with the facts upfront and cooperate fully as is my nature” Hiranandani adds.

Hiranandani who is based in Dubai said he was under no pressure to sign the affidavit. Earlier the TMC MP Mahua Moitra had questioned his affidavit alleging that it was signed on white paper as “a gun was put to his head.”

“The affidavit is signed by me, signed by me voluntarily, no fear, no favour. Testimony of that is that I had it notarized at the Indian consulate in Dubai…. Since I am in Dubai, I had it notarized in the Indian Consulate in Dubai. Then I sent it to the Privilege Committee of Lok Sabha and copied to CBI and Dr. Nishikant Dubey by email” Hiranandani says in his interview to Times Now.

When asked if he thought that TMC MP Mahua Moitra was looking to target businessman Gautam Adani and through that the Prime Minister, Hiranandani reiterated what was said in his affidavit.

“I think, I would prefer to stick to my affidavit in this regard, but I can tell you that she felt that attacking Mr Adani would target the Prime Minister because there was perceived proximity as both are from the same state,” he said.

Hiranandani however admits that he did use TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s Parliament login credentials and that it was an error of judgment.

“Certainly, that part is an error of judgment,” Hiranandani told Times Now.

The Dubai-based businessman however chose to sidestep a question on the gifts he allegedly gave the TMP MP as has been claimed by Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai in his submissions.

“I would prefer to stick to my affidavit and when called upon, by either the Parliament Ethics Committee or any sort of authority, I will gladly cooperate and provide each and every detail that’s required” Darshan Hiranandani said.

The TMC MP Mahua Moitra has yet to respond to this interview broadcast by Times Now. However, in an earlier post on X she called for login access details of all MPs to be made public.

“Request NIC to please release ALL details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff. Don’t use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW” said Mahua Moitra in her post on X on October 21.

The whole controversy started when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to the speaker alleging ‘Cash for Query’ proof against the TMC MP. He had claimed the said proof was provided by Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

The Parliament Ethics Committee has called both Dubey and Advocate Dehadrai to submit oral evidence of allegations before it on October 26.

The TMC has maintained a studied silence on the controversy, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh when questioned on the issue said “No comments…regarding this issue the TMC will not say anything…The related person may answer this.”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

When Bishan Singh Bedi refused to send lower-order batsmen against West Indies bent on injuring them with a body-line bowling attack: Details

Paurush Gupta
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When Bishan Singh Bedi refused to send lower-order batsmen against West Indies bent on injuring them with a body-line bowling attack: Details

On 23rd October (Monday), India lost one of its sporting icons, Bishan Singh Bedi, who captained the Indian side in 20 Test matches as he passed away at the age of 77. Born on 25th September 1946, in Amritsar, Bedi played 67 Tests for India. Between 1967 and 1979, he took 266 wickets in his Test career. In the domestic circuit, he took a whopping 1560 wickets in 370 First Class matches.

In 1976, India toured the West Indies under his captaincy and gave a tough time to the Windies Eleven. In a four-match test series, India had marched shoulder to shoulder with Clive Lyod’s lanky fast bowlers with the scoreline reading 1-1 by the end of the third test match. However, a crushing defeat at the hands of the away team (India) didn’t go down well with the Windies who were touted as the hegemons of the game. 

After a humiliating defeat, West Indies adopted an aggressive strategy, targeting the Indian batsmen with an aim to execute bodyline bowling which prompted skipper Bishan Singh Bedi to take a call before the Windies’ quick could inflict more harm. 

This is the story of the fourth test between India and the West Indies, the back story, and the uncanny decision of the skipper that has gone down in the annals of cricketing history. This is the story of why skipper Bedi asked the Windies to chase a meagre total of 13 runs instead of sending his batters in harm’s way. 

The run-up to the infamous fourth test between the two side

During the 1976 West Indies tour, India faired well and had levelled the 4 match-series 1-1 before heading for the decider (fourth match) at the Kingston Ground in Jamaica.  India was coming into this match after successfully chasing down a mammoth and historic total of 406-4 in the fourth innings of the third Test played in Port of Spain.

The away team had pulled a record run chase against the West Indies fast bowlers who were notorious for destructing any batting lineup in the world. Interestingly, the record run chase of 406 was bettered only after 27 years in 2003 when West Indies chased 418 against Australia. 

Additionally, the West Indies side was haunted by their previous 5-1 defeat in the series in Australia, and they were determined to win the home series at any cost.

The defeat in the third match in a home series had bruised the ego of the mighty West Indies and it could not stomach its defeat. Consequently, the Clive Loyd-led side displaced one of the deadliest bowling attacks which bruised and battered the Indian side. 

Notably, the fourth match was played at the Kingston Ground in Jamaica. It was on a recently relaid pitch and it offered unpredictable bounce to the West Indian fast bowlers in the likes of Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel, Bernard Julien, and Van Holder. 

Solid start marred by injuries

After being asked to bat first, the Indian top order smashed the West Indies bowler all around the corner. With a century-run opening stand, Sunil Gavaskar and Anshuman Gaekwad not only survived the onslaught of the aggressive bowling, they were taking the match away from the host side. 

But the aggressive bodyline strategy of notorious West Indies bowlers fructified and they tasted blood. In a quick success of 36 runs, they had sent two Indian batters to the pavilion, but they didn’t secure their wickets; instead, the Indian players were injured by the Windies’ bowling lineup. Mind you, these were pre-helmet days, and no restrictions on bouncers. It was a no-holds-barred for the West Indies fast bowlers. 

Anshuman Gaikwad who was playing well on 81 and Brijesh Patel (14*) were hit by the Windies’ bowling lineup, both sustained injuries and had to retire hurt. Gaikwad suffered a blow to his left ear from the ball, leading to a two-day hospital stay. Similarly, Michael Holding’s delivery struck Brijesh Patel on the face, requiring stitches on his mouth. Meanwhile, Gundappa Vishwanath broke a finger in his right hand and also required a hospital visit.

From 237-3, India was virtually 273-5 with its in-form batters back to the pavilion. With the West Indies bowling bodyline balls and hurting Indian batters, captain Bishan Singh Bedi decided to declare the first innings before Holding and Company injured many more Indian players. Subsequently, skipper Bishan Singh Bedi declared the innings at 306/6. 

(Bedi while bowling in the fourth test match of the 1976 West Indies tour)

During India’s bowling, the spin trio of Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Bishan Singh Bedi, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan shared 9 wickets among them and curtailed the West Indies innings to 391 runs giving them a lead of 85 runs. However, while fielding, several Indian players, including skipper Bishan Singh Bedi and Chandrashekhar, sustained injuries.  

Indian batters again faced the wrath of aggressive West Indies bowlers. This time, they had the added challenge that three of their batters were already injured and unable to continue. Gavaskar, who had scored a solid fifty in the first innings, struggled and departed quickly at the score of 2 runs on Holding’s bowling. India’s other opener, Dilip Dilip Vengsarkar (21) tried to give solidity to the Indian batting along with Mohinder Amarnath (60). But by the time India managed to take a 12-run lead over the host team, both of them were sent back to the pavilion by the West Indies quick bowlers. 

Again From 97-2, India was 97-5 in no time thanks to relentless bowling by Clive Lyod’s side. But then, skipper Bishan Singh Bedi refused to send his last 5 batsmen – three batsmen who were injured in the first innings were not in a position to bat, and Bedi and Chandrashekar who had suffered hand injuries while fielding. 

The Indian team had managed to secure a 12-run lead against the host team. Ultimately, Captain Bedi chose not to send the remaining batsmen onto the field, with a total score of 97 runs and declared the innings. Without any hick-up, West Indies chased down a total of 13 runs in just 1.5 overs. Winning the match by 10 wickets, they lifted the series by 2-1.

By the end of the match, all 17 members of the Indian touring team had fielded at some point during the game. Additionally, one of the substitutes, Surinder Amarnath, had to be rushed to the hospital for an appendix operation while the match was still in progress.

Pakistan end 1,169-ball ‘no six’ streak in first powerplay of ODIs, hit two sixes in World Cup match against Afghanistan

ANI
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Pakistan end 1,169-ball ‘no six’ streak in first powerplay of ODIs, hit two sixes in World Cup match against Afghanistan

Pakistan have succeeded in ending their 1,169-ball long streak of not hitting a sixer during the first powerplay in one-day internationals (ODIs) this year.

The Men in Green accomplished this during their ICC Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan in Chennai on Monday.

In the third ball of the team’s fifth over, Abdullah Shafique smashed Naveen-ul-Haq for a six. He hit another six later to make it two sixes during the first ten overs.

This year Pakistan has faced 1,202 balls in the first powerplay and scored 945 runs across 20 innings. Of these, 789 balls faced by Pakistan were dot balls, which shows that they did not score on over 65 per cent of balls in this phase of the match.

Pakistan batters smashed 131 fours and two sixes in the first powerplay this year.

In all, Pakistan scored 536 out of their 945 runs through fours and sixes, with only 12 runs scored while the aerial route.

Coming to the match, Pakistan elected to bat first and posted 282/7 in their 50 overs.

Half-centuries from Babar (74 in 92 balls with four boundaries and a six) and Abdullah (58 in 75 balls with five fours and two sixes) were the highlights of Pakistan’s innings. In the end, knocks of 40 runs each from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan took Pakistan to a competitive total.

Noor (3/49) was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan. Naveen-ul-Haq got two wickets while Mohammed Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai got one wicket.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Israel conducts a brief ground raid in Gaza, reveals 222 persons held hostage by Hamas

OpIndia Staff
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Israel conducts a brief ground raid in Gaza, reveals 222 persons held hostage by Hamas

The ongoing war between the Jewish state and the terrorist organization from Palestine, Hamas has entered its 16th day. Amid this, the Israeli military revealed on Monday (23rd October) that limited ground operations were carried out in the Gaza Strip overnight to combat Palestinian gunmen. It further stated that airstrikes were being targeted at Hamas assembly points.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesperson for the Israeli military, announced in a televised briefing that 222 persons had been held captive during Hamas’s cross-border assault on October 7th.

“Earlier Sunday, one Israeli soldier was killed during a similar raid into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip,” the military said. Israeli troops have been conducting border raids, in order to clear the region and obtain intelligence on missing people and captives held by Hamas in the enclave.

“An IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldier was killed, one was moderately injured, and two were lightly injured as a result of an anti-tank missile launched toward an IDF tank and an engineering vehicle,” the military was further quoted as saying.

Also on Sunday (22nd October), Hamas claimed to have destroyed an Israeli tank and two bulldozers in an ambush east of the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis.

The Palestinian resistance group’s Al-Qassam Brigades said in a brief statement that its ‘fighters’ engaged an armoured Israeli force in a well-prepared ambush to the east of Khan Younis, just moments after it passed the border by a few meters.

Notably, last week, Hamas freed two American captives, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie. They got back together with their families in Israel and spoke to US President Joe Biden, who was “delighted” that the two were able to get away.

Leaders from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement in which they reaffirmed their strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself against the Hamas terror group. Hamas launched a terrorist assault on Israeli territory on 7th October, killing over 1,400 people. The leaders also emphasized the importance of protecting civilian life and complying with international humanitarian law in the ongoing fight. 

NYT issues ‘half-hearted’ clarification 5 days after IDF debunked Hamas’s lies blaming Israel for Gaza hospital attack, says relied heavily on Hamas claims

OpIndia Staff
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NYT issues ‘half-hearted’ clarification 5 days after IDF debunked Hamas’s lies blaming Israel for Gaza hospital attack, says relied heavily on Hamas claims

On October 23, Monday, The New York Times (NYT) published a clarification in which it offered a tepid justification for attributing responsibility for the attack on the Gaza-based Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital last week to Israel. Interestingly, in the ‘clarification’ that came almost 5 days after the news was already debunked as a false claim by IDF, NYT admitted that they relied heavily on Hamas claims on the hospital explosion.

The initial reports “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas, and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified,” it said. “The report left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.”

The global media outlet, that had repeatedly and prominently featured Hamas’s claim that the blast last week at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was caused by an Israeli airstrike, in its ‘editor’s note’ justified its reportage by continuously reiterating that it had updated its coverage as more information became available on the incident.

“Within two hours, the headline and other text at the top of the website reflected the scope of the explosion and the dispute over responsibility,” the note read.

SS of the editors’ note published by NYT almost 5 days after the Hamas claim was debunked

It, however, did acknowledge that the editors should have exercised more caution given the delicate nature of the news during an escalating war. “Given the sensitive nature of the news during a widening conflict, and the prominent promotion it received, Times editors should have taken more care with the initial presentation, and been more explicit about what information could be verified.,” the note added.

How AltNews’ Mohammad Zubair and global media including The New York Times peddled a terror organisation’s claims

It may be recalled that on October 17, a rocket fell on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza. The local media working in Gaza immediately ran reports based on Hamas’ claims that it was an Israeli rocket, and around 500 people died in it.

However, as more information came to light, it was clear that the hospital’s parking lot took the hit, and the hospital building was intact. Furthermore, it was revealed that the rocket that fell on the hospital was not shot by Israel but by an Iran-backed terrorist organisation, Islamic Jihad, that operates from Gaza. 

Initially, media houses like Al Jazeera, the Iranian channel Press TV, and the likes of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair ran propaganda being pushed by Hamas, claiming it was an Israeli rocket. Several global media outlets including The New York Times also ended up peddling the same propaganda.

The New York Times had after the strike on October 17, shared its report and said, “Breaking News: An Israeli airstrike hit a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, killing at least 200 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which said the number of casualties was expected to rise.”

Notably, the next day on October 18, NYT posted an update which read, “At least 500 people were killed by an Israeli airstrike at a Gaza hospital, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Follow our live coverage.”

The same day, however, in another update the global media outlet did put out the Israeli military version but failed to apologise for misreporting the incident.

The New York Times was, however, not the only global media outlet that had gone on to believe the Hamas version of the incident. Others like Al Jazeera English, The Washington Post, The Associate Press and Reuters believed the terror organisation Hamas and fell into its trap of lies. Interestingly, while most experts were analyzing the hospital explosion footage, comparing geolocations in maps, studying building damage, and trying to verify facts and claims made by Hamas, Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair had a busy day sharing propaganda posts to accuse Israel of the bombing the hospital.

Hamas claims accusing Israel of strike on hospital debunked

On October 17, a rocket fell on a hospital in Gaza, resulting in immediate worldwide outrage. Hamas claimed an Israeli rocket fell on the hospital, killing 500 Palestinians. However, Israel denied any involvement in the attack and said that it was a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) that resulted in civilian casualties.

Officials from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were quick to point out that this was not an Israeli airstrike but rather a misfired rocket from within Gaza. IDF presented aerial photographs as evidence during a press briefing, showing that the damage was primarily concentrated outside the hospital, specifically in the parking lot. It also revealed that Hamas was aware of the misfire, which occurred at around 6:59 PM local time on the same day as the attack on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza.

IDF also highlighted the absence of any crater or structural damage to buildings, which are standard in case of airstrikes. IDF bombings in Gaza have been precision strikes targeted at Hamas infrastructure that demolish the buildings within a few seconds. Also, the parking lot in the hospital showed no signs of a crater, and even delicate structures like clay tile roofing and solar panels were intact.

Despite knowing all of this, Hamas still began a media campaign accusing Israel of being responsible for the incident. While the majority of experts were examining the hospital explosion video, comparing geolocations on maps, examining building damage, and trying to verify the facts and claims made by Hamas, a few assorted Islamists, such as the well-known ‘fact-checker’ Zubair, and these aforementioned global news organizations quickly jumped in to support Hamas’s lies pertaining to the Gaza hospital attack.

OpIndia’s detailed report on the strike at the Gaza hospital can be seen here.

India to approach Financial Action Task Force (FATF) against Canada for inaction over terror funding: Report

OpIndia Staff
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India to approach Financial Action Task Force (FATF) against Canada for inaction over terror funding: Report

A day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that “more stuff will come out” in reference to the strained India-Canada ties, reports have emerged that India is exploring options to approach the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

A report by The Sunday Guardian has quoted official Indian sources claiming that India will approach the FATF over Canada’s inaction against terror funding operations on its soil despite New Delhi having shared “credible and clinching evidence” with Ottawa.

Citing diplomatic sources, the report said that New Delhi is planning to share a dossier of evidence with the Paris-based watchdog, which oversees the implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures to combat money laundering and terror financing.

The report quoted sources as saying, “Canada acquiescing to India’s demand to reduce its diplomatic strength by 41 is not enough as India’s key concern is about funding and shielding of Khalistanis on Canadian soil,” adding that “diplomats, security and probe agency officials have been asked to collect relevant evidence to be shared with the FATF.”

“With Canada seeking to divert the focus from the core issue of Khalistani elements having a free run on its soil, India has no other option but to report Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s inaction against pro-Khalistan elements in his country to FATF. India is, therefore, planning to collect evidence of terror funding and financing emanating from Canada and present it to FATF,” The Sunday Guardian quoted a person aware of the development.

Diplomatic officials in New Delhi have alleged that the Trudeau government is trying to divert the attention of the global community from the core issue of terror activities by accusing India of escalation and violating the Vienna Convention regarding Canadian diplomatic presence.

On 22nd October, EAM Jaishankar said that India and Canada ties are going through a difficult phase. He said that Canada violated the Vienna convention by not providing security to Indian diplomats, which forced India to stop visa services, as the environment was no longer safe for them.

Speaking about the expulsion of 41 Canadian diplomats from India, Jaishankar said that India had sought diplomatic parity as there were concerns about “continuous interference” in Indian affairs by the Canadian side.

In August, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau disrupted diplomatic relations with India by expelling an Indian diplomat and accusing the Indian government of being involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, without any evidence.

India has categorically denied the same and has retaliated by expelling 41 Canadian diplomats from India. Notably, Canada is notorious for sheltering Khalistani terrorists who are wanted by India.

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