Palestinian students in India anxious about well-being of loved ones, praying for war to end
New Delhi (PTI): Visuals of flattened buildings, debris, and scorched ground in Gaza have caused immense psychological trauma to Talib, a Palestinian student in India, who is constantly worried about the well-being of his family members back home and barely able to concentrate on studies.
Running out of money, the 31-year-old also had to cut down on the "quality and quantity" of his meals.
"I haven't been able to read or write a single sentence ever since the war started. I am experiencing mental stress and haven't slept properly in a while," Talib told PTI.
Unable to get in touch with anyone back home, Talib said he doesn't know if his family members are alive. "It's a helpless feeling and a difficult situation to be in," he said.
"I have become conscious about spending money, even on food. Instead of three meals, I eat two meals now and have to compromise on their quality and quantity, " he added.
Eager to return home, Talib said he is praying for the war to end soon.
The latest Israel-Palestine conflict has been triggered by the unprecedented and multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas on October 7. Israel has launched a massive counter-offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 3,300 people have been killed and over 12,000 wounded in Gaza since the conflict began.
Aliah, another Palestinian student, had completed her degree course and was planning to return home when the war erupted.
Ever since losing contact with her family, she has been suffering constant panic attacks.
Aliah said the Palestine Embassy has not provided any aid to the students in India and several of them are struggling to survive on their own.
"The Palestine Embassy in India has not provided us with any kind of support or inquired about our well-being," Aliah, who has been staying with her friends, alleged.
A similar experience was shared by Farook, who said he is left with barely enough money to survive one more week. However, he said some of his peers and teachers have supported him.
The Palestinian students also said the ongoing conflict has hampered their relationships with some students who are "pro-Israel".
"There are several students who support us, but there is a section that supports Israel. Our ties have been severed because of this," Farooq, who is studying at a leading university in Delhi, said.
Several Palestinian students in India have completed their courses and are waiting to return home once the Rafah crossing, the sole route connecting Gaza to Egypt, is opened. Currently, the crossing is open only for aid deliveries to Gaza.
(Names of the students are changed to protect identity).
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
