Fact-Check: Qatar's alleged gas supply threat amid Israel-Hamas conflict debunked
Over the last few days, social media platforms have been buzzing with claims regarding an alleged threat made by Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, pertaining to global gas supplies.
According to these posts, the Emir reportedly warned of cutting off gas supplies to the world if Israel did not cease its bombing of Gaza, following a terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.
However, thorough investigation and fact-checking efforts have debunked these claims. No credible news reports, official statements from Qatari government sources, or mentions in Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Qatar on October 13 have substantiated these allegations. In a news conference held during Blinken's visit, there was no mention of gas supplies, further discrediting the rumors.
#BREAKING: The State of Qatar threatened to stop gas supplies to the world if the bombing of Gaza did not stop
— Royal Intel 👑 (@RoyalIntel_) October 11, 2023
The source of the misinformation was traced back to a now-suspended Twitter account named "@qattar_affairs," previously known as "@Qatar_Affairs." Marc Owen Jones, a respected Middle East studies professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, identified these accounts as fake news sources, emphasizing their lack of credibility.
Additionally, Qatar, being the third-largest exporter of natural gas, plays a important role in the global energy market. Despite this, no genuine threats or statements regarding gas supply disruptions have been made by the Qatari government or its officials.
Conclusion: The claim that Qatar's Emir threatened to withhold gas supplies to the world due to the Israel-Hamas conflict is unequivocally false.
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Indigo crisis: Shivakumar urges Centre to act immediately, bring situation under control
Bengaluru (PTI): With large scale flight cancellations by Indigo airlines leaving passengers stranded, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged the Centre to act immediately and bring the situation under control.
He called the IndiGo fiasco a the direct result of the govt's monopoly model.
Taking to social media platform 'X', Shivakumar said India is witnessing the worst aviation meltdown in its history. "Thousands of flights cancelled - leaving our people stranded everywhere".
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"The IndiGo fiasco is the direct result of the govt's monopoly model. And as always, it is ordinary Indians who are paying the price," he said.
Shivakumar said that the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, which is India's 3rd busiest airport with nearly 40 million travellers a year, is in complete chaos.
"This is hurting families, businesses and our national reputation. I urge the Union Government to act immediately and bring this situation under control. Our people deserve better," he added.
Domestic carrier IndiGo cancelled over 800 flights on Saturday, the fifth day of the ongoing crisis, even as the government imposed a cap on airfares and directed the airline to process all refunds by Sunday evening.
