A 13-year-old Palestinian opened fire in east Jerusalem on Saturday, wounding two Israelis, officials said, a day after another attacker killed seven outside a synagogue in the deadliest attack in the city since 2008. The shooting in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem, near the historic Old City, wounded a father and son, ages 47 and 23, paramedics said. Both were fully conscious and in moderate to serious condition in the hospital, the medics added.As police rushed to the scene, two passers-by with licensed weapons shot and overpowered the 13-year-old attacker, police said. Police confiscated his handgun and took the wounded teen to a hospital. Video showed police escorting a wounded teen, wearing nothing but underwear, away from the scene and onto a stretcher, his hands cuffed behind his back. Authorities taped off the street, emergency vehicles and security forces swarmed the area and helicopters whirled overhead.“He waited to ambush civilians on the holy Sabbath day,” Israeli police spokesman Dean Elsdunne told The Associated Press, adding that the teenager opened fire on a group of five civilians. Security footage showed the victims to be observant Jews, wearing skullcaps and tzitzit, or knotted ritual tassels.Saturday's events — on the eve of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's arrival in the region — raised the possibility of even greater conflagration in one of the bloodiest months in Israel and the occupied West Bank in several years. On Friday, a Palestinian gunman killed at least seven people, including a 70-year-old woman, in a Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem, an area captured by Israel in 1967 and later annexed in a move not internationally recognized.The attacks pose pivotal test for Israel’s new far-right government. Its firebrand minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has presented himself as an enforcer of law and order and grabbed headlines for his promises to take even stronger action against the Palestinians.The Israeli army said it had deployed another battalion to the West Bank on Saturday, adding hundreds more troops to a presence already on heightened alert in the occupied territory.In the Jenin refugee camp, the site of a deadly Israeli military raid on Thursday that fueled the latest escalation, footage showed Palestinians dancing and cheering in celebration of the shooting on Saturday. Palestinian detainees who celebrated in prison after Friday's attack were placed in solitary confinement, the Israeli prison service said.Prime Minister Benjamin said he would convene his Security Cabinet later, after the Sabbath, which ends at sundown, to discuss a further response to the attack near the synagogue. Security forces launched a crackdown in east Jerusalem, fanning out into the neighborhood of the 21-year-old Palestinian gunman, who was shot and killed at the scene. Police arrested 42 of his family members and neighbors for questioning in the At-Tur neighborhood.Police Chief Kobi Shabtai permanently moved a force, similar to a S.W.A.T. team, in the city and beefed up forces, instructing police to work 12-hour shifts. He urged the public to call a hotline if they see anything suspicious.The earlier Friday attack came a day after an Israeli military raid killed nine Palestinians in the flashpoint Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank that prompted a rocket barrage from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.Although calm had appeared to take hold after the limited exchange of fire between Israel and Gaza militants, tensions were running high in Jerusalem and the West Bank.Thursday's raid, deadliest single incursion in the West Bank since 2002, followed a particularly bloody month that saw at least 30 Palestinians — militants and civilians — killed in in confrontations with Israelis in the West Bank, according to a tally by the AP.Last year, as the Israeli military intensified its arrest raids following a string of deadly Palestinian attacks within Israel, at least 150 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. It was the highest annual death toll for more than a decade and a half. Thirty people were killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis last year.Israel says most of the dead were militants. But youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in the confrontations also have been killed.The Israeli military contends its raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart attacks. But Palestinians say they further entrench Israel’s 55-year, open-ended occupation of the West Bank, captured along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians demand east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state, and much of the world considers it illegally occupied. Israel claims as its united, sovereign capital.Home to the shrines of all three major monotheistic religions, the contested capital been the centerpiece of spiking tensions between Israelis and Palestinians for years.Both Palestinian attackers behind the shootings on Friday and Saturday came from east Jerusalem. Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem hold permanent residency status, allowing them to work and move freely throughout Israel, but they are not allowed to vote in national elections. Residency rights can be stripped if a Palestinian is found to live outside the city for an extended period or in certain security cases.Although their standard of living is generally better than in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian residents of the city receive a fraction of the services that Jewish residents do. They also complain of home demolitions and the near impossibility of obtaining Israeli building permits.

He waited to ambush civilians on the holy Sabbath day, Israeli police spokesman Dean Elsdunne told 

An Israeli policeman secures a shooting attack site in east Jerusalem, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. A Palestinian gunman opened fire in east Jerusalem on Saturday, wounding at least two people less than a day after another attacker killed seven outside a synagogue there in the deadliest attack in the city since 2008.

Palestinian teen wounds 2, day after 7 killed in Jerusalem

Petr Pavel, a retired army general, defeated populist billionaire Andrej Babis in a runoff vote Saturday to become the new Czech president. Pavel, 61, will succeed controversy-courting Milos Zeman in the largely ceremonial but prestigious post. With the ballots from 99.5% of polling stations counted by the Czech Statistics Office, Pavel had 58.2% of the vote compared with 42.8% for Babis.“We can have different views of a number of issues, but that doesn’t mean we’re enemies,” Pavel said in a message to voters who cast ballots for Babis after what was considered a nasty presidential campaign period. “We have to learn how to communicate with each other.”Babis conceded defeat and congratulated Pavel on his victory. He called on his supporters “to accept that I’ve lost and accept we have a new president.”Pavel, who ran as an independent, is a former chairman of NATO’s military committee, the alliance’s highest military body. He fully endorsed the Czech Republic's military and humanitarian support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion and stresses the importance of the country's membership in the European Union and NATO.The president picks the prime minister after a general election, one of the office’s key responsibilities, and appoints members of the central bank. The office-holder also selects Constitutional Court judges with the approval of Parliament’s upper house.Otherwise, the president has little executive power since Czechia is run by a government chosen and led by the prime minister.Losing the race to Pavel was another major defeat for Babis 68, a former prime minister. His centrist ANO (YES) movement ended up in opposition after losing the 2021 general election.Zeman, the outgoing president, had backed Babis, one of country’s richest people. The two men share euroskeptic views and the habit of using anti-migrant rhetoric.While Babis has been a divisive figure, he maintained his popular support with older voters. He accused Pavel, during a campaign marred by false accusations, of having been a KGB-trained communist spy. He provided no evidence for the claim, and went on to compare his opponent to Russian President Vladimir Putin.The Ukraine war was a core campaign issue. Babis presented himself as a peacemaker and labeled Pavel a warmonger due to his military past.In his most controversial statement, Babis said he wouldn’t send troops to Poland or the Baltics if the NATO allies were attacked. He later backtracked.Zeman, who took office in March 2013, was the country's first president elected by popular vote. His second and final five-year term expires in March. Lawmakers elected the previous two presidents, Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus.Before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Zeman divided the nation with his pro-Russia stance and support for closer ties with China.

The Ukraine war was a core campaign issue. Babis presented himself as a peacemaker and labeled Pavel a warmonger due to his military past

Czech Republic's President elect Petr Pavel with his wife Eva greets his supporters after announcement of the preliminary results of the presidential runoff in Prague, Czech Republic

Retired Czech army general Pavel wins presidential election

Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in “fast-track” talks on the possibility of equipping the invaded country with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide said Saturday. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine’s supporters in the West “understand how the war is developing” and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the armored fighting vehicles that the United States and Germany pledged at the beginning of the month.However, in remarks to online video channel Freedom, Podolyak said that some of Ukraine's Western partners maintain a “conservative” attitude to arms deliveries, “due to fear of changes in the international architecture.” Russia and North Korea have accused the West of prolonging and taking a direct role in the war by sending Kyiv increasingly sophisticated weapons.“We need to work with this. We must show (our partners) the real picture of this war," Podolyak said, without naming specific countries. “We must speak reasonably and tell them, for example, ‘This and this will reduce fatalities, this will reduce the burden on infrastructure. This will reduce security threats to the European continent, this will keep the war localized.’ And we are doing it.”The U.S. and Germany agreed Wednesday to share advanced tanks with Ukraine along with the Bradley and Marder vehicles promised earlier, a decision that led to criticism not only from the Kremlin but from the prime minister of NATO and European Union member Hungary.Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asserted Friday that Western countries providing weapons and money to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia have “drifted” into becoming active participants in the conflict. Orban has refused to send weapons to neighboring Ukraine and sought to block EU funds earmarked for military aid.The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it would summon Hungary's ambassador to complain about Orban's remarks. A ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, said Orban told reporters that Ukraine was “a no-man’s land” and compared it to Afghanistan.“Such statements are completely unacceptable. Budapest continues on its course to deliberately destroy Ukrainian-Hungarian relations,” Nikolenko said in a Facebook post.President Joe Biden's announcement that the U.S. would send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine reversed months of arguments by Washington that they were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain.The U.S. decision persuaded German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had expressed concern about a unilateral action drawing Russia's wrath, to agree to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany's stocks and to allow European countries with tanks to send some of theirs.Western weapons have proven essential to Ukraine's defense while stoking ever-higher tensions with Moscow. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that Ukrainian forces used U.S.-made HIMARS rockets to strike a hospital in the eastern Ukrainian town of Novoaidar, killing 14 people.Novoaidar is located in Luhansk province, which is almost entirely under the control of Russian forces or Russian-backed separatists. The Russian Defense Ministry alleged the hospital was deliberately targeted. Its claim of a strike in Novoaidar could not be immediately verified.Amid the news of the Western pledges of heavy tanks, Russia bombarded Ukraine with missiles, exploding drones and artillery shells this week. The attacks continued Saturday, when Russian missiles struck the city of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province.The missiles fell in a residential area, killing three civilians, wounding 14 and damaging four high-rise apartment buildings, a hotel and garages, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said.“Kostyantynivka is a city relatively far from the front line, but still, it constantly suffers from enemy attacks. Everyone who remains in the city exposes themselves to mortal danger," Kyrylenko said. "The Russians target civilians because they are not able to fight the Ukrainian army.”In a separate Telegram post earlier Saturday, Kyrylenko reported that Russian attacks in the province killed four civilians in all and wounded seven others in 24 hours.Russian rockets hit a residential area the Donestsk town of Chasiv Yar on Friday night, killing of two people and wounding five more, the governor said. Photos attached to Kyrylenko’s post showed a three-story school building on fire.Donetsk province, where the territory is roughly split between Russian and Ukrainian control, has become the battle epicenter of the war as Moscow tries to jump-start a monthslong, grinding offensive to capture the city of Bakhmut.Chasiv Yar lies on a hill strategically located for the defense of Bakhmut, and has come under intensified Russian shelling. Capturing Bakhmut would allow Russian troops to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines and potentially pave the way for them to threaten Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the largest remaining Ukrainian-held cities in the country’s east.Russian forces continued ground attacks around Bakhmut and Avdiivka, another Donetsk city to the south, while Ukrainian troops were on the offensive in southern and northeast Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said in a Saturday morning update.The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that Russian troops “are defending themselves” near Lyman in Luhansk and Kharkiv provinces north of Donetsk, as well in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces in the south.The fighting has largely been deadlocked over the past months, with winter conditions slowing down ground operations and neither side reporting significant progress.In the same update, the military reported that Russian forces launched 10 missile strikes, 26 air strikes and 81 shelling attacks on Ukrainian territory between Friday and Saturday mornings. The shelling killed two civilians in Kherson, another province that is partly Russian-occupied.Podolyak, the presidential adviser, said Ukraine needs supplies of Western long-range missiles “to drastically curtail the key tool of the Russian army” by destroying the warehouses where it stores cannon artillery used on the front line.

Novoaidar is located in Luhansk province, which is almost entirely under the control of Russian forces or Russian-backed separatists

Suffering from cancer, Gennadiy Shaposhnikov, 83, rests in his partially destroyed home which was hit by Russian shelling last fall in Kalynivske, Ukraine

Ukraine: 'Fast-track' talks underway for missiles, planes

As the "Avaz" portal unofficially finds out, the police in Sarajevo shed light on the kidnapping of convict Enis Rezaković from Sarajevo. Yesterday, Rezaković was released from Sarajevo Penitentiary, where he served his prison sentence.<h2>A woman was waiting for Rezaković in front of the prison</h2>After leaving the prison, a female R.E. was waiting for him, but the kidnappers were ahead of her.Enis did not go far, because he was immediately intercepted by Jasmin Rajković, aka "Deba", and forced to enter the Golf on the nearby parking lot.The woman started shouting, trying to stop the vehicle in which they were putting Enis, but the kidnappers chased her away with threats. She immediately alerted the police.<h2>Previously arrested for drugs</h2>The abduction was brought to light thanks to the successful cooperation between the MUP of SC, Sarajevo Penitentiary and Police Station Istočno Sarajevo.By the way, Enis Rezaković was previously detained for drugs.We would like to remind you that the police officers of the Criminal Police Sector of the SC MUP Police Directorate, while working on documenting and elucidating this criminal offense, came to know about four male persons who can be linked to the execution of this offense, and they were located in the area of Pale through operational work. In cooperation with police officers from Police Station East Sarajevo, persons: J.B. (1987), M.K (1990), A.S. (1976) and A.F. (1987) - all from Sarajevo, were deprived of their freedom. Around 11:50 PM, on January 26th, 2023. the police officers of the Criminal Police Sector of the SC Police Administration took over persons deprived of their liberty from the police officers of the Pale Police Department of the RS MUP due to the suspicion that they had committed a criminal offense under Article 180 of the Criminal Code of FBiH (Kidnapping).At the same time, police officers found E.R. who was heard as a witness.

The kidnappers waited for Enis in front of the prison

Details of the abduction of a convict in front of Sarajevo Penitentiary: "Deba" forced him into a Golf

Bakir's wife, Sebija Izetbegović, director of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo and representative of the SDA in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, sent her statement to the Office for Combating Corruption and Quality Management of the SC about the conflict of interest, "Avaz" learns. As a reminder, the new Law on Prevention and Suppression of Corruption in Sarajevo Canton, which entered into force on January 1st, 2023, prohibits the performance of multiple functions at the same time.<h2>New law</h2>With the enforcement of the new law, one person will not be able to be both a representative in the cantonal assembly and a director of an institution, because these are dual functions, as is the case with Izetbegović, who holds the position of director and representative.Since the beginning of the year, the office has received many such applications, and those who are in a potential conflict of interest have been given a 30-day deadline to make a statement. Just a few days before that deadline, Izetbegović sent hers to the Office headed by Erduan Kafedžić.As they said earlier from the Office, they will first ask for a statement from the persons they found to be in conflict of interest, and then they will be relieved of their duties within the legal term.

And the sanctions, if a person disobeys this law, are more than clear. Fines range from 2,000 to 10,000 KM. This kind of sanction also threatens the director of KCUS, who, right before the end of the deadline, sent her statement.- In the event that the holder of a public office does not resign, the Office will fine him/her in the amount of 2,000 to 10,000 KM, which is prescribed in Article 65 of the Law – they concluded from the Office.<h2>Not the founder</h2>Nevertheless, Sebija believes that she is not in a conflict of interest, which is why she said earlier in a statement that she is not leaving KCUS because of her position as a representative in the SC Assembly.- Sarajevo Canton is not the founder or co-founder of KCUS with more than 50 percent of the total capital, and it is quite clear that I am not in a conflict of interest. Also, I emphasize that I do not receive financial resources as a representative in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly. Immediately after assuming the mandate, I signed to renounce the lump sum. I have no right to waive the obligation to represent those who elected me, especially taking into account the support of the voters and the fact that in the current convocation of the SC Assembly I am the representative with the most votes - stated Izetbegović.If the holder of a public office does not resign or otherwise resign from one or more incompatible functions within 30 days, the Office delivers a decision on the existence of a conflict of interest to the institution, company, foundation or association in which the holder performs an incompatible function.

Sanctions for performing a dual function range from 2,000 to 10,000 KM

Sebija is afraid of the punishment

Prosecutors in Massachusetts are basing their murder case against a man whose wife is presumed dead but whose body has not been found in large part on a series of gruesome internet searches he made around the time of her disappearance. Scouring data on personal electronic devices is a common strategy in criminal cases, but experts warn that incriminating searches are not enough alone to build a solid case.“It would be very challenging to try and base a criminal investigation on just what somebody searched for on the internet,” said Jennifer Lynch, the surveillance litigation director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that defends digital civil liberties.Brian Walshe used Google to look up ways to dismember and dispose of a body, including “how long before a body starts to smell,” “hacksaw best tool to dismember,” and “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” a prosecutor said when Walshe was arraigned Jan. 18 in connection with the presumed death of Ana Walshe.<h2>We carefully review each request</h2>Not guilty pleas were entered on Brian Walshe's behalf.Ana Walshe, a mother of three, was reportedly last seen leaving the family's home in Cohasset, south of Boston, in the early morning hours of Jan. 1. She was her way to the airport for a flight to Washington, where she worked for a real estate company, authorities said. She was reported missing by her employer Jan. 4.In the Walshe case, the defense will likely bring in its own expert to attack the reliability of the search evidence at trial, which could be years away, said Rachel Fiset, a Los Angeles-based defense attorney.But the whole of the evidence may be too much to overcome.“I am having a hard time, other than the fact that there is no body, seeing how Brian Walshe will defend this case,” unless he claims self-defense or insanity, Fiset said. “These searches are really bad, really damning.”Lynch warned about intrusive searches of what is essentially free speech. Just because someone searches for something potentially illegal online, it is not evidence that they intend to commit a crime, she said.“We all need to worry about the police having access to our search queries because they reveal so much private information about us," Lynch said. "So many of our search queries are just idle curiosity.”Google did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The tech giant publishes regular transparency reports in which it discloses the number of requests made by governments for user information and the number of accounts subject to those requests.For the six-month period from July to December 2021, the most recent period for which the information is available, Google received nearly 47,000 requests for information in the U.S., and in 84% of those, some data was produced.“Government agencies from around the world ask Google to disclose user information,” the company said on its website. “We carefully review each request to make sure it satisfies applicable laws. If a request asks for too much information, we try to narrow it, and in some cases we object to producing any information at all.”There is legal precedent in Massachusetts of securing a murder conviction even when the victim's remains are never found, and the internet searches could help overcome the lack of a body, Northeastern University School of Law professor Daniel Medwed said.A Quincy man was convicted in 2002 of killing his wife, whose body was never found after she was last seen leaving her construction job Sept. 27, 1998.“It’s an obstacle, but it’s not insurmountable” Medwed said. “In any no-body case, there is going to be doubt, so all of the circumstantial evidence has to be air tight."<h2>Walshe’s attorney has not commented</h2>In Brian Walshe's case, there is evidence in his search history of marital discord — he also looked up divorce terms. Medwed said prosecutors have additional evidence of Brian Walshe's trips to home improvement stores for cleaning supplies the day after Ana Walshe was last seen, as well as blood and DNA evidence that was found on some of Ana Walshe's personal belongings recovered from a trash facility.“You add all that together and you create narrative,” Medwed said.Walshe’s attorney has not commented on the specifics of the evidence but has said that her client has cooperated with investigators.“I am not going to comment on the evidence, first because I am going to try this case in the court and not in the media,” attorney Tracy Miner said in a statement on the day of Walshe’s arraignment.

Brian Walshe used Google to look up ways to dismember and dispose of a body

Brian Walshe listens during his arraignment Wednesday, Jan. 18

Internet evidence key, but not enough in no-body murder case

Haris Ihtijarević, the owner of the company "Gliese 581g", which lost the license for "McDonald's" in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is currently one of the most wanted persons in the country, given that he has ruined many people and business partners, and with his arrogance and wastefulness caused hundreds of workers to lose their jobs! <h2>Five restaurants</h2>After losing their license at the end of last year, we remind you, the owners of "McDonald's" in BiH closed five restaurants, three in Sarajevo and two in Mostar.As confirmed to us, Ihtijarević, after the affair and the revelation of numerous irregularities, he has been completely silent, and he does not even contact his closest associates and friends.As we were told unofficially, he has already started selling the property he has in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These are apartments in "Bosmal" and the center of Sarajevo, as well as property in Visoko, where he is from.Ihtijarević, against whom numerous criminal charges have been filed in the last few days, from employees, debtors, banks he worked with, decided to sell the parking space in Marindvor. This space was bought by a company from Sarajevo, although it is questionable how he used the state land for private purposes, which is now the subject of investigation by authorities.<h2>Apartments in Vienna</h2>We learn that he also has apartments in Vienna, Slovenia, Montenegro... It is believed that he is selling property in Sarajevo in order to leave BiH as soon as possible and avoid facing the judicial authorities in BiH, as well as the partners he cheated.At least three criminal reports have already been filed against him to the SC Prosecutor's Office.<h2>He defrauded "Avaz" </h2>Ihtijarević, we remind you, also defrauded the company "Avaz". As a tenant of the space for "McDonald's" in Nedžarići, he stole water from "Avaz" because he was illegally connected. He did this for 12 years, causing great financial damage to "Avaz" in the amount of more than 400,000 KM.For this reason, the management of "Avaz" submitted a criminal complaint to the SC Prosecutor's Office through a lawyer.

As we were told unofficially, Ihtijrević has already started selling the property he has in BiH

"Businessman" disappeared: Where is Ihtijarević hiding?

The body of a child found in Oklahoma earlier this month was positively identified as 4-year-old Athena Brownfield, who investigators said was beaten to death by a caregiver on Christmas. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced on social media Thursday that the state’s chief medical examiner had made the identification.The girl was reported missing Jan. 10 when a postal carrier found her 5-year-old sister alone outside the home where she lived with Ivon Adams III and his wife, Alysia Adams. The couple had been caring for the sisters in Cyril, a city of around 800 people located about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City.Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested in Arizona on murder and child neglect charges and returned to Oklahoma.An affidavit for Ivon Adams’ arrest alleges he beat the girl to death the night of Dec. 25 and later buried her on property he and his wife once owned near the town of Rush Springs, where authorities found the child’s body. The document does not reveal why Ivon Adams was beating the girl.Alysia Adams, 31, is charged with two counts of child neglect in the case.The bureau said its agents recovered the girl’s body on Jan. 17 after police said the search had become a “recovery operation." The search included a helicopter, boats, all-terrain vehicles, a specially trained ground team and a review of surveillance video from around Cyril.The bureau said it would not have additional comment on the case due to a gag order filed in Caddo County District Court. The request for the order was filed in the case against Alysia Adams by her court-appointed attorney.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced on social media Thursday that the state’s chief medical examiner had made the identification

This photo provided by Caddo County Sheriff's Office shows Alysia Adams. A 4-year-old Oklahoma girl was reported missing and Adams, her caretaker, alongside her husband Ivon Adams

Oklahoma investigators identify body as missing 4-year-old

Turkey summoned the Danish ambassador on Friday over reports that an anti-Islam activist would be allowed to burn the Quran during a series of protests in Copenhagen. Rasmus Paludan, a far-right activist who holds both Danish and Swedish citizenship, infuriated Turkey by staging a Quran-burning protest in Sweden on Jan. 21. He told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that he would replicate the protest in front of the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen every Friday until Sweden is admitted into NATO. Reports said he would first burn the Quran outside a mosque in Copenhagen, then stage the same demonstration in front of the Turkish and Russian embassies.<h2>Denmark’s attitude is unacceptable</h2>Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the Danish ambassador was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry where Turkish officials “strongly condemned the permission given to this provocative act which clearly constitutes a hate crime.”The ambassador was told that “Denmark’s attitude is unacceptable” and that Turkey expected that the permission be revoked, according to Anadolu.Paludan’s action last week caused a fury in Turkey, which criticized Swedish authorities for allowing the demonstration to take place outside the Turkish Embassy. Turkey’s president cast serious doubt on NATO’s expansion, warning Sweden not to expect support for its membership bid in the military alliance.Turkey also indefinitely postponed a key meeting in Brussels that would have discussed Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership, saying such a meeting would have been “meaningless.”<h2>His party received just 156 votes nationwide</h2>Sweden and Finland abandoned their long-standing policies of military nonalignment and applied for NATO membership after Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. NATO-member Turkey, which is pressing the two countries to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups it considers terrorists, hasn’t yet endorsed their accession, which requires unanimous approval from all existing alliance members.A lawyer, Paludan established far-right parties in both Sweden and Denmark that have failed to win any seats in national, regional or municipal elections. In last year’s parliamentary election in Sweden, his party received just 156 votes nationwide.“This is Erdogan’s fault. Now that he doesn’t want to let Sweden into NATO, I have to teach him about freedom of speech until he does,” Paludan told Aftonbladet.

Paludan’s action last week caused a fury in Turkey, which criticized Swedish authorities for allowing the demonstration

An Imam recites from the Quran, Islam's holy book, during a demonstration outside the Swedish embassy in Ankara, Turkey

Turkey summons Danish envoy over Quran-burning protest

Britain’s Treasury chief said Friday that taming inflation is more important than cutting taxes, resisting calls from some in the governing Conservative Party for immediate tax breaks for businesses and voters. At a speech in London, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said “the best tax cut right now is a cut in inflation.”The U.K.’s annual inflation rate hit a four-decade high of 11.1% in October, fueling a cost-of-living crisis and a wave of strikes by workers seeking pay raises to keep pace with rising food and energy prices. It has since eased but still reached a painful 10.5% in December and is the highest since the 1980s.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to halve the inflation rate from those levels by the end of the year.<h2>Hunt was appointed to steady the economy</h2>Hunt said he wanted Britain to be a low-tax economy but “with volatile markets and high inflation, sound money must come first” — a sign he won’t cut taxes when he makes his annual budget statement in March.The U.K. economy, like others around the world, has been rattled by pandemic restrictions and the shockwaves from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Britain also has suffered the self-inflicted damage of Liz Truss’ brief term as prime minister last year. She resigned in October after her plan for billions in unfunded tax cuts spooked financial markets, drove up the cost of borrowing and sent the pound plunging to a record low against the dollar.Hunt was appointed to steady the economy in the final days of Truss’ seven-week tenure and was kept on by her successor, Sunak.Inflation is higher than in the U.S. and the 20 nations that use the euro currency, with most forecasters expecting the U.K. economy to contract in the first half of 2023.In his speech at the headquarters of news agency Bloomberg, Hunt argued that changes to financial regulations and other rules, made possible by Brexit, will help boost the U.K.’s stubbornly low productivity rate.Three years after Britain formally left the European Union, and more than two years after the split became complete, the Conservative government is still struggling to deliver many of the economic benefits promised by pro-Brexit politicians.Most economists agree that Brexit has weighed down the economy by making it harder for U.K.-based businesses to trade with the 27-nation EU.Hunt said changes “necessitated, energized and made possible by Brexit” would help “make Britain the world’s next Silicon Valley,” a leader in digital technology, green energy and the life sciences.<h2>Critics said Hunt’s speech lacked specifics</h2>“We need to make Brexit a catalyst for the bold choices that will take advantage of the nimbleness and flexibilities that it makes possible,” he said, arguing that “Britain needs a more positive attitude to risk-taking” and is “too cautious compared to our U.S. friends.”Hunt said Britain will scrap Solvency II, an EU rule that sets out how much money insurers must hold in reserve. Hunt said easing the restriction could unlock up to 100 billion pounds ($124 billion) in investment over a decade for big infrastructure and clean energy projects.Critics said Hunt’s speech lacked specifics. Opposition Labour Party economy spokeswoman Rachel Reeves said the Conservatives, in power since 2010, “have no plan for now, and no plan for the future.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to halve the inflation rate from those levels by the end of the year

Britain's Chancellor Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street to attend Parliament in London, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. Britain’s Treasury chief said Friday, Jan. 27, 2023,

UK Treasury chief: Tax cuts must wait for inflation to fall

The Philippine justice secretary said Friday that any investigation violating the country's sovereignty by the International Criminal Court into the widespread killings of suspects during an anti-drug crackdown under former President Rodrigo Duterte would be “totally unacceptable.” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla spoke in reaction to a decision on Thursday by judges in The Hague-based court allowing Prosecutor Karim Khan to resume an investigation that was suspended in late 2021 after the Duterte government said it was already looking into the killings and argued that the ICC, a court of last resort, did not have jurisdiction.The ICC decision was welcomed by human rights groups and by relatives of mostly poor suspects killed in Duterte's police-enforced crackdown.“The various domestic initiatives and proceedings, assessed collectively, do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a way that would sufficiently mirror the court’s investigation,” a panel of ICC judges said in their ruling Thursday after examining information from the Philippine government and Khan, and weighing comments from victims.Remulla rejected any ICC investigation that violates the country’s sovereignty and the independence of its judicial system.“We are a fully functioning judicial system and I don’t see where they will come in, what role they will play, unless they want to take over our legal system or they want to take over our country,” Remulla said at a news conference. “I don’t see that happening.”The government is willing to talk with ICC investigators and provide details of the Philippine investigation into the drug deaths, “but to impose themselves on us, that’s totally unacceptable,” Remulla said, without elaborating.He said the government investigation into the killings has taken a long time because of the difficulty of gathering evidence and other problems.Randy delos Santos, whose 17-year-old nephew, Kian delos Santos, was shot to death by police in an anti-drug raid in August 2017, said the ICC decision revived hopes among still-grieving families that they could get justice and that powerful people behind the deaths could be held accountable.Many more relatives of slain suspects are willing to talk now and possibly testify before the ICC after the end of Duterte's six-year term last year, he said.“If they were afraid to talk before, they are now ready to relate what they know about the killings,” delos Santos, who now works for a Catholic church charity that helps families of slain suspects, said by telephone.In a rare conviction, a Philippine court found three policemen guilty of involvement in Kian delos Santos's death in a slum in suburban Caloocan city after rejecting their claim that he opened fire at them with a pistol, prompting them to fire back. A security camera and witness accounts indicated that the teenager was dragged into a dark alley and shot to death as he pleaded for his life.“The ICC investigation in the Philippines is the only credible avenue for justice for the victims and their families of Duterte’s murderous ‘war on drugs,’” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of the group Human Rights Watch. “The ICC offers a path forward to fill the accountability vacuum.”The killings being investigated by the ICC took place from Nov. 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019, in southern Davao city where Duterte was mayor, and later across the Philippines after Duterte became president.Duterte and his top police officials have denied that they authorized law enforcers to conduct extrajudicial killings under the crackdown and said most of the victims were killed after violently resisting arrest. Duterte, however, openly threatened drug dealers with death during his presidency.In 2019, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC after the court launched a preliminary examination into the killings. Critics said then that Duterte wanted to evade accountability. The ICC prosecutor, however, said the court continues to have jurisdiction over alleged crimes while the Philippines was a member of the court.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte, has said he has no plan to bring the Philippines back into the ICC.

The ICC decision was welcomed by human rights groups and by relatives of mostly poor suspects killed in Duterte's police-enforced crackdown

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as addresses thousands of the country's municipal councilors during its 10th National Congress Wednesday, March 8,

Philippines: Unapproved probe into killings unacceptable

South Korea says it will continue to restrict the entry of short-term travelers from China through the end of February over concerns that the spread of COVID-19 in that country may worsen following the Lunar New Year’s holidays. South Korea in early January stopped issuing most short-term visas at its consulates in China, citing concerns about a virus surge in the country that abruptly eased coronavirus restrictions in December and the potential for new mutations.South Korea has also required all passengers from China, Hong Kong and Macao to submit proofs of negative tests taken with 48 hours before their arrival and put them through tests again once they arrive.The steps, which originally were imposed for the month of January, prompted China to retaliate by suspending South Korean short-term visa applications, raising concerns about disrupted business activities in a country that heavily depends on exports to China.Following a meeting on South Korea’s COVID-19 response on Friday, health authorities decided to extend the coronavirus measures on short-term travelers from China for another month. While there had been some indications COVID-19 outbreaks in major Chinese cities were slowing, South Korean officials remain concerned about a viral resurgence following the massive gatherings and cross-country travel during the Lunar New Year’s holidays that ended this week.South Korean officials during the meeting left open the possibility of easing the restrictions earlier if it becomes clearer that China’s COVID-19 situation is improving, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a statement.When asked about concerns that China may take further retaliatory steps toward South Korea over the extension of the virus measures, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was closely communicating with Beijing and maintaining that all pandemic responses should be based “only on anti-virus reasons.”According to South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency, around 10% of the 6,900 short-term travelers from China who arrived in the country from Jan. 2 to Thursday tested positive after being tested at the airport.While allowing the extension of existing visas, South Korea has stopped issuing most short-term visas as its consulates in China, except for essential government, diplomatic and business activities and humanitarian reasons.

South Korea has also required all passengers from China, Hong Kong and Macao

Passengers coming from China pass by a COVID-19 testing center at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea

South Korea extends restrictions on travelers from China

Shares of Chevron climbed Thursday after the oil company announced that it would repurchase $75 billion of its stock, one of the largest-ever stock buyback plans. The company’s board also approved an increase of about 6% in its quarterly dividend, to $1.51 per share.<h2>White House was critical of the announcement</h2>Chevron Corp. said the buyback is effective on April 1, and does not have a fixed expiration date. It replaces a prior repurchase authorization of $25 billion from January 2019 that will end on March 31 after it completes stock buybacks in the first quarter.The San Ramon, California, has a market cap of roughly $360 billion. Its stock is up more than 40% in the past year, outpacing the broader market which has posted negative returns. In midday trading, the stock more than 4% to $186.30.But the White House was critical of the announcement.“For a company that claimed not too long ago that it was ‘working hard’ to increase oil production, handing out $75 billion to executives and wealthy shareholders sure is an odd way to show it," White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan said in a statement. "We continue to call on oil companies to use their record profits to increase supply, and reduce costs for the American people.”During the third quarter, Chevron said it spent $2.7 billion on dividends, $3.75 billion on stock repurchases and $8.2 billion on capital and exploratory expenditures.<h2>Industry consolidation</h2>Both Chevron and Exxon Mobil are expected to announce record annual profits for 2022 when they report their earnings over the next few days. Shares of both companies have more than doubled since the start of 2021, outpacing the performance of their counterparts in Europe, where investors are under greater pressure to divest from fossil fuel companies. That’s prompted analysts at Citi to speculate that one of the U.S. oil majors could be interested in acquiring either BP, Total or Shell.The Citi analysts note that the independent oil companies in Europe trade at a 40% discount to the big U.S. oil companies. “Closing the gap looks to require the industry to seek to arbitrage it itself through cross-border M&amp;A, a re-run of the industry consolidation that took place 20 years ago,” they wrote.

During the third quarter, Chevron said it spent $2.7 billion on dividends, $3.75 billion

The logo for Chevron appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

Chevron’s buyback boosts stock, get rebuke from White House

Bosnian Mirnesa Bešlić from Busovača was the subject of the German and regional press yesterday, after she turned herself in at the airport in Stuttgart, accompanied by her lawyer. <h2>She took out the money</h2> The simple headline "Where are the millions" appeared on the front page of the German "Bild", while a certain "Herr Mujo" appeared on TikTok again, claiming to be her friend and partially answering this question.After the arrest of Mirnesa, Mustafa Osmanović ("Herr Mujo", op.cit.) briefly wrote: "There is no money, I am supporting you, queen. Your friend sends you kisses, Herr Mujo", and he also posted a song called "German policemen".

Mirnesa, better known as Miki, is suspected of having stolen more than one million euros from a money transfer company in Stuttgart, where she was employed, on October 14th last year.She had access to the money as an employee of the company. The same day, superiors reported the robbery, and the police began an investigation. They did not clarify how exactly Mirnesa took such a large amount of money out of the company.- Investigations into the whereabouts of the money are ongoing. Mirnesa S. was brought before the magistrate on Tuesday morning - reports the German RTL.Mirnesa, the most wanted woman in Europe, stated during her arrest that she was staying in Montenegro.<h2>Women's prison</h2>She has been in the "Schwäbisch Gmünd" women's prison since the day before yesterday. According to the German media, he will be in a cell of 10 square meters.- A small cell in the women's prison "Schwäbisch Gmünd" instead of a luxurious stay, and water instead of champagne for the woman who stole more than a million euros. Wishes are not fulfilled there, Mirnesa will have to get used to it - RTL writes vividly.

Mirnesa faces ten years in prison. As announced by the Stuttgart prosecutor's office, an indictment for aggravated theft is expected soon.<h2>Reward was also offered</h2>The German police issued a warrant for Mirnesa back in October. They even offered a reward in the amount of 37,500 euros for information about her, which will not be paid because Miki turned herself in.

Her friend Mujo posted on TikTok: "There's no money, I'm supporting you, queen"

Mirnesa, where is the million euros?

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a new convocation of the Council of Ministers without the SDA. It is particularly significant that the Bosniaks managed to retain control over the department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The new minister Elmedin Konaković, although he does not lack energy and ambition, was contested by many, given his lack of diplomatic experience. It should also be noted that this department has divided jurisdiction - namely, part of the authority for foreign affairs is in the hands of the BiH Presidency. <h2>Someone else's staff</h2>In this regard, considerable controversy was caused by the announced appointments of Denis Bećirović to ambassadorial positions. Of the 14 names that were announced, as many as seven performed this duty as SDA cadres.To that should be added Errol Avdović, who in the previous weeks openly supported the policies of DF and Željko Komšić, as well as a large coalition that would include SDA, DF and SDP. There is also the name of Zlatko Lagumdžija for the Secretary General of the UN and Damir Arnaut as a member of Naša stranka. The only ambassador among those announced that Konaković will be able to count on directly, as things stand now, is Haris Bašić, the current deputy mayor of Sarajevo, a person otherwise very close to Konaković.This is particularly significant in light of the fact that Konaković has a historic job ahead of him. During the previous years, we witnessed a significant decline in the position of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the world. There were fewer and fewer old friends left in positions, we mostly did not make new ones, especially in Western countries. At the same time, the diplomacy of Bosnia and Herzegovina for years, has been acting as a literate orchestra, where the appointed personnel represented more often party and ethnic interests than state interests, often in confrontation with each other.Konaković's predecessor, Bisera Turković, spent more time in the countries of Middle East with questionable results than in the highest Western power centers, where crucial decisions for Bosnia and Herzegovina are made.<h2>Shaky connections</h2>Konaković now has before him the responsibility (with the help of the Presidency) to restore to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also to the Bosniaks, the shaken ties in the world and to strengthen our position again, both in the East and in the West. Our diplomacy needs new energy and strategy in the midst of obtaining candidate status for the EU, which requires numerous reforms, as well as lobbying in Bruxelles, the war in Ukraine, which requires the unity of the West, but still a strong sovereignist right with extremely Islamophobic views, which does not at all respect the position of Bosniaks and does not make it easier at all.<h2>Difficult situation</h2>It is also symptomatic that only 14 names of ambassadors that should be appointed by Bećirović have been published. There is no word yet on the personnel of the other two members of the Presidency, Željko Komšić and Željka Cvijanović. However, considering that the SNSD has been conducting its own "diplomacy" for a long time, and that Komšić is in extremely bad relations with Konaković, the new minister will certainly have a very difficult situation in the management of Bosnia and Herzegovina's diplomacy.

It will be necessary for the Presidency and Konaković to manage to direct the diplomatic service to work in the  common interest and with a clear goal

Konaković faces a historical task

Abortion rights proposals have been front and center in Olympia, Washington, this week as state lawmakers heard hours of public testimony on seven proposals that would reinforce abortion access. The emphasis on four legislative committees hearing testimony on abortion bills Tuesday was intended to demonstrate majority Democrats’ support for abortion rights following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, The Seattle Times reported.The June decision upended nearly 50 years of national abortion protections and sparked action in states throughout the country.Lawmakers in Washington have introduced bills that would protect abortion providers in Washington from facing retaliation from other states and lower costs for patients, among others.“I think it’s a real statement of our investment in making sure that these policy priorities not only get heard in both chambers, but early enough in session that we can get everything across the finish line,” Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, said.Supporters and opponents of abortion rights testified in person and remotely, many telling personal stories of pregnancy and seeking abortions.Abortion has been legal in Washington state since a 1970 statewide ballot referendum. Washington voters in 1991 approved Initiative 120, which codified Roe into state law.Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee has asked lawmakers this session to support changing the state constitution to protect abortion rights, and he testified Tuesday in favor of the amendment.“What we considered fixed in the American constellation of Democratic values turned out to be very fragile,” Inslee told lawmakers. “And we cannot be lulled into thinking that that same thing cannot be the case in the state of Washington.”The amendment faces a challenge in that it requires some Republican support to meet a two-thirds threshold in each legislative chamber. If it passes, the amendment would appear before Washington voters in November.Republican Sen. Ann Rivers of La Center questioned Inslee on the need for a constitutional amendment, saying that state law is settled.“And look at the makeup of the Legislature and the makeup of our Supreme Court. … Political theater aside, I don’t see any, any world in which Washington state changes course on this issue,” she said.“I’m trying to say this in a respectful way: What world are you living in?” Inslee responded. “There is a party in our state that wakes up every single morning trying to take away this right from women. And in multiple states, unfortunately, in multiple states, they have done so effectively.”Six other abortion bills require a simple majority to pass and face an easier path. They include a bill that would stop companies from selling data collected from people using apps that track periods and record other health data.

Supporters and opponents of abortion rights testified in person and remotely, many telling personal stories of pregnancy and seeking abortions

Abortion rights proposals have been front and center in Olympia, Washington

Palestinian teen wounds 2, day after 7 killed in Jerusalem

Retired Czech army general Pavel wins presidential election

Ukraine: 'Fast-track' talks underway for missiles, planes

Details of the abduction of a convict in front of Sarajevo Penitentiary: "Deba" forced him into a Golf

Sebija is afraid of the punishment

Internet evidence key, but not enough in no-body murder case

"Businessman" disappeared: Where is Ihtijarević hiding?

Oklahoma investigators identify body as missing 4-year-old

Turkey summons Danish envoy over Quran-burning protest

UK Treasury chief: Tax cuts must wait for inflation to fall

Philippines: Unapproved probe into killings unacceptable

South Korea extends restrictions on travelers from China

Chevron’s buyback boosts stock, get rebuke from White House

Mirnesa, where is the million euros?

Konaković faces a historical task

Washington lawmakers hear testimony on 7 abortion bills

News

Palestinian teen wounds 2, day after 7 killed in Jerusalem

Retired Czech army general Pavel wins presidential election

Ukraine: 'Fast-track' talks underway for missiles, planes

Details of the abduction of a convict in front of Sarajevo Penitentiary: "Deba" forced him into a Golf

Sebija is afraid of the punishment

Internet evidence key, but not enough in no-body murder case

"Businessman" disappeared: Where is Ihtijarević hiding?

Oklahoma investigators identify body as missing 4-year-old

Turkey summons Danish envoy over Quran-burning protest

UK Treasury chief: Tax cuts must wait for inflation to fall

Philippines: Unapproved probe into killings unacceptable

South Korea extends restrictions on travelers from China

Chevron’s buyback boosts stock, get rebuke from White House

Mirnesa, where is the million euros?

Konaković faces a historical task

Washington lawmakers hear testimony on 7 abortion bills