The UAE authorities block access to Qatar’s Al Jazeera

The UAE authorities block access to Qatar’s Al Jazeera

The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) decided on Wendesday to block access to Qatar’s Al Jazeera Live website and other Qatari newspapers.

All sites belonging to Qatar including Al Jazeera were blocked following increased tensions between the two countries as a result of fake news which was leaks on the internet on Tuesday.

A senior Emirati media official welcomed the decision saying Al Jazeera does not report opposing opinions as its false slogan says, but it is a tool and a means of war just like money and weapons.

The decision came few hours after  the official Qatari News Agency was hacked, a statement was published attributed to Qatar Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, in which he purportedly called on Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to reconsider their “anti-Doha” positions.

Many have criticised the Emirati media outlets over their coverage of the targeting of Qatar's News Agency (QNA) by hackers, who attributed "fake" comments to the Qatari ruler.

They also took to twitter and Facebook to highlight the failure of Emirati media to stick to professional standards and verify the remarks, hours after Qatar's official denials.

 

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