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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, U.S., September 21, 2023.

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

The Perils, Principles, and Polls of War

It was not their finest hour. But it was one of their latest.

After first insinuating that the tragic Oct. 17 bombing of the hospital parking lot in Gaza was an attack by Israel – a view promoted by Hamas – the Canadian government quickly backtracked. US intelligence had concluded that the rockets actually came from Gaza, so Canada announced it was conducting its own investigation.

Finally, on Oct. 21, four days after misinformation about the event had sparked global riots, Canada announced a new conclusion. “Analysis conducted independently by the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command indicates with a high degree of confidence that Israel did not strike the hospital ... the strike was caused by an errant rocket fired from Gaza.”

But timing, as they say, is everything. The announcement came from the defense minister at 9:51 p.m. On a Saturday night.

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Fmr. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the day of his court appearance in New York after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. Photo taken in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., April 4, 2023.

REUTERS/Marco Bello

Hard Numbers: Trump leads early, NPR & PBS quit Twitter, stopgap for Darien, global warming juices baseballs

49.3: FiveThirtyEight launched its national polling averages for the 2024 Republican presidential race this week, and Donald Trump leads the pack with 49.3% support. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trails well behind with 26.2%, while fmr. VP Mike Pence and fmr. UN ambassador Nikki Haley are at 5.8% and 4.3%, respectively. Research finds that national polls done a year ahead of the election can reasonably predict the nominee.

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Support for Moon hits record low amid prosecutor clash

December 04, 2020 5:00 AM

SEOUL • South Korean President Moon Jae-in's support rate hit a record low as turmoil over the fate of the country's top prosecutor rocked his government, in a worrisome sign as he enters the latter stages of his administration.

Support for New Zealand's Ardern drops in latest poll but coalition still seen winning

September 28, 2020 2:14 PM

WELLINGTON (REUTERS) - New Zealand's ruling Labour Party will need help from coalition partners to form a government after an Oct17 general election, the latest opinion polls showed on Monday (Sept 28), after it was previously on course to govern alone.

Australian PM Morrison's approval rating rises, poll shows

September 21, 2020 8:10 AM

SYDNEY (REUTERS) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating has risen slightly, a poll showed on Monday (Sept 21), as measures by the conservative government to tackle the coronavirus pandemic helped to maintain his popularity.

Trust in China falls sharply among Australians, Lowy poll finds

June 24, 2020 9:59 AM

SYDNEY (REUTERS) - Trust in China among Australians has more than halved amid diplomatic and trade disputes, with only 23 per cent saying they trusted Beijing to act responsibly in the world compared to a 52 per cent reading two years ago, a major poll has found.

Do opinion polls work? Jury's still out

May 31, 2019 5:00 AM

In Australia, the governing right-of-centre Liberal Party won re-election - a result so contrary to scores of previous polls, the country's Prime Minister Scott Morrison was moved to declare he had "always believed in miracles".

Australia's opposition Labor lead over government slips ahead of election: Poll

April 29, 2019 10:42 AM

MELBOURNE (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - The opposition Labor Party's lead over Australia's conservative coalition government narrowed further, while a minor right-wing party gained support, a closely watched opinion poll showed on Monday (April 29) ahead of a general election on May 18.

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