Gaza Children Traumatised By Bombardment. Israel's Ground Offensive Looms

Gaza's children are showing ever more signs of trauma two weeks into Israel's intense bombardment, parents and psychiatrists in the tiny, crowded enclave say, with no safe place to hide from the falling bombs and little prospect of respite.

Children make up about half of Gaza's 2.3 million population, living under near constant bombardment with many packed into temporary shelters in UN-run schools after fleeing their homes with little food or clean water.

Israel is expected to launch a ground attack on Gaza shortly in response to a cross-border assault by Hamas fighters on southern Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 people, with a further 210 taken hostage.

"Children ... have started to develop serious trauma symptoms such as convulsions, bed-wetting, fear, aggressive behaviour, nervousness, and not leaving their parents' sides," said Gaza psychiatrist Fadel Abu Heen.

More than 4,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far, including more than 1,500 children, while 13,000 people have been injured according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Conditions in makeshift shelters in United Nations schools, where more than 380,000 people are camped out in hope of escaping the bombardment, only compound the problem.

There are sometimes 100 people sleeping in each classroom, which all require continuous cleaning. There is little electricity and water so bathrooms and toilets are very dirty.

"Our children suffer a lot at night. They cry all night, they pee themselves without meaning to and I don't have time to clean up after them, one after the other," said Tahreer Tabash, a mother of six children sheltering in a school.

Even there, they are not safe. Such schools have been hit several times, the United Nations has said, and Tabash has seen strikes hitting nearby buildings. When her children hear so much as a chair being moved, they jump in fear, she said.

"That lack of any safe place has created a general sense of fear and horror among the entire population and children are most impacted," said Abu Heen.

"Some of them reacted directly and expressed their fears. Although they may need immediate intervention, they may be in a better state than the other kids who kept the horror and trauma inside them," he said.

MENTAL TOLL

One house in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave, is sheltering about 90 people including 30 under the age of 18, where they have to sleep in shifts for lack of space.

"When there's an explosion or any target getting hit nearby they are always screaming, always frightened. We try to calm the younger ones, try telling them, 'Don't worry, it's just fireworks'. But the older ones understand what's going on," said Ibrahim al-Agha, an engineer sheltering in the house.

"They will need a lot of support mentally after this war finishes," Agha said.

However, Gaza's healthcare system was already over-stretched before this month's war, which has pushed it to the brink of collapse, and mental health experts have long warned of the terrible toll that was already being exacted on children.

A 2022 report by aid group Save the Children found the psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza at "alarmingly low levels" after 11 days of fighting in 2021, leaving half of all Gaza children in need of support.

Mental health experts in Gaza have said there is no such thing there as post traumatic stress disorder because the trauma in the enclave is continuous, with repeated bouts of armed conflict stretching back nearly two decades.

Early on Saturday, after an Israeli air strike destroyed a building in Gaza City, killing many of the Abo Akr family, a large group of children stood among those watching rescuers picking through the rubble for survivors and bodies.

As women nearby wailed and wept, the children stood watching, their faces showing nothing.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Globster-Like 'Mermaid' Washes Ashore In Papua New Guinea, Puzzling Experts

Scientists are perplexed and eager to learn more about a strange "mermaid" that reportedly washed up on a beach in Papua New Guinea, reigniting human fascination with the ocean's depths. Photos of the ghostly white lump of flesh, shaped like a mermaid, were shared on a Facebook page called "New Irelanders Only."

The strange, pale, and decayed mass resembling a mermaid was found by people on Simberi Island in Papua New Guinea's Bismarck Sea on September 20. Experts aren't sure about its true nature, but they believe it's more likely a sea creature than a mystical being.

According to Live Science, it is known as a globster, an unidentified organic mass that washes ashore. The origin of these mystery lumps is hard to pin down because much of the corpse has rotted away, and most are missing body parts that have fallen off at sea. In this case, most of the creature's head and large chunks of its flesh are missing. There is no information on the size and weight of the corpse because it was not properly measured before locals buried it, NIO representatives told Live Science. And no one collected DNA samples, which makes a proper identification almost impossible.

Helene Marsh, an environmental scientist at James Cook University in Australia, told Live Science that it looks like a marine mammal. "After that, it is anyone's guess," she added.

Sascha Hooker, a marine mammal expert at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, narrowed it down further. "It looks like a very decomposed cetacean to me," she told Live Science. Cetaceans, or whales and dolphins, are known to turn this color when their skin falls off, she added.

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"Bill Clinton Offered $5 Billion To Stop Nuclear Tests": Nawaz Sharif

Hours after his homecoming, Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif highlighted the achievements of his tenure and recalled how he gave a "befitting reply" to India's atomic explosion by conducting nuclear tests in 1998 despite being offered USD 5 billion by then US president Bill Clinton not to do so.

Sharif, 73, returned home on a special flight from Dubai, ending a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK, to head his party and try to secure a record fourth term in the general elections expected to be held in January.

Wearing a light blue kurta pyjama, a maroon muffler and a black coat, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo flew in from Dubai to Islamabad on the 'Umeed-e-Pakistan' chartered plane at around 1:30 pm local time.

He reached Lahore, considered a stronghold of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, to address a massive rally, "I am meeting you today after several years, but my relationship of love with you is the same. There is no difference in this relationship," he told the cheering crowd. "The love I am seeing in your eyes, I am proud of it." Sharif recalled the huge pressure he faced from foreign governments in 1998 when Pakistan wanted to respond to India's nuclear test.

"There will be record present in the Foreign Office that Clinton offered me USD 5 billion [...] this happened in 1999...I could have been offered USD 1 billion too, but I was born from the land of Pakistan and it did not give me permission to accept what is against Pakistan's favour.

"Tell me, if someone else would have been in my place, you know who, could he have said this in front of the American president," he said, taking a dig at his main rival Imran Khan.

"We conducted the atomic test and gave India a befitting reply for conducting nuclear tests," he said in his nearly 60-minute speech at the PML-N rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan.

"So, do we get punished for this? Are verdicts announced against us for this reason?" he said.

Nawaz Sharif said he never betrayed his supporters nor did he shy from any kind of sacrifice. He recalled how fake cases were framed against him, his daughter and his party leaders. "But no one abandoned the PML-N flag." "Tell me, who are they who separated Nawaz Sharif from his nation? We are those who built Pakistan.

We made Pakistan an atomic power. We brought an end to load-shedding." He compared how roti costs way higher today than when he was in power. "Was I ousted for this reason? What is this decision? You are the public, you tell, do you agree with this decision?" The PML-N supremo lamented how the country was in a dire state today but at the same time vowed to redirect Pakistan to the path of growth.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Meta, Google Quit Tech Summit Over Organiser's Remarks Against Israel

Meta and Google have pulled out of the Web Summit, one of the tech sector's biggest annual events, after the organizer criticized Israel's actions following the Hamas attacks, the companies said on Friday.

A spokesman for Meta confirmed to AFP that it would not take part in this year's event.

"We will no longer have a presence at Web Summit," a Google spokesperson said.

Irish entrepreneur Paddy Cosgrave, co-founder of the Web Summit, wrote on social media platform X last week that he was "shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders & governments."

"War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are," Cosgrave wrote on October 13.

Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials.

Israel says around 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control of the area under attack.

More than 3,700 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks by the Palestinian Islamist militant group, according to the latest toll from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza.

The boycott by Meta and Google follows other exits by companies and tech figures, including Intel, Siemens and US comedian Amy Poehler and X-files actor Gillian Anderson.

The Web Summit is due to host some 2,300 startups and more than 70,000 people on November 13-16 in Lisbon.

Silicon Valley figure Garry Tan, of start-up backer Y-Combinator, initially kicked off the boycott and other big names in the industry quickly followed.

Cosgrave issued an apology on Tuesday.

"I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused profound hurt to many. To anyone who was hurt by my words, I apologise deeply," he said.

"What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that," the statement said.

Cosgrave said he "unreservedly" condemns Hamas's "evil, disgusting and monstrous" attack on Israel and "unequivocally" supports Israel's "right to exist and to defend itself."

He also said that Israel should adhere to the Geneva Conventions, "ie, not commit war crimes."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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PM Modi Inaugurates 2 New Sections Of Bengaluru Metro

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Metro Rail services from Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura, and Kengeri to Challaghatta legs of Bengaluru Metro Purple Line will improve connectivity and benefit lakhs of commuters.

He was speaking after virtually dedicating to the nation the two stretches of east-west corridor of Bangalore Metro, from Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh, where he addressed a rally after inaugurating the 17-km priority section of the country's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor.

"The two lines of Bengaluru Metro Rail will improve connectivity. It is expected that eight lakh people travel every day. I congratulate the people of Karnataka on the launch of the Metro Rail line," the Prime Minister said.

The Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura, and Kengeri to Challaghatta legs of the Bangalore Metro Purple Line were opened to the public from October 9 without waiting for a formal inauguration.

With this, the total operational length of 'Namma Metro' has increased to 74 km with 66 stations, and daily ridership to over 7.5 lakh.

Namma Metro, inaugurated 12 years ago, is the second largest Metro network in the country.

The east-west corridor -- the Purple Line from Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Challaghatta -- now spans a total length of 43.49 km comprising 37 stations.

During the speech, the Prime Minister also hinted at the possibility of launching the Metro Rail project in Mysuru.

"In Uttar Pradesh today, Metro Rail is arriving in Noida, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Agra and Kanpur. In some places, Metro (train) is running or would run in the near future. In Karnataka too, be it Bengaluru or Mysuru, Metro services are expanded," the Prime Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state government has given approval to the 317 km long Metro Rail network by 2031 in its Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) of which the 217 km long route is in the operation, construction or planning stage.

Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the chief minister said Bengaluru is a fast growing city and traffic is a big problem here. In view of this, expansion of Metro Rail services was very much needed.

Siddaramaiah said Phase-2 of the Bangalore Metro Rail project of length 75.06 km has been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 30,695 crore. At least 32 km of work has been completed and commissioned for operations, including the two stretches formally inaugurated today.

Extensions of Metro services from Nagasandra to Madawara in the northern direction with a length of 3.14 km and from RV Road to Bommasandra comprising a 19.15 km new route are on the verge of completion. It will be dedicated to the public by April 2024, the chief minister said.

A 21.26 km new Metro line from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara will be completed by March 2025. Once these routes are completed, the total Metro network will be extended to 117 km, benefiting 12 lakh people. The Karnataka government has already released Rs 11,583.08 crore for the Metro project, he said.

The 2A and 2B of the ORR-Airport Metro Rail Line with a length of 58 km from Central Silk Board junction through Hebbal junction is being built at a cost of Rs 14 ,788.10 crore, of which Rs 4,775.36 crore has been released, Siddaramaiah said adding, it will be ready by 2026.

After this line opens, the Metro Rail network will be 176 km and every day 20 lakh people are likely to travel, he said.

"With the growing demand, the Karnataka government has sent the DPR of the third phase of Bengaluru Metro Rail project, comprising a length of 45 km and which will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 15,611 crore, to the Centre for approval. We request the Prime Minister to approve it at the earliest," the chief minister said.

This apart, the Sarjapur to Hebbal (37 km) Metro Rail project as part of Phase-3 DPR is being prepared, he added.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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'Would Struggle To Make It To Karnataka Xl ': Ex-India Star Slams Shardul

Former Indian cricket team pacer Doda Ganesh launched a scathing attack on Shardul Thakur during the Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Pune on Thursday. In the absence of Hardik Pandya due to injury, Shardul bowled 9 overs and ended up conceding 59 runs at an economy rate of 6.60. The all-rounder took the wicket of Towhid Hridoy but Ganesh was not impressed with what he provided for the side. The former India cricketer took to social media to say that on the basis on just bowling, Shardul would not even make the cut for Karnataka's playing XI in domestic cricket.

"With due respect to Shardul Thakur, on his bowling alone he would struggle to make it to Karnataka's playing Xl in any format, let alone India's," he posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

With due respect to Shardul Thakur, on his bowling alone he would struggle to make it to Karnataka's playing Xl in any format, let alone India's #CWC23

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) October 19, 2023

Shardul did not play the first game of the Cricket World Cup 2023 against Australia but he replaced Ravichandran Ashwin for the second game and has played every match ever since.

Virat Kohli's unbeaten century sealed India's fourth win from four World Cup matches as the hosts defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets on Thursday with the star batsman closing in on Sachin Tendulkar's record for ODI hundreds.

Kohli reached his century and ended the match in style with a six against spinner Nasum Ahmed when he needed three runs to complete his century and India two more runs to reach a target of 257.

They got there with more than eight overs to spare, finishing on 261-3.

Kohli's 48th one-day international century left him just one shy of equalling India great Tendulkar's all-time record of 49 hundreds at this level.

Kohli faced 97 balls, including six fours and four sixes, with this century his third score in excess of fifty in four innings following contributions of 85 and 55 not out in recent pool wins over Australia and Afghanistan.

But for Bangladesh, a third defeat in four matches left them with an uphill struggle to qualify for the semi-finals.

(With AFP inputs)

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"Rahul Gandhi Speaking Of Dynasty Is Joke Of The Millennium": KTR

With voting for the Telangana elections just over a month away, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi has made regional pride the centrepiece of its campaign amid attacks of corruption and dynastic politics from the BJP and the Congress. The party's working president, KT Rama Rao, who had said Andhra landlords were the villains during the last elections, has trained his guns on the ghulams (servants) of Gujarat and the Delhi durbar (courtiers) this time around.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Friday, Mr Rao also rubbished allegations from both the BJP and the Congress of his party siding with the other and said the BRS is nobody's B-team, but Telangana's A-team. 

"The entire statehood movement of Telangana was predicated on two things - self-respect and pride. The Prime Minister comes to Hyderabad and says one Gujarati (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) relieved you from the clutches of the Nizam and another Gujarati (PM Narendra Modi) will relieve you from KCR (Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's) dictatorial rule," Mr Rao, who is also the son of KCR, said.

"We also have to invoke pride and we also have to remind people that the ghulams of Gujarat here in Telangana - the BJP folks - have not done much in the past nine-and-a-half years and we have to speak about their track record as well. Same is the case with the Delhi durbar. Rahul baba comes here and starts saying things like family rule and dynasty, which probably has to be the joke of the millennium," he added. 

Mr Rao, who is a minister and holds the information technology portfolio, among others, said people from Gujarat and Delhi don't do their homework before coming to Telangana and he and his party have to remind them from time to time that the Telangana statehood agitation was a matter of great self-respect. "One of the most important tenets of that movement was pride, and you cannot come and insult us like that," he said. 

Asked about election-related seizures in Telangana touching Rs 243 crore in just ten days, Mr Rao blamed the Congress and said that money had been seized from one of its former corporators in Bengaluru. When it was pointed out that the seizure was in Karnataka, he said a lot of people have common businesses in Karnataka and Telangana. 

"A few builders have told me that the Karnataka government has started charging an extra election tax - Rs 500 per square foot - and they are telling the builders directly that the money is being used for supporting and funding the Congress party in Telangana elections. That is where the money is being caught, the root," he alleged.

To a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that KCR had bankrolled the Karnataka Congress campaign and the Congress is now returning the favour, Mr Rao said, "The PM is very good at scripting these brilliant narratives and brilliant stories. Unfortunately, none of them see the light of the day. He is the same man who promised bullet trains by 2022, five-trillion dollar economy by 2022 , farmer income doubling by 2022. I am not even going to refer to the Rs 15-lakh jumla."

"So the fact is that no matter what the PM or Rahul Gandhi would like to believe, we are neither the B-team of the Congress nor the BJP, we are the A-team of the people of Telangana and we will continue to remain steadfastly neutral and equidistant from both the Congress and the BJP. This bipolar situation that they want to create, that this country has to lean either on the BJP or Congress, is not something that we subscribe to. We certainly don't endorse their view or ideology," he asserted.

The BRS, earlier known as the Telanagana Rashtra Samithi, has ruled in Telangana since the state was formed in 2014. The Assembly election will be held on November 30 and counting will be held on December 3. 

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