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Jerusalem's usually bustling Old City becomes a ghost town: Reporter's Notebook_我的网站

一 |     JERUSALEM -- It's a far cry from the usual hustle and bustle, so typical of Jerusalem's Old City.The steps of the Damascus Gate have been cleared out. Gone are the fruit and sumac vendors. And inside the Old City: rows and rows of shops have shut down."This is the worst days we've ever seen in our lives. Even when the corona[virus] was here it was better than this," said Adnan Jaffa, who runs the Jaffar Sweets shop. "Because of the war ... the situation. In five minutes we're going to close because there is nothing to do."For those who know the Old City, it's an eerie place to be. Even the Church of the Holy Sepulchre -- where Christ is believed to have been buried and resurrected -- was empty on Sunday but for a handful of worshippers. It felt like we were being given a private tour of one of the world's holiest and most visited sites.Ehab Barakat, who was cycling through the deserted Old City, was one of the few customers out there on the city's streets.Asked about the increasing tensions, he said: "We hope it will be quiet."He added, "This is the time to be united. One."But the latest cycle of violence has come has no surprise, he said."The new government of Israel … you would be stupid if you would not guess what is going to happen. And we are not stupid. We were just waiting for the time.""The people get so tied … like a balloon. With a lot of air inside. And then it will…"His English may have failed him -- but it seemed clear what he meant.Israeli police now stand at the entrance to the Damascus Gate, occasionally searching young men. Orthodox Jews occasionally wander through the Old City to worship at the Western Wall. But there is none of the fervour which people associate with Jerusalem. It's been replaced by a strange quiet.In the words of Abushadi Sinjlawi, another shopkeeper we found closing early for the day, "The city is under lockdown."But away from the eerie quiet and melancholy atmosphere in the Old City, the situation is tense. Jerusalem is said to be the most heavily policed city in the country, and that will likely remain the case as the war in the south rages on.Checkpoints have been set up across East Jerusalem. And videos are spreading online appearing to show the harassment of Palestinians at the hands of the police. Cars are being stopped and searched. There are videos of apparent police beatings. In sporadic, individual incidents where locals have clashed with police, the response appears to have been brute force.Already at least 50 Palestinians have been killed in East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the war broke out -- that's more than the highest ever monthly total since the UN began keeping records in 2005.。    London, Oct 22 (UNI) Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has arrived in the United Kingdom amid speculation that he might attempt to vie for Conservative leadership and second term at Downing Street after the resignation of Liz Truss, British media reported on Saturday.

On Friday, James Duddridge, a member of parliament and Johnson's ally, said that the ex-prime minister told him he was "up for it" and that he would return early from his vacation in the Caribbean given the political vacuum following Truss' resignation.

The plane with Johnson on board landed at London Gatwick airport on Saturday morning, Sky News reported.

Johnson became prime minister in July 2019 and stepped down in September 2022 on the back of multiple scandals over parties at his office during COVID-19 lockdowns. He was succeeded by Liz Truss, who survived only 44 days before resigning on October 20 after a series of controversial economic policy decisions.

Truss became the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history. She will remain in office until her successor is elected. Johnson and former UK finance minister Rishi Sunak are considered two top contenders of the Conservative Party leadership and subsequent prime minister's role. The vote is scheduled for October 27.

UNI/SPUTNIK GNK。

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