Author Archives: soshow
First Person: ‘Trafficking is a crime can happen in front of our eyes’
Ilias Chatzis heads up a global team of more than 60 experts at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), committed to countering Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling. He says that more focus needs to be placed on those who profit from the crimes, rather than the victims.
Today, when t
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Greece and Austria are mandating COVID-19 vaccinations and fining people who refuse
Greece, where 62 percent of people are fully vaccinated, has started collecting monthly fines from those who refuse the shots. Austria is also taking similar measures.
Palestinian gunned down in Jerusalem after stabbing Orthodox Jewish man (VIDEO)
A Palestinian man repeatedly stabbed a young Orthodox Jew in Jerusalem before being gunned down by Israeli Border Police. The killing was condemned by Palestinian officials, while Israeli authorities have praised the officers.
The stabbing attack occurred near Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate on Saturday. Footage from the scene, released by Israeli law enforcement, shows the assailant, identified as 25-year-old Mohammed Shawkat Salima, crossing the road, with his would-be-victim, a 20-year-old Haredi man approaching him from behind.
The Palestinian man then abruptly turns around, stabbing the ultra-Orthodox Jewish man multiple times, before running towards two Border Police officers who rushed to intervene. The assailant appeared to try and stab one of the officers, before getting shot multiple times.
WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE
Earlier today, a Palestinian #terrorist stabbed a Jewish man in #Jerusalem solely on the basis of his Jewish identity, attempted to stab security forces and was then neutralized. We will not allow terrorism to run rampant in the streets of Jerusalem. We will protect our citizens. pic.twitter.com/5h7yn2V2Fx
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) December 4, 2021
Another video, captured by a motorist driving by, shows the immediate aftermath of the stabbing and first shots fired. The two officers approach the already wounded Palestinian, lying prone on the ground, with one of the officers taking two shots at him, the last bullet apparently killing the man.
WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE
لحظة إطلاق النار على شاب عند باب العامود في القدس المحتلة !!! pic.twitter.com/EW4r5K04et
— Saleh Zighari (@SalehZighari) December 4, 2021
The actions of the Israeli officers have been condemned by Palestinians, with top officials branding the shooting a cold-blooded murder.
“The killing of the young man after he had been wounded is a documented war crime,” President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement.
Israeli officials, for their part, lauded the Border Police for their intervention in the stabbing, praising the resolve and quick-thinking of the officers involved in the shooting.
The chief of the force Amir Cohen said the two had acted correctly in the situation, while Israeli PM Naftali Bennett said they’d “acted very quickly and decisively, as expected of Israeli police, against a terrorist who tried to murder an Israeli citizen.”
The Haredi man suffered “moderate” injuries during the incident, ending up hospitalized and in “stable” condition. While Israeli authorities have branded the stabbing a “terrorist attack,” the motives behind the actions of the Palestinian assailant remain unknown.
Zero-Leprosy in Pandemic: Experts, Advocates Discuss New Strategies
Hyderabad, Dec 03 (IPS) – As 2021 nears its end, public health systems worldwide remain severely strained by COVID 19, which is showing no sign of ending. But even as countries battle to control the deadly pandemic, they must also maintain the progress made against other diseases, including leprosy, global leprosy experts and advocates have urged.
From the Field: ‘climate-smart’ development in an uncertain world
Today, when the UN plans initiatives to help vulnerable communities become more resilient, the climate crisis has to be part of the equation. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is connecting the dots between people and the impacts that climate change is having on their lives.