West Indies cricketer bats hours after mother's death; gets standing ovation from the crowd
Joseph's mother died just before the start of third day's play
Antigua: West Indies cricket team joined the audience who were giving great ovation on the third day of Antigua test against England, when young bowler Alzarri Joseph came into middle to bat after James Anderson struck two wickets with West Indies leading by 102 runs at 289-8.
He was being given the ovation as the young paceman had lost his mother just hours before coming in to bat here at Antigua.
The West Indies team and Joseph were informed about the demise of Joseph’s mother Sharon Joseph, after prolonged illness just before the start of day’s play, but the youngman did not leave the field and instead set an great example of ‘Incredible courage’. The West Indies team wore black armbands to as a mark of respect, and joined the applause to laud the effort of the youngster in taking to the field to bat.
West Indies team manager Rawl Levis stated “It is with great sadness that we have been informed that Sharon Joseph, the mother of our young fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, has passed away.
"We know that this will be a very sad and difficult time for Alzarri and his family”.
Joseph later also bowled in the inning and managed to pick two wickets by conceding 12 runs in 7 overs including that of England captain Joe Root, he also took a catch.
West Indies won the match by 10 wickets and Captain Jason Holder in the post-match presentation dedicated the win to Alzarri Joseph.
"Alzarri's mum passed away, so we rallied around each other, we wanted to do it for her," West Indies Captain Jason Holder said. "For Alzarri to be involved, credit to him and his family."
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Israeli strike on Gaza shelter kills 17 as Blinken says cease-fire talks will resume
Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Oct 24: An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people on Thursday, nearly all women and children, Palestinian medical officials said.
The strike came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had accomplished its objective of “effectively dismantling” Hamas, and that negotiations over a cease-fire and the release of dozens of Israeli hostages would resume in the coming days.
Another 42 people were wounded in the strike in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Among the dead were 13 children under the age of 18 and three women, according to the hospital's records.
The Israeli military said it targeted Hamas group inside the school, without providing evidence. Israel has carried out several strikes on schools-turned-shelters in recent months, saying it precisely targets Hamas members hiding out among civilians. The strikes often kill women and children.
Blinken, speaking to reporters in Qatar, which has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, said negotiators would reconvene “in the coming days”.
“What we really have to determine is whether Hamas is prepared to engage," he said on his 11th visit to the region since the start of the war.
The United States hopes to renew the negotiations after Israeli forces killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza last week, but neither side has shown any sign of moderating its demands from months of negotiations that sputtered to a halt over the summer.
Blinken also announced an additional USD 135 million in US aid to the Palestinians, while again urging Israel to allow more assistance to enter the territory.
Health workers in besieged northern Gaza meanwhile warned of a catastrophic situation there, where Israel has been waging an air and ground offensive for more than two weeks.
