Israel, South Sudan, Kenya.

Today's three stories you should know.

Jul 06, 2023

Israel

An Israeli court today acquitted a police officer who shot an autistic Palestinian man dead in occupied East Jerusalem in 2020. Iyad al-Hallaq was killed while walking to his special needs school by the unnamed officer. Police told the court the officer thought Hallaq was carrying a weapon and opened fire when he ran away. In acquitting the policeman, the court called his actions “an honest mistake.” Hallaq's family said he had trouble communicating and was on the low-functioning end of the autism spectrum. "My son is now in the grave and his killer is relaxing and going out and having a good time," Hallaq’s mother told the AFP news agency after the verdict.

South Sudan

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir says the country will hold elections in 2024, the first since it gained independence in 2011, and that he will run in them. The poll, though, doesn’t look like it will bring much change to the world’s youngest nation as Kiir is expected to face off against his vice president, Riek Machar. South Sudan has been beset by conflict for most of its short existence with Kiir and Machar going to war against each other in 2013 leading to the deaths of almost 400,000 people.

Kenya

Horrible story out of Kenya. Three people have been arrested after female workers at a cheese factory were forced to strip so a manager could check which ones were on their period. The action was taken after a sanitary towel was found to have been thrown in the incorrect bin. The three people arrested are facing indecent assault charges, local police said, adding that it was not the first incident of its kind they were aware of.