China on Thursday accused “some Western media” of bias, smears and political manipulation in their coverage of China’s abrupt ending of its strict “zero-COVID” policy, as it issued a vigorous defense of actions taken to prepare for the change of strategy. The move in December to end mass testing and quarantines led to a sharp rise in cases, with some hospitals and crematoriums overwhelmed with victims.An editorial in the ruling Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily outlined what it called China’s “optimization and control measures” and blasted reports by media outlets they didn’t identify as “completely biased hype, smear and political manipulation with ulterior motives.”Since the initial wave of new cases, life in much of China has largely returned to normal, although officials have expressed concern about a further spread of the virus into the countryside during the Lunar New Year travel rush now underway.Despite that, the editorial said many localities have “passed the peak of the epidemic, and production and life are speeding up to return to normal.”“Zero-COVID," as the strategy came to be known, sought to track and isolate every case of infection, along with those who had contact with them and even third-hand contacts. It confined millions of people in cities such as Shanghai to their homes for two months or longer, with many suffering from food shortages and lack of access to health care.China strongly defended the policy but began dismantling it under economic pressure and after highly rare street protests broke out in Beijing and other major cities denouncing the ruling party and its leader, Xi Jinping. On Jan. 8, it took the further step of eliminating the requirement that those arriving from abroad undergo lengthy and expensive quarantines.China rejected both foreign and domestic criticism of the policy's excesses, denouncing earlier calls from the World Health Organization for it to adjust to changes in the nature of the virus, calling them “irresponsible."That made the abrupt mid-winter shift to a policy of merely seeking to prevent the most serious cases all the more jarring for the population, many of whom have defied censors to express anger online. Virtually overnight, testing stations where people had stood in long lines disappeared, while field hospitals used to quarantine millions simply packed up.China also ceased publishing figures on new cases and deaths, which it had long been suspected of underreporting, leading to further complaints from the WHO and foreign nations about a lack of transparency. Unconfirmed estimates now put numbers of new cases at tens of thousands a day, with up to 85% of the population in some provinces having become infected.China has also rejected calls to release more data and provide more information about the origin of the virus, first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, accusing those making the requests of “politicizing" the issue.The government has also lashed out at countries that require travelers coming from China to show a negative virus test, calling the demand “discriminatory" even though it requires the same of anyone entering China.That defensive attitude was reflected in the People's Daily editorial, which said: “Thanks to meticulous medical preparations, sufficient production capacity reserves, and strong organizational planning and equipment, China has smoothly passed the adaptation period after the ‘transition' and ‘shift' of the epidemic prevention policy."“In the face of China’s prevention and control achievements, any political manipulation is pale and powerless," it added, citing endorsements from academics in Nigeria, Kenya and Russia, all close Chinese diplomatic partners.“All parties should focus on fighting the epidemic itself, avoid any words or deeds that politicize the epidemic, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and work together to defeat the epidemic," the editorial said.

The move in December to end mass testing and quarantines led to a sharp rise in cases, with some hospitals and crematoriums overwhelmed with victims

Women walk with their toddlers as residents visit a public park in Beijing

China accuses 'some Western media' of COVID-19 coverage bias

U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach for future vaccination efforts, allowing most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus.This means Americans would no longer have to keep track of how many shots they’ve received or how many months it’s been since their last booster.The proposal comes as boosters have become a hard sell. While more than 80% of the U.S. population has had at least one vaccine dose, only 16% of those eligible have received the latest boosters authorized in August.The FDA will ask its panel of outside vaccine experts to weigh in at a meeting Thursday. The agency is expected to take their advice into consideration while deciding future vaccine requirements for manufacturers.In documents posted online, FDA scientists say many Americans now have “sufficient preexisting immunity” against the coronavirus because of vaccination, infection or a combination of the two. That baseline of protection should be enough to move to an annual booster against the latest strains in circulation and make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the yearly flu shot, according to the agency.For adults with weakened immune systems and very small children, a two-dose combination may be needed for protection. FDA scientists and vaccine companies would study vaccination, infection rates and other data to decide who should receive a single shot versus a two-dose series.FDA will also ask its panel to vote on whether all vaccines should target the same strains. That step would be needed to make the shots interchangeable, doing away with the current complicated system of primary vaccinations and boosters.The initial shots from Pfizer and Moderna — called the primary series — target the strain of the virus that first emerged in 2020 and quickly swept across the world. The updated boosters launched last fall were also tweaked to target omicron relatives that had been dominant.Under FDA's proposal, the agency, independent experts and manufacturers would decide annually on which strains to target by the early summer, allowing several months to produce and launch updated shots before the fall. That’s roughly the same approach long used to select the strains for the annual flu shot.Ultimately, FDA officials say moving to an annual schedule would make it easier to promote future vaccination campaigns, which could ultimately boost vaccination rates nationwide.The original two-dose COVID shots have offered strong protection against severe disease and death no matter the variant, but protection against mild infection wanes. Experts continue to debate whether the latest round of boosters significantly enhanced protection, particularly for younger, healthy Americans.

The proposal comes as boosters have become a hard sell

US proposes once-a-year COVID shots for most Americans

A direct flight from China landed in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for the first time in nearly three years on Sunday after the route was suspended due to the pandemic. At least 210 people were on board the chartered plane operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air from Shenzhen in China's southern Guangdong province.Some Chinese tourists who arrived at the airport in Bali said they were glad to have the chance to travel internationally again after China ended its strict COVID-19 restrictions.“I feel very happy and relaxed. It was a long time we did not go abroad,” said An Pei, a Chinese tourist who was on the flight.The flight followed the Chinese government’s decision to lift travel restrictions announced on January 8 and it coincided with the start of the Lunar New Year, which was being marked Sunday.The Shenzhen-to-Bali route will operate once a week during its initial phase, according to a statement from Danang Mandala Prihantoro, a spokesperson for Lion Air.Indonesia is targeting 255,000 tourists from China in 2023. Indonesia recorded 94,924 visits from China from January to October 2022. More than 2 million tourists from China visited Indonesia each year before the pandemic.The return of Chinese tourists is expected to support the overall target of foreign tourist arrivals this year. Indonesia aims to record 3.5 million to 7.4 million foreign visits, said Sandiaga Uno, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, in a statement Friday. China is one of the largest markets for inbound tourism in Indonesia.“Based on online travel agent data in China, there has been an increase in search volume for overseas tourist destinations by 430%. Indonesia is in the top 5 searches and Bali’s search volume has increased by 250%,” Uno said.Indonesia's government is exploring ways to attract more Chinese tourists, including the possibility of direct flights from three main cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

I feel very happy and relaxed. It was a long time we did not go abroad, said An Pei

Chinese tourists arrive at Ngurah Rai international airport in Bali, Indonesia on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. A direct flight from China landed in Indonesia's resort island of Bali for the first time on Sunday in nearly three years after the route was cancelled due to the pandemic

Bali welcomes back 1st flight from China as COVID rules ease

Amazon is adding a prescription drug discount program to its growing health care business. The retail giant said Tuesday that it will launch RxPass, a subscription service for customers who have Prime memberships. Amazon said people will pay $5 a month to fill as many prescriptions as they need from a list of about 50 generic medications, which are generally cheaper versions of brand-name drugs.The company said the flat fee could cover a list of medications like the antibiotic amoxicillin and the anti-inflammatory drug naproxen.Sildenafil also made the list. It’s used to treat erectile dysfunction under the brand name Viagra and also treats a form of high blood pressure.Amazon sells a range of generic drugs through its pharmacy service. Some already cost as liitle as $1 for a 30-day supply, so the benefit of this new program will vary by customer.The program doesn’t use insurance, and people with government-funded Medicaid or Medicare coverage are not eligible. It will be available in 42 states and Washington, D.C. at launch.Any program that gets low-cost generic drugs to more patients “is a good thing,” said Karen Van Nuys, an economist who studies drug pricing at the University of Southern California. But she added that she wasn’t sure how much of an impact RxPass will have.She noted that the program is limited to Amazon Prime customers. Other options like the Mark Cuban CostPlus Drug Co. sell more generic drugs, many for under $5.“I just don’t know that it’s expanding access to a new set of patients,” Van Nuys said.Still, the move could help the company take up some more space in the health care market, even though it has not always been successful in its aim. Last year, the company shuttered its hybrid virtual, in-home care service called Amazon Care after it failed to get traction from employers. And Haven, a company Amazon created in collaboration with JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway to improve health costs, dissolved a year earlier than that.Amazon has said its online drug store Amazon Pharmacy is a key part of its health care plan, along with primary care organization One Medical, which the online giant is seeking to acquire for $3.9 billion. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating the proposed buyout.In November, the company also said it would begin offering “Amazon Clinic," a messaging service that connects patients with doctors for about two dozen common conditions, such as allergies and hair loss.

Some already cost as liitle as $1 for a 30-day supply, so the benefit of this new program will vary by customer

Amazon is adding a prescription drug discount program to its growing health care business

Amazon launches a subscription prescription drug service

This week should be crucial in the formation of the new government, at least when it comes to the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić announced that an emergency session of the House of Representatives will be held during the week, at which a new convocation of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be appointed. <h2>Everything is agreed</h2>Let's recall that six pro-Bosnian parties with SNSD and HDZ agreed on the names of ministers for the new convocation of the Council of Ministers. Given that they have an absolute majority in the House of Representatives, the confirmation of the new government at the BiH level should be just a formality. For the new composition of the State Government, the CEC and SIPA submitted opinions on all the candidates for ministers to the incumbent Borjana Krišto.In this way, the path was opened for the creation of state power without the SDA. The price of losing power for this party is huge. The state budget amounts to more than one billion KM. However, the fact that some of the most important ministries and agencies are located at this level is much more important.Thus, the SDA will be left without the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as an important instrument through which it created foreign policy and staffed the country's diplomatic service in accordance with its interests.The biggest blow will undoubtedly be the loss of control over the security agencies, above all the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA), which in previous years, under the leadership of Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, was one of the most important levers of the rule of the SDA and the Izetbegović couple.<h2>Control over ISA</h2>Considering that numerous pressures were exerted on political opponents and other institutions through the resources of this institution, the depoliticization of the ISA could be an introduction to the much freer work of other institutions as well, primarily in the domain of security and justice, which can pave the way for revealing of some of the biggest affairs in this country that have been pushed under the carpet and left in drawers for years.The formation of a new convocation of the Council of Ministers should precede the formation of a new majority at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will consist of the eight parties and the HDZ. Nevertheless, the SDA still hopes that it could block the election of the new FBiH Government, thanks to the position of the FBiH Vice President, who formally has the option of not giving consent to the appointment of a new Government. A minimum of 11 hands is required to nominate a candidate for the FBiH Presidency.<h2>Admitting defeat</h2>SDA leader Bakir Izetbegović is also aware that the state level has been lost and that there will definitely be no power there, and he has publicly admitted defeat.- As for the state level, I am not sure that we will be the government, and as for the federal level, it will not be possible to form it without us - said Izetbegović in his last public appearance.

The biggest blow to the SDA will undoubtedly be the loss of control over the security agencies, above all the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA)

BiH gets new government without SDA

President Joe Biden is expected to name Jeff Zients, who ran the administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of Biden's term, as his next chief of staff, according to two people familiar with the matter. Biden's current top aide, Ron Klain, is preparing to leave the job in the coming weeks.Since serving as COVID-19 response coordinator, Zients has returned to the White House in a low-profile position to work on staffing matters for the remainder of Biden's first term.The two people familiar with the matter were not authorized to publicly discuss Biden's plans before an official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.The Washington Post first reported on Zients' expected appointment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.The change at the highest levels of senior staff comes as Biden passes his two-year mark in office and pivots to a defensive stance against a House Republican majority hungry to investigate his administration's actions and his family. The White House remains mired in controversy over discoveries of classified documents at Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at his former institute in Washington, with the latest tranche of found records disclosed Saturday evening.Biden, 80, is also preparing to launch his reelection campaign in the coming weeks, bolstered by a string of legislative accomplishments in the first two years of his presidency when Democrats controlled both chambers of Capitol Hill. He is confronting a Republican presidential field that is far from formed but for now is led by former President Donald Trump, whom Biden defeated in 2020.The president's main sphere of advisers, in addition to Zients, on politics and legislation will continue to include presidential counselor Steve Ricchetti, senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn, legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell, and Jen O'Malley Dillon and Bruce Reed, who are deputy chiefs of staff.Klain will remain in Biden's political orbit, according to a person familiar with his plans — not unlike the role played by Cedric Richmond, who was the president's first director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and now is a senior adviser at the Democratic National Committee.The outgoing chief of staff was also known to be friendly with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. But some liberal critics of Zients swiftly went on the attack against the appointment even before it was official, highlighting in particular his private-sector ties.Jeff Hauser, the founder and director of the Revolving Door Project, a progressive group that advocates for liberal appointees in government, said Sunday that the selection of Zients as the top White House aide did not jibe with Biden’s “Scranton Joe” political image.“Unfortunately, Zients is a veteran of private equity, rapacious health care providers, and Big Tech, which sets up a fundamental question that could determine Biden’s political future: Will a Zients-led executive branch pursue the unpopular misconduct of people like Jeffrey Zients?” Hauser said. “It would be against Zients’ character to pursue corporate lawbreaking, but it is also the only way Biden can retain the mantle of populist against the likes of (Florida Gov. Ron) DeSantis and Trump.”“Ron Klain has been an open ear and even-handed engager of actors across the Democratic Party," said Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. "Whomever the next Chief of Staff is, that will be the continued hope and expectation. There will likely be an early relationship and trust building stage.”Zients, vice chairman of Biden’s transition operation after his November 2020 election, brings significant managerial expertise in government and the private sector. He was the director of the National Economic Council during the Obama administration and acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.The longtime management consultant developed a Mr. Fix It reputation, tapped to lead the Obama administration's effort to repair HealthCare.gov after the bungled initial rollout of the site in fall 2013. Zients served as top executive at the Advisory Board Co., a Washington consulting firm.Former President Barack Obama also enlisted Zients in 2009 to eliminate the backlog in applicants for the Cash for Clunkers program, which offered rebates to drivers who swapped old cars for fuel-efficient vehicles. Zients later took on a similar challenge to smooth sign-ups for an updated version of the GI Bill.Another coming perk for White House aides: Zients, who was an initial investor in Call Your Mother, a bagel shop in Washington, had a penchant for hosting “Bagel Wednesdays” for staff. (Zients divested his shares before joining the White House in 2021).Zients and his deputy on the White House’s pandemic response team, Natalie Quillian, left the Biden administration last April before returning quietly in the fall of 2022. As they left, Biden thanked him for “stunning” and “consequential” progress battling the pandemic.“When Jeff took this job, less than 1% of Americans were fully vaccinated; fewer than half our schools were open; and unlike much of the developed world, America lacked any at-home COVID tests,” Biden said when the White House announced Zients' departure last year. “Today, almost 80% of adults are fully vaccinated; over 100 million are boosted; virtually every school is open; and hundreds of millions of at-home tests are distributed every month.”

Zients, vice chairman of Biden’s transition operation after his November 2020 election, brings significant managerial expertise in government

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients speaks during a press briefing at the White House, April 13, 2021, in Washington.

AP sources: Biden to pick Zients as his next chief of staff

Candidate for the position of BiH defense minister Zukan Helez said in an interview for "Avaz", commenting on the increasingly open announcements of the SDA that they will prevent changes with the rebellion of people, that he does not consider it realistic.<h2>Young people are leaving</h2>He reminds that the parties of the Eight or the pro-European bloc have the majority and calls on SDA deputies to vote for good proposals, which there will certainly be.- You know how it was for us in the past four, eight, well, if you want, even 30 years, when the coalitions were led by those who are now announcing protests because they are going to be opposition. I don't know who these people are who would go out into the street, because our young people, as well as the middle-aged, are leaving the country en masse. Why would they defend such a way of working, it is suicide. Those who announce protests can help those of us who have the majority to form a government quite legally and legitimately. You cannot be a patriot only if you are a minister or director. If you're not in power, you can't block anyone to work - Helez points out.<h2>Attack on the USA</h2>He considers the increasingly fierce attacks on proven friends - the USA, as a key ally, but also Great Britain and the EU - shameful, while he considers announcements of protests dangerous.- If we see that the goal is to endanger the state because of individuals who sit in associations for years, live well for 20 or 30 years, and everyone else has nothing from it, that will be a challenge that we need to solve. I promise that we will certainly not sit idly by, as was done in 2014, when the Presidency and other institutions were set on fire. We cannot allow that, because it is not patriots who do it, but traitors - concludes Helez.<h2>What does Bakir want</h2>SDA President Bakir Izetbegović repeats in every interview that SDA is a "basic patriotic party", trying to mobilize patriots to defend the outgoing government, which, hand to heart, did not make the country better and more advanced, the country they defended with their blood.- This quasi-patriotism is pointed out by someone who does not have good intentions. In 1992, no one asked us who was which party. We stood up, organized ourselves because we got a little from the state - says Helez.

You cannot be a patriot only if you are a minister or director, you cannot, if you are not in power, not let anyone work

Zukan Helez on the announcement of the SDA rebellion: These are not patriots, they care about positions

A gunman killed 10 people and wounded 10 others at a Los Angeles-area ballroom dance club following a Lunar New Year celebration, setting off a manhunt for the suspect in the fifth mass killing in the U.S. this month. Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said Sunday that the wounded were taken to hospitals and their conditions range from stable to critical. He said the 10 people died at the scene in the city of Monterey Park.Meyer said people were “pouring out of the location screaming” when officers arrived at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. He said officers then went into the ballroom and found victims as firefighters treated the wounded.Meyer gave no description of the male suspect or the weapon he used, or why police gave no information on the shooting for hours while the shooter remained on the run. He also said police were investigating another incident in the nearby city of Alhambra to see whether it was connected.Meyer said it’s too early in the investigation to know if the gunman knew anyone at the ballroom or if whether it was a hate crime.The Lunar New Year celebration had attracted thousands.Monterey Park is a city of about 60,000 people that sits at the eastern edge of Los Angeles. The majority of its residents are Asian immigrants or their descendants, most of them Chinese. The dance studio in downtown Monterey Park is just a few blocks from city hall on its main thoroughfare of Garvey Avenue, which is dotted with strip malls that are full of small businesses whose signs are in both English and Chinese. Cantonese and Mandarin are both widely spoken, Chinese holidays are celebrated, and Chinese films are screened in the city.The tragedy marked not just the fifth mass killing in the U.S. since the start of the year but also is the deadliest since May 24, 2022 - when 21 people were killed in a school in Uvalde, Texas, according to The Associated Press/USA Today database on mass killings in the U.S. The latest violence comes two months after five people were killed at a Colorado Springs nightclub.Seung Won Choi, who owns the Clam House seafood barbecue restaurant across the street from where the shooting happened, told The Los Angeles Times that three people rushed into his business and told him to lock the door.The people said to Choi that there was a shooter with a gun who had multiple rounds of ammunition on him.Wong Wei, who lives nearby, told The Los Angeles Times that his friend was in a bathroom at the dance club that night when the shooting started. When she came out, he said, she saw a gunman and three bodies.The friend then fled to Wei's home at around 11 p.m., he said, adding that his friends told him that the shooter appeared to fire indiscriminately with a long gun.The celebration in Monterey Park is one of the largest Lunar New Year events in Southern California. Two days of festivities were planned but officials canceled Sunday’s events following the shooting.

Meyer said it’s too early in the investigation to know if the gunman knew anyone at the ballroom or if whether it was a hate crime

LA mass shooting suspect kills 10 near Lunar New Year fest

"My machine gun and the belt on it, NiP's mother will cry..." This message was sent from one of the leading bot pages, whose mission is to discredit and draw targets on the foreheads of all opponents and critics of the SDA and the dynasty from Poljine neighbourhood.<h2>Invitation to commit a crime</h2>Photos comparing the leaders of the eight parties to convicted war criminal Fikret Abdić will appear on the pages of bots. On one of the montages, next to the figure of Fikret Abdić, there is a picture of Elmedin Konaković, with the message: "The first ran away, the second won't."A few days ago, Sarajevo was also plastered with posters comparing Nermin Nikšić, Edin Forto and Elmedin Konaković to Abdić. In addition to comparisons with war criminals and traitors, on these pages, there are daily threats to dissenters, open calls for violence, physical attacks on opposition politicians, protests, street blocking and the expulsion of high representatives and foreign ambassadors who are allegedly leading a conspiracy to overthrow the SDA.

"Bosniak scream will be heard to the sky", the semi-official SDA media outlet published as a threat, all while calling the leaders of the opposition "political terrorists", insulting representatives of Western countries on a daily basis and scaring Bosniaks that 1992. will repeat or even the fate of Muslims in Grenada is about to happen. In other words, psychologically, the ground is being prepared for chaos and violence.The leaders of this party themselves have shown that it is not just a matter of the mere screeching of radical and unintelligent psychopaths behind keyboards and unaccountable propagandists who hide their media abominations behind pseudonyms. The tactic is transparent and has already been seen countless times - first, anonymous bot sites start spreading a certain narrative, then the regime media takes it over, and at the end the same sentences are repeated by the managers.

It was the same this time. After several months of preparation by the media and bots, Bakir Izetbegović appeared in the media and threatened with the "reaction of the people" in the event that the SDA is ousted from power. His radical from Tuzla, Salko Zildžić, reiterated that protests and street blockades are not ruled out, while Edin Ramić announced a "rebellion of the people".<h2>Political death</h2>So things are quite clear - the SDA openly threatens with chaos and violence in the event of its removal from power. It is not unknown that this party is associated with many dangerous groups, from religious radicals to criminals, from whom they often used their services. The deep state and the para-intelligence structures that today openly stand behind Bakir Izetbegović are connected to some of the never-solved murders in Bosnia and Herzegovina.<h2>Check everything</h2>The SDP Youth Forum called on the judicial institutions to take investigative actions regarding what they consider to be the announcement of SDA officials about "incitement to rebellion", which they interpret as endangering the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina.- The announcement that the democratic will will be trampled by violence is a classic coup d'état - according to the SDP.

As they become more and more desperate, we should not rule out the possibility that at some point they will try to put their now open threats into act

Who is planning a coup?

Residents of eastern Bosnia's city of Gorazde do not need imaginations to understand the suffering of Ukraine's people. Three decades ago, they endured more than three years of extreme hardship as Bosnian Serbs pummeled their city with rockets and artillery from the surrounding hills. <h2>Alternative source of electricity</h2>The long siege during Bosnia’s 1992-95 interethnic war cut off Gorazde from access to electricity, food, medicine and the outside world. The people there found creative ways to keep lights on and heating working, survival hacks they now are sharing with civilians plunged into darkness and cold by Russia's relentless missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's power grid.Edin Culov, the Gorazde region's governor, said friends and acquaintances who work for the European Union’s mission to Bosnia, in Sarajevo, contacted him late last year seeking information for a humanitarian effort to provide Ukrainians with an alternative source of electricity.They specifically wanted any “drawings, photographs, video recordings or anything else” about the “miniature power plants” used in Gorazde back in the 1990s. The plants consisted of home-built paddlewheels mounted on wooden platforms with electrical generators. Locals set them up around a bridge in the Drina River, where barrels and ropes kept them afloat.Each “plant” had a main supply cable running from its generator to the bridge, from where smaller cables carried the power to buildings. Depending on the volume of water under the span, the contraptions produced enough electricity for Gorazde's straining hospital and for residents living close enough to the river to keep one light bulb on, listen to the radio and occasionally watch television.A small group of mechanical engineers and electricians who honed their skills in the city's prewar manufacturing industry, which produced everything from weapons to textiles, built the first prototype. Their clever, but simple design allowed DIYers to create the mini plants from engines, alternators, condensers and scrap material scavenged from Gorazde's bombed out factories, vehicles and homes.Paddlewheels quickly bloomed on the river. Siege survivors credit the contraptions with helping the city hold out and become the only enclave in eastern Bosnia never to be captured by Serb forces. After the war ended, the equipment was removed and dismantled.In response to the EU request all these years later, Culov said the city collected everything it could find and he went on the radio in Bosnia to solicit surviving documents and memories. The information was delivered to the EU mission in Bosnia, which has shared it with Ukraine, he said.“I guess they will use the material we provided to develop a few test models and then, if it proves feasible, start mass producing (the miniature) power plants” for distribution around the country, Culov explained.Among those who responded to Culov’s appeal for information were two surviving members of the original development team.Aziz Lepenica, who had taught engineering at the city’s technical high school until suffering a stroke a couple of years ago, offered to return to show students how to prepare proper design drawings and technical calculations for Ukraine.During Bosnia's war, “We made no drawings. We had no time for that,” Lepenica said. “We made all calculations and construction plans in our heads.”During his teaching years, Lepenica helped his students construct a replica of the homegrown power plants. It was placed on the riverbank, next to Gorazde’s central bridge, in 2016 to serve as a monument to the days when, as Lepenica put it, “life was unbearable, but our morale was high.”<h2>Some 7,000 civilians were killed</h2>“It would mean a lot to us if it turns out we can help the people (of Ukraine) who are being deprived of electricity as we were,” Lepenica said.Murat Heto, another one of the inventors, also helped prepare documentation for Ukraine.“With everything we have been through, one would need to be made of wood not to empathize with (Ukrainians),” the retired electrician said, recalling how the lights powered by the miniature power plants developed by his team “made the world of difference” in wartime Gorazde.Some 7,000 civilians were killed or severely wounded in the city. Residents often went out only at night to avoid unrelenting sniper and artillery attacks. An influx of refugees from surrounding areas nearly doubled the population to 70,000.While the refusal of Serb forces to allow U.N. aid convoys into Gorazde kept food and medicine in short supply, the power plants were a “symbol of our resolve to resist, to not give in,” Heto said.“I wish to God it had not happened to us nor to Ukraine, but when people are pushed into a corner and faced with a threat of extermination, everything becomes possible,” he said.

The long siege during Bosnia’s 1992-95 interethnic war cut off Gorazde from access to electricity, food, medicine and the outside world

Bosnian war survivors share endurance hacks with Ukraine

The newly appointed Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, held a meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The two officials discussed the European path and EU candidate status of Bosnia and Herzegovina, political opportunities after the General Elections held in October 2022, upcoming reforms on the European path, as well as the economic situation in the country.Metsola and Krišto also discussed the representation of women in political life and leadership positions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Krišto emphasized her satisfaction with the progress achieved in the form of achieving candidate status for BiH.At the same time, she expressed gratitude to all European partners, member states and EU institutions for their commitment to achieving such progress, expressing her expectation for the intensification of cooperation in all areas on the upcoming path of reform.They also discussed the current economic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina with reference to the insecurities caused by global disturbances and challenges.Also, the officials spoke about the priorities and ways of enabling a more promising future for all citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Krišto emphasized her satisfaction with the progress achieved in the form of achieving candidate status for BiH

Krišto speaks with Metsola about BiH's EU path, political opportunities and upcoming reforms

The man who raped and abused the girl in an apartment in Sarajevo is Damir Pejović.
The "Avaz" portal was the first to publish information about the case that shocked the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, this is not the first time that Pejović committed such crimes. Namely, in 2017, Damir Pejović was sentenced in Sarajevo Court to two years and one month in prison, because he abused and kept a German citizen, T. D., in a servile relationship for a long time. At the beginning of the relationship, he took pictures of her without clothes on his cell phone during sexual intercourse, and later made several videos of their sex, with the excuse that it is a guarantee for him if T. D. makes some stupid mistakes. He threatened to send the recordings to her business partners, friends and family.
Pejović is already known to the police.

According to "Avaz" information, a man with the initials D.P. kept the girl in the apartment for almost a month, in the Vrtovi Riverine neighborhood in Ilidža.

After the case with German citizen was discovered, Pejović's previous criminal charges were also investigated.
"Avaz" found out that he also tortured his now ex-wife (identity known to the editorial staff).
We know that Pejović has a daughter.

At the beginning of the relationship, he took pictures of her with her cell phone without clothes during sexual intercourse, and later made several videos of their sex, with the excuse that it was his guarantee if T. D. did some stupid things

This is a man who raped and abused a girl in Sarajevo

Before Judge Tatjana Kosović, a hearing was held today in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina where the Prosecution's proposal to order Anel Sejfović and Ajlin Ahmić, members of Elvis Keljmendi's drug gang, to house arrest, i.e. a ban on leaving their residential address, as well as a ban on travel and contact with witnesses and suspects in this case, was considered. 
Namely, state prosecutor Džermin Pašić clarified that Sejfović and Ahmić must be released from custody under the force of the law (six months have passed since their arrest, and the indictment has not been filed, op. cit.).
Pašić recalled the complexity of the investigation in this and other cases related to the Sky application and encrypted phones.

<h2>The organizer is not under house arrest</h2>

Announced the expansion of the investigation in this case and that the updated BIN codes of the Sky application for this group were delivered to them through international assistance. In the following period, in addition to a detailed analysis, they must interrogate witnesses and other members of the group.

Lawyers Rusmir Karkin, who represents Anel Sejfović, and Senka Nožića, who defends Ajlin Ahmić, were against ordering house arrest.
They agreed to impose travel bans and confiscate their passports. Karkin said that in today's age of digital technology and social networks, it is difficult to control contacts with witnesses and other suspects. Sejfović, as he said, has so far shown no intention of escaping.
Karkin wondered how long this investigation would last because it involves difficult and complicated expert examinations, and a new amount of data is arriving. He claimed that house arrest would actually turn into a punishment.
When it comes to the possibility of repeating the criminal act, Karkin emphasized that the suspects are aware that this case is attracting attention from the media and that a huge number of people in the investigation are working against them.
Lawyer Nožica pointed out that house arrest is more difficult for the suspects than custody in Vojkovići, because they are completely isolated and it is hard for them to bear it mentally. Nožica pointed out that house arrest is requested for them, while the organizer of the group is not even under house arrest.

Nožica emphasized that Ahmić has two children and that he has family and business ties to Sarajevo and that he never showed any intention to flee, nor did he try to influence the witnesses.
Nožica pointed out that everyone is waiting for the decisions of the court in France about what will happen with the Sky cases, but that the suspects must not suffer the consequences of that waiting.
Prosecutor Džermin Pašić reacted to Senka Nožica's statement that the prosecutors are also waiting for a decision on whether the Sky evidence is legal, saying that the Prosecution is not waiting for a decision from France, but that they have all the decisions pointing to the legality of the Sky evidence.
- The evidence was legally collected by order of the courts in France and we have it in our possession through international legal assistance - said Pašić, who emphasized that this is not the only evidence, but that the statements of witnesses and suspects in this proceeding are being collected.
Pašić pointed out that in order to protect the investigation, the Prosecutor's Office is in a situation to request house arrest for the suspects.
Nožica added that it is known that there are judgments in France, but that there is no decision for all Sky cases, except for some.
Today, Judge Kosović will make a decision on which banning measures will be imposed on the two suspects who are being released from prison in Vojkovići.

The prosecutor announced that they have new evidence

Lawyer Rusmir Karkin represents Anel Sejfović

The Prosecutor's Office expands the investigation against Keljmendi's gang: The defense opposes house arrest for Sejfović and Ahmić

The worn-out policeman Almir Džuvo has been lobbying foreigners for months to be the new/old director of the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA) and to replace his former head of operations and monitoring in this agency, Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, the private militiaman of the Izetbegović couple!
Džuvo heavily lobbies US Ambassador Michael Murphy and Great Britain Ambassador Julian Reilly to support him for this position, although he hides that the ISA Act strictly prohibits him from being appointed the head of this service for the third time.

In fact, Džuvo, through local staff close to the ambassadors, is playing the card of obvious fraud and deception.
Namely, the Law on ISA, more specifically Article 26, clearly stipulates that the director's mandate lasts four years and can be renewed only once, which effectively eliminates him from the race for this leading position.
The worn-out Džuvo, who was the head of the ISA for almost 12 years and whose work was accompanied by serious affairs, is trying in every way to get hold of this very powerful position and to be the new John Edgar Hoover (John Hoover; was the head of the FBI almost half a century).
This is a man who is close to Zlatko Lagumdžija, the former leader of the SDP, who is now being tried by certain structures, like a torn rag, to hold up to Nermin Nikšić so that the Eight would propose him as director.
And Džuvo, as an old intelligence officer prone to deception and fraud, wants to portray himself as a serious candidate for this position through certain media with spin-regime tricks, with the story that he is an experienced police officer.

However, in one of the two strongest leadership parties, the future authorities certainly have objections to Džuvo's almost 12 years of work, and they are concerned with the fact that, as is heard, key evidence of the killing and mistreatment of civilians under the JCE has disappeared.
That is why there are those who claim that Dragan Čović and the HDZ BiH stand behind Džuvo, supposedly the most serious candidate, with very precise reasons and a desire to repay him.
The key point here is that, although Džuvo abuses Murphy by claiming that he has his support, Murphy, who rightly follows a legalistic course in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a respected diplomat, can hardly go against the will of his government and even more difficult can he knowingly violate the Law on ISA which eliminates Džuvo and other džuvo's from getting the agency's decades-long megapower.
That is why it is important that after the candidate status, the BiH Council of Ministers, which appoints the directors of ISA, raises the bar of legality and ends illegal behavior in the work of the intelligence service.

It is interesting that in 2014, the CIA asked Džuvo to leave the position of director of ISA because he was in a technical mandate for a year and a half, and in total he was in the position of director for 11.5 years. Then it was suggested to the authorities that BiH does not need a new "Hoover" case.
Džuvo had the respect of Western agencies and the CIA, but the US government put democratic principles first. Then a deal was made with the help of local security authorities for Džuvo to go to Brussels and settle his existence in the most correct way.
He was the only head of the intelligence service in the world with two citizenships, because, apart from BiH passport, he also has a Croatian passport, although he was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Act on ISA clearly stipulates that the director's mandate lasts four years and can be renewed only once

Džuvo: Playing the card of obvious fraud

He scares local politicians with ambassadors: Almir Džuvo wants the seat of ISA director against the law

The acting prosecutor of the SC Prosecutor's Office suggested to the Municipal Court in Sarajevo that suspect Ajla Čeljo should be detained for one month.
Detention was proposed due to the danger that the suspect could influence witnesses, hide evidence and because of the danger of repeating the criminal act.
Let us remind you that the arrested inspector of the Cantonal Administration for Inspection Affairs, Ajla Čeljo, who is charged by the SC Prosecutor's Office with the criminal offense of receiving a gift and other forms of benefits, abused her position, that is, the job of an inspector, in several ways.
As a reminder, on January 10th, police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested one person in the area of Sarajevo as part of the operational action "Madam" due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that she had committed the criminal offense of "Receiving gifts and other forms of benefits" prescribed by Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Detention was proposed due to the risk that the suspect could influence witnesses, hide evidence and because of the risk of repeating the criminal offense

Ajla Čeljo: Arrested in the action "Madam"

Proposed detention for suspect Ajla Čeljo, who was arrested with marked banknotes

A man whose initials are D.P. kidnapped a girl in Sarajevo, raped and kept her imprisoned for weeks, literally as a slave on Ilidža in an apartment, the portal "Avaz" learns.
As we find out, the man was arrested.
According to "Avaz's" information, a man with the initials D.P. kept the girl in the apartment for almost a month, in the Vrtovi Riverine neighborhood in Ilidža. The girl was freed because she somehow managed to escape and report everything to the police.

Police officers searched the apartment and the car.
- I can confirm that the police detained a suspect for the criminal offense of kidnapping, i.e. unlawful deprivation of liberty and rape, and handed him over to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office - said Mirza Hadžiabdić, spokesman for the MUP of Sarajevo Canton, for the "Avaz" portal.
He pointed out that due to the protection of the rape victim, he could not give more information.
Tenants of the building where the perpetrator lived are in fear.
The perpetrator presented himself as good and nice to the tenants.

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This is a man who raped and abused a girl in Sarajevo

The Prosecutor's Office expands the investigation against Keljmendi's gang: The defense opposes house arrest for Sejfović and Ahmić

He scares local politicians with ambassadors: Almir Džuvo wants the seat of ISA director against the law

Proposed detention for suspect Ajla Čeljo, who was arrested with marked banknotes

Shocking: Man kidnapped a girl in Sarajevo, raped and held her captive for weeks, he was arrested!

News

China accuses 'some Western media' of COVID-19 coverage bias

US proposes once-a-year COVID shots for most Americans

Bali welcomes back 1st flight from China as COVID rules ease

Amazon launches a subscription prescription drug service

BiH gets new government without SDA

AP sources: Biden to pick Zients as his next chief of staff

Zukan Helez on the announcement of the SDA rebellion: These are not patriots, they care about positions

LA mass shooting suspect kills 10 near Lunar New Year fest

Who is planning a coup?

Bosnian war survivors share endurance hacks with Ukraine

Krišto speaks with Metsola about BiH's EU path, political opportunities and upcoming reforms

This is a man who raped and abused a girl in Sarajevo

The Prosecutor's Office expands the investigation against Keljmendi's gang: The defense opposes house arrest for Sejfović and Ahmić

He scares local politicians with ambassadors: Almir Džuvo wants the seat of ISA director against the law

Proposed detention for suspect Ajla Čeljo, who was arrested with marked banknotes

Shocking: Man kidnapped a girl in Sarajevo, raped and held her captive for weeks, he was arrested!