The 72-year-old gunman who sprayed bullets into a Southern California ballroom dance hall, killing 11 people, had no known connection with the victims and investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the massacre, the Los Angeles County sheriff said. Before the shooting Saturday night, Huu Can Tran parked a motorcycle just a block away from the ballroom in Monterey Park, which investigators believe he had planned to use as a backup getaway vehicle, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference Wednesday hours after police seized the motorcycle.<h2>Tran later shot himself in the van</h2>Tran opened fire on a mostly elderly crowd of dancers at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, killing 11 people and wounding nine, police said.The carnage, during what should have been joyful Lunar New Year celebrations, sent ripples of fear through Asian American communities already dealing with increased hatred and violence directed at them.Some reports had said Tran frequented the dance hall and fancied himself as an instructor, but Luna said he hadn’t been there in at least five years and did not appear to target the victims specifically.“We have not been able to establish a connection between the suspect and any of the victims thus far,” Luna said.Luna said it wasn’t clear how long Tran had been planning the attack in the city about 8 miles (12.8 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles or what prompted him to spray at least 42 bullets, taking time to reload his weapon, a variant of the MAC-10 semiautomatic machine pistol with a 30-round magazine.Tran's motive continued to elude detectives days after the tragedy as they searched piles of items and paperwork seized from Tran’s home and a van he used to flee, the sheriff said.“It doesn’t make sense,” Luna said. “It really doesn’t.”About 20 minutes after the carnage in Monterey Park, Tran entered another dance hall about 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) away in Alhambra, where an employee confronted and disarmed him during a brief struggle. Tran later shot himself in the van where his body was found Sunday morning.Tran, who was of Vietnamese descent and lived in Hong Kong, had been in the U.S. for seven or eight years. He bought the machine pistol in Monterey Park in 1999 but it was not registered in California, the sheriff said. The gun and the high-capacity magazine are illegal in California.Luna said Tran used a registered semiautomatic handgun when he died by suicide, and a registered bolt-action rifle was found at his home in Hemet, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) from Monterey Park. His only known criminal history was a 1990 arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm but there was no indication of a conviction.Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese on Wednesday defended his decision not to warn the public for hours that a killer was on the loose, saying he did not have enough information at the time to effectively alert residents.Wiese said police in the region were alerted but it didn’t make sense to send out a warning at night to residents in the predominantly Asian American city, even after learning the suspect may have targeted a nearby dance club after the massacre.“I’m not going to send my officers door to door waking people up and telling them that we’re looking for a male Asian in Monterey Park,” Wiese told The Associated Press. “It’s not going to do us any good.”The shooting at 10:22 p.m. Saturday occurred just an hour or so after tens of thousands of people attended Lunar New Year festivities in the city. The public was not notified of the mass shooting for five hours, raising questions about why an alert wasn’t sent to people in the area.Wiese, who was sworn in as chief two days before the shooting, said police were piecing together information from some 40 witnesses, including many who didn’t speak English, and didn’t want to broadcast incorrect information. He said notifying other local, state and federal agencies gave them the ability to get the word out.Less than 48 hours later, a gunman in Northern California shot eight fellow farmworkers, killing seven, at mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay. The shooter was of Chinese descent and most of the victims were Asian.Outside the locked gates of in Monterey Park's Star Dance Studio, a memorial grew higher Wednesday with mounds of bouquets and balloons. Hundreds of people carrying flowers, candles and incense showed up for a vigil.Marlene Xu gathered with fellow dancers by a row of flower-framed photos of the victims. Xu said she danced at the studio four times a week and spent an entire day and night in tears after the violence.<h2>Pope Francis</h2>“It’s hard for us because it’s a part of my life," she said. "It’s like a part of your life is gone.”Vice President Kamala Harris visited the memorial Wednesday, adding her own bouquet, before heading to a senior center to talk to relatives of the victims. She paused in front of each of the large, rose-framed placards that contained photos or names of the victims at the memorial.Speaking briefly to reporters, Harris relayed sentiments on behalf of President Joe Biden and called for Congress to enact stricter gun control laws.“Tragically we keep saying the same things,” Harris said. “Can they do something? Yes. Should they do something? Yes. Will they do something? That is where we all must speak up.”Pope Francis was among those offering condolences, saying in a message to the Los Angeles archbishop that he “implores the divine gifts of healing and consolation upon the injured and bereaved.”Wiese said he’s seen a lot during his three decade career, but some of the first officers on the scene were rookies who had never faced such carnage and the trauma will be hard to forget.Paramedics were loading the wounded into ambulances and treating others inside when the chief arrived. There were bodies every 10 feet: some slumped over tables, others sprawled on the dance floor.“It’s hard to put words to it,” he said. “It takes your breath away when you see it. And it kind of burns the image into your brain.”

Before the shooting Saturday night, Huu Can Tran parked a motorcycle just a block away from the ballroom in Monterey Park

Vice President Kamala Harris lays flowers at a memorial set up outside Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park

Sheriff: Gunman didn't know Monterey Park dance hall victims

From Washington to Berlin to Kyiv, a Western decision to send battle tanks to Ukraine was hailed enthusiastically. Moscow sought to downplay it. The Kremlin has previously warned that such tank deliveries would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, and it has strongly denounced the watershed move by Germany and the United States to send the heavy weaponry to its foe.But it insists the new armor won't stop Russia from achieving its goals in Ukraine.<h2>Russia launched a new wave</h2>“The potential it gives to the Ukrainian armed forces is clearly exaggerated,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Those tanks will burn just like any others.”Moscow played down the move in an apparent attempt to save face as the West raised the stakes in Ukraine. Some Russian experts also emphasized that the supply of the deadly armor will be relatively limited and could take months to reach the front.On Thursday, Russia launched a new wave of missile and self-exploding drone attacks across Ukraine. The attack initially appeared to be a continuation of previous attacks rather than retaliation for the announcements on the tanks.President Vladimir Putin, his diplomats and military leaders have repeatedly warned the West that supplying long-range weapons capable of striking deep inside Russia would mark a red line and trigger a massive retaliation.While other weapons like tanks and certain air defense systems have drawn warnings from Russian officials, the wording has been deliberately vague, perhaps to allow the Kremlin to avoid getting cornered by making specific threats.Poland, the Czech Republic and other NATO allies have provided Ukraine with hundreds of smaller Soviet-made tanks from the Cold War era when they were part of the Soviet bloc. Ukrainian armed forces, who have used similar aging weaponry, needed no extra training to use them. They played an important role on the battlefield, helping Ukraine reclaim broad swaths of territory in 11 months of fighting.As Ukraine's armored units suffered attrition and stockpiles of the old T-72 tanks ran dry in the arsenals of its allies in Central and Eastern Europe, Kyiv has increasingly pushed for delivery of German-made Leopard 2 and U.S. M1 Abrams tanks.After weeks of hesitation, Germany said Wednesday it will provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks and allow other allies willing to follow suit to deliver 88 Leopards to form two tank battalions. The U.S. announced it will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his officials, who long have said the country needs hundreds of tanks to counter a foe with a far superior number as well as other weapons, greeted the Western decision as a major breakthrough, voicing hope that more supplies will follow.“The deliveries of Leopard 2 will take our ground forces to a qualitatively new level,” Ukrainian military expert Oleh Zhdanov told The Associated Press. Even though Leopard 2s are heavier than Soviet-designed tanks, they have a strong edge in firepower and survivability.“One Leopard 2 could be equivalent to three or five Russian tanks,” Zhdanov said.But he noted that the promised number of Western tanks represents only the minimum that Ukraine needs to repel a likely offensive by Moscow, adding that Russia has thousands of armored vehicles.“Kyiv is preparing for a defensive operation, and its outcome will determine the future course of the conflict,” Zhdanov said.Russian military analysts were more skeptical about the Western tanks, arguing that while Abrams proved clearly superior to older models of Soviet-built tanks during the war in Iraq, newer Russian models are more closely matched. They also charged that Leopard 2 tanks used by the Turkish army against the Kurds in Syria proved vulnerable to Soviet-era anti-tank weapons.Some Russian online media quickly posted diagrams of the vulnerable points of the Leopard 2. “Hit Leopard as your grandfather hit Tiger and Panther!” one headline said, referring to Nazi tanks in World War II.Andrei Kartapolov, a retired general who heads the defense affairs committee in the lower house of the Russian parliament, argued that both Leopard 2 and Abrams are inferior to Russia's T-90, a modified version of the T-72.The latest Russian tank, the T-14 Armata, has been manufactured only in small numbers and so far hasn’t been used in the war. The British Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence update that Russia has worked to prepare a small batch of T-14s for deployment in Ukraine, but said it had engine and other problems.Russian observers, meanwhile, noted it could take a significant time for the Western tanks to reach Ukraine, adding that training Ukrainians to use them and properly maintain them would add to the challenge.“It likely means that the Ukrainian military will probably receive a few small batches of tanks that could be incompatible with each other,” Moscow-based defense analyst Ilya Kramnik said in a commentary.Zhdanov, the Ukrainian military analyst, argued that by agreeing to provide Ukraine with tanks, the West crossed an important psychological barrier and could eventually follow up by supplying even more deadly weapons.<h2>Ukraine now will seek more artillery</h2>“Handing over Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine marks a major change in the policy of Western allies, who stopped fearing escalation and are now ready to challenge Russia in the war of resources,” he said. “The West is forced to more widely open the doors to its military arsenals to Ukraine.”Speaking in a video address late Wednesday, Zelenskyy hailed the creation of what he called a “tank coalition” and said Ukraine now will seek more artillery and push for unlocking supplies of long-range missiles and, ultimately, warplanes.Ukrainian officials long have expressed hope for getting U.S. F-16 fighter jets and long-range rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, to hit targets far behind the front lines.Such desires drew ominous remarks from Russian diplomat Konstantin Gavrilov, similar to the kind voiced earlier by Putin and others.“If Washington and NATO give Kyiv weapons to strike peaceful cities deep inside Russia and try to seize the territories that constitutionally belong to Russia, it will force Moscow to take harsh retaliatory action,” Gavrilov told a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. “Don’t tell us then that we haven’t warned you.”

The attack initially appeared to be a continuation of previous attacks rather than retaliation for the announcements on the tanks

A Russian Armata tank, foreground rolls along Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow

Ukraine lauds Western move on tanks, while Russia attacks

With his Batman-like gown, athletic build and bald head, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes cuts an imposing figure. To some, his actions from the bench are more intimidating. Whether it is investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro, arresting protesters on slim evidence or banishing his far-right supporters from social media, de Moraes has been aggressively pursuing those suspected of undermining Brazil’s fragile democracy.<h2>Our democracy is in a situation of extreme risk</h2>In the wake of this month's attack on Brazil’s Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court by a mob of Bolsonaro supporters seeking to overturn the recent election, de Moraes' role as chief judicial power broker has expanded further. Some accuse de Moraes of overstepping in the name of protecting Brazilian democracy from the twin threats of political violence and disinformation. Others view his brash tactics as justified by extraordinary circumstances.“Our democracy is in a situation of extreme risk, so it is understandable that some exceptional restrictions be put in place,” said Juliana Cesario Alvim, a human-rights professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais who has researched the Supreme Court’s decisions. “But that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be criticism of how these cases are handled.”Defining the boundaries of free speech isn’t just a conundrum in Brazil. In the U.S., some conservatives see content moderation of social media as censorship. Some liberals say that not enough is being done to root out hatred, violence and misinformation.In Brazil, Bolsonaro loyalists who say de Moraes is muzzling expression have recently gained support — and the social media megaphone — of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald, who resides in Brazil.Unlike the U.S., where the First Amendment is an almost sacred text taught in every middle school, Brazil’s constitution is more unwieldy. Drafted in the aftermath of the 1964-1985 military dictatorship, it contains of a long list of aspirational goals and prohibitions against specific crimes such as racism and, more recently, homophobia. But freedom of speech is not absolute, according to Jane Reis, a federal judge and law professor in Rio de Janeiro.Still, some of de Moraes' decisions have raised eyebrows — even among his defenders. In August, he authorized search warrants targeting business leaders after a local media outlet reported that they had a private group chat that included loose talk favoring a possible coup, but did not seem to show a coordinated effort to topple democracy.The Supreme Court decided in 2019 to investigate fake news and threats against the top court’s justices, dramatically bolstering de Moraes’ authority to raid, censor and even jail antidemocratic voices.The move immediately generated controversy and was unprecedented because it wasn't the result of a request from lawmakers or a government institution. The probe has been carried out with the court’s magistrates — and de Moraes as lead investigator — serving as accuser, victim and arbiter all at once, according to critics. The court denies that characterization, saying it would rule only on charges prosecutors present or against someone who has special legal protection, such as a sitting lawmaker.Soon enough, de Moraes turned attention to Bolsonaro. In 2020, police raided the homes and froze the social media accounts of far-right supporters and YouTubers, Pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers argued for de Moraes' impeachment, claiming that he was biased against the far-right leader. Bolsonaro for months used his sizable social media presence to raise unfounded doubts about Brazil’s electronic voting system, pitting him against de Moraes as he assumed the presidency of the electoral authority.Since Bolsonaro’s loss to leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in an October runoff, de Moraes' crusade has intensified. Three days after the mob stormed Brazil's capital, de Moraes ordered Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram to block the accounts of individuals accused of inciting or supporting attacks on Brazil’s democratic order. Failure to comply within two hours would result in a fine of 100,000 reais ($20,000) per day, according to the secret edict first revealed by Greenwald.Among those targeted are Nikolas Ferreira, a 26-year-old YouTuber who received the most votes of 513 federal lawmaker candidates in the last election. Days after the assault, Ferreira falsely blamed the incoming administration for the violence.“In the name of democracy, an unelected judge is silencing the elected representatives of the people on the internet,” Greenwald, who fashions himself a free-speech absolutist, said in an interview.Telegram has declined to block Ferreira's account. Local media reported Wednesday, without specifying its sourcing, that the company sent a letter to de Moraes saying that the content-removal orders impede legitimate discussions, imply censorship and curb freedom of expression.Ferreira thanked Telegram on his channel, the only public platform he can still use.“They literally want to disappear me from the internet. Surreal,” he wrote.Moraes on Wednesday fined Telegram 1.2 million reais ($237,000) for failure to comply, and gave the company five days to pay, according to the text of his decision.Legal scholars point out that de Moraes isn’t acting on his own. His decisions, while sometimes taken swiftly in response to news reports, must eventually be ratified by the court's full bench. In the absence of any action from the prosecutor-general — a Bolsonaro appointee — de Moraes has been thrust by his colleagues to the front of their fight against far-right radicalism.The legal experts say that the free speech debate distracts from the bigger concerns about overreach, pointing to a few de Moraes decisions not analyzed by the full bench, including arrests, and the origin of the fake news probe.“The responses of the judiciary must be proportional to the attacks and should not be excessive," said Marcus Vinicius Furtado Coelho, a former president of Brazil’s bar association, who made clear he agrees with almost all of de Moraes’ decisions. Coelho added that the judiciary should arrest people only as “the last resort, and only necessary and after a fair trial.”Brazil’s Supreme Court said in a statement that “every investigation is absolutely constitutional.” It added that de Moraes' rulings in the fake news probe were confirmed by the full court on 40 occasions, as many other investigations under his watch move forward with the court’s authorization.<h2>Uniquely among the Supreme Court's justices</h2>Moraes, 54, appears to relish his image as an enforcer. Uniquely among the Supreme Court's justices, who hail mostly from other courts or prosecutors' offices, he initiated his legal career as a criminal defense attorney. Later, he took the reins as the security chief of Sao Paulo, the most populous state.So far, many leftists and some moderates have seemed willing to turn a blind eye to any potential overreach so long as Bolsonaro’s movement is contained.But they were blasting him as a “coup monger” when he was nominated to the Supreme Court six years ago, accusing him of plotting to impeach then-President Dilma Rousseff, a close Lula ally.During the Jan. 8 invasion of government buildings, a door from de Moraes' office was ripped off and proudly displayed to an excited mob. Hours later, the justice was issuing arrest warrants for hundreds who partook in the mayhem.“These people are not civilized. Just look what they did,” de Moraes said in a speech days later. “The Supreme Court, I am absolutely sure, with legal support, with our constitution, and the Federal Police, will punish everyone responsible.”

The Supreme Court decided in 2019 to investigate fake news and threats against the top court’s justices

Judge Alexandre de Moraes stands as he is sworn in as the new head of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the government body that oversees elections, ahead of the Oct. 2 elections in Brasilia

Crusading judge tests boundaries of free speech in Brazil

Supporters of abortion rights filed separate lawsuits Wednesday challenging two states' abortion pill restrictions, the opening salvo in what’s expected to a be a protracted legal battle over access to the medications. The lawsuits argue that limits on the drugs in North Carolina and West Virginia run afoul of the federal authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has approved the abortion pill as a safe and effective method for ending pregnancy.The cases were brought by a North Carolina physician who prescribes the pill, mifepristone, and GenBioPro, which makes a generic version of the drug and sued in West Virginia.<h2>19 states have separate laws controlling</h2>While the federal court lawsuits target specific state laws, they represent key legal tests that could eventually determine access to abortion for millions of women. Medication recently overtook in-clinic procedures as the most common form of abortion in the U.S.The new litigation turns on a longstanding principle that federal law, including FDA decisions, pre-empt state laws. Indeed, few states have ever tried to fully ban an FDA-approved drug because of past rulings in the agency’s favor.But with the fall of Roe v. Wade there’s little precedent for the current patchwork of laws governing abortion.After the Supreme Court overturned the decision in June, previously adopted restrictions on abortion kicked in and two states adopted new ones. Currently, bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy are being followed in 13 states.On top of that, 19 states — including North Carolina and West Virginia — have separate laws controlling how, when and where physicians can prescribe and dispense abortion drugs.“West Virginia cannot override the FDA’s safety and efficacy determinations, nor can it disrupt the national market for this medication,” David Frederick, an attorney representing GenBioPro, said in a statement.Legal experts foresee years of court battles over access to the pills.North Carolina bans nearly all abortions after 20 weeks, with narrow exceptions for urgent medical emergencies. Physicians can only prescribe medication abortion after state-mandated counseling for their patients and must dispense the drug in person.The lawsuit, filed by Dr. Amy Bryant, an obstetrician and gynecologist, argues that such requirements contradict FDA-approved labeling for the drug and interfere with her ability to treat patients.“We know from years of research and use that medication abortion is safe and effective — there’s no medical reason for politicians to interfere or restrict access to it,” Bryant said in a statement provided by the Expanding Medication Abortion Access project, an abortion rights group working on legal challenges to state laws.The office of Attorney General Josh Stein, who is a defendant in the complaint because he’s the state chief law enforcement officer, was reviewing the complaint on Wednesday, his spokesperson Nazneen Ahmed wrote in an email. Stein, a Democrat who announced last week a bid for governor in 2024, is an abortion-rights supporter.The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000 to end pregnancy, when used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol. The combination is approved for use up to the 10th week of pregnancy.For more than 20 years, FDA limited dispensing of the drug to a subset of specialty offices and clinics, due to safety concerns. In rare cases, the drug combination can cause excess bleeding, requiring emergency care. But since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has repeatedly eased restrictions and expanded access, increasing demand even as state laws make the pills harder to get more many women.In late 2021, the agency eliminated the in-person requirement for the pill, saying a new scientific review showed no increase in safety complications if the drug is taken at home. That change also permitted the pill to be prescribed via telehealth and shipped by mail-order pharmacies.Earlier this year the FDA further loosened restrictions by allowing brick-and-mortar pharmacies to dispense the drug, provided they undergo certification.That change was made at the request of the two drug manufactures: GenBioPro and Danco Laboratories, which makes brand-name Mifeprex.In its West Virginia lawsuit, GenBioPro argues that state laws interfere with drug regulations crafted by the FDA, which has sole authority over the approval and regulation of all U.S. drugs.West Virginia’s law outlaws most abortions, with some exceptions for rape and incest victims and in cases of life-threatening medical emergencies and nonviable pregnancies. The near-total ban, signed into law in September, supersedes earlier laws on abortion pill access.“The ban and restrictions make it impossible for GenBioPro to market and distribute mifepristone in West Virginia in accordance with FDA’s requirements,” the company states in its suit filed in the state’s southern federal district.<h2>Abortion opponents&nbsp;</h2>West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said he would defend the new abortion law. “While it may not sit well with manufacturers of abortion drugs, the U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that regulating abortion is a state issue,” he said in a statement.Abortion opponents have filed their own lawsuits seeking to halt use of the pill, including a Texas suit arguing that the FDA overstepped its authority in approving the medication. Anti-abortion groups on Wednesday vowed to support state abortion limits.“We stand with the people of North Carolina and West Virginia against the abortion lobby’s reckless push to mandate abortion on demand in every state," said Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group.Mifepristone dilates the cervix and blocks the effects of the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol, a drug also used to treat stomach ulcers, is taken 24 to 48 hours later. It causes the uterus to cramp and contract, causing bleeding and expelling pregnancy tissue.

The cases were brought by a North Carolina physician who prescribes the pill, mifepristone, and GenBioPro

 Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022. Lawsuits have been filed in West Virginia and North Carolina challenging the states' restrictions on the use of abortion pills. 

New lawsuits target state restrictions on abortion pills

Germany and the United States announced Wednesday that they will send battle tanks to Ukraine, the first stage of a coordinated effort by the West to provide dozens of the heavy weapons to help Kyiv break combat stalemates as Russia’s invasion enters its 12th month. American President Joe Biden said the U.S. will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, reversing months of persistent arguments by Washington that they were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain.<h2>Intensive consultations</h2>The U.S. decision followed Germany's agreement to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its own stocks. Germany had said the Leopards would not be sent unless the U.S. put its Abrams on the table, not wanting to incur Russia’s wrath without the U.S. making a similar commitment.“This is the result of intensive consultations, once again, with our allies and international partners,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz told German lawmakers. “It was right, and it is important that we didn’t let ourselves be driven" into the decision.Biden said European allies have agreed to send enough tanks to equip two Ukrainian tank battalions, or a total of 62 tanks.“With spring approaching, Ukrainian forces are working to defend the territory they hold and preparing for additional counter-offenses,” Biden said. “To liberate their land, they need to be able to counter Russia’s evolving tactics and strategy on the battlefield in the very near term.”Several European countries have equipped their armies with Leopard 2 tanks, and Germany's announcement means they can give some of their stocks to Ukraine.“German main battle tanks, further broadening of defense support and training missions, green light for partners to supply similar weapons. Just heard about these important and timely decisions in a call with Olaf Scholz,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter. “Sincerely grateful to the chancellor and all our friends in (Germany).”Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines said the decision comes at a critical point.“Tanks will help reduce casualties among our soldiers … then gain new results and win this war quicker,” said Oleksander Syrotiuk, commander of a company in the 17th Tank Brigade deployed in Bakhmut.Ukrainian soldiers and experts said Ukrainian forces are running low on spare parts to repair old Soviet-era tanks and the specific ammunition they require while enduring relentless barrages of Russian artillery. An expected springtime Russian offensive is also looming.Though it will take months before their debut, the tanks will enable Ukraine’s forces to launch counter-offensives and reduce casualties, three military commanders, including two in the army’s tank division, told The Associated Press.“Without the new tanks, we cannot win this war,” said Maksim Butolin, chief sergeant of the 54th Brigade’s Tank Division. He spoke to the AP by phone earlier this week from near the Bakhmut front.Ukrainian forces have had to preserve ammunition and deal with frequent breakdowns and maintenance issues, Syrotiuk said.“The main problem we have with our tanks is they are old,” he said.<h2>The Abrams tanks can hit a moving target up to 2,000 meters</h2>Expressing a preference for the Leopard 2, which he said was more suitable for Ukraine’s terrain, Syrotiuk said the modern tanks had more precise targeting systems, better armor and equipment to allow nighttime operations.Gian Gentile, a U.S. Army veteran and senior historian with the Rand think tank, said the M1 Abrams and the Leopards will give Ukraine a "mechanized armored punching force.”The Abrams tanks can hit a moving target up to 2,000 meters (1.25 miles) away while rolling across rough terrain, he said.Scholz spoke by phone Wednesday with Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, the German chancellery said in a statement. All five leaders agreed to continue military support to Ukraine in close Euro-Atlantic coordination.The $400 million package announced Wednesday by the U.S. also includes eight M88 recovery vehicles — tank-like tracked vehicles that can tow the Abrams if it gets stuck.Altogether, France, the U.K., the U.S., Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden will send hundreds of tanks and heavy armored vehicles to fortify Ukraine as it enters a new phase of the war and attempts to break through entrenched Russian lines.While Ukraine's supporters previously have supplied tanks, they were Soviet models in the stockpiles of countries that once were in Moscow's sphere of influence but are now aligned with the West. Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials insisted their forces need more modern Western-designed tanks.Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev, called Berlin’s decision “extremely dangerous,” saying it “shifts the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts the statements of German politicians about their reluctance to get involved in it.”Scholz had insisted that any decision to provide Ukraine with the powerful tanks would need to be taken in conjunction with Germany's allies, chiefly the U.S. By getting Washington to commit some of its own tanks, Berlin hopes to share the risk of any backlash from Russia.Ekkehard Brose, head of the German military’s Federal Academy for Security Policy, noted the deeper historical significance of the decision.“German-made tanks will face off against Russian tanks in Ukraine once more,” he said, adding that this was “not an easy thought” for Germany, which takes seriously its responsibility for the horrors of World War II.“And yet it is the right decision,” Brose said, arguing that it was up to Western democracies to help Ukraine stop Russia’s military campaign.German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius cautioned that it would take about three months for the first tanks to be deployed in Ukraine. He described the Leopard 2 as “the best battle tank in the world.”The German government said it planned to swiftly begin training Ukrainian tank crews in Germany. The package being put together would also include logistics, ammunition and maintenance.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described German and U.S. intentions as a “a rather disastrous plan.”“Simply because of technological aspects, this is a rather disastrous plan. The main thing is, this is a completely obvious overestimation of the potential (the supply of tanks) would add to the armed forces of Ukraine," Peskov said. "It is yet another fallacy, a rather profound one.”Peskov predicted “these tanks will burn down just like all the other ones. ... Except they cost a lot, and this will fall on the shoulders of European taxpayers.” he added.John Herbst, who was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, questioned the timeline for delivery of the American tanks.<h2>Two smaller opposition parties criticized the move</h2>“Under this schedule Ukraine would be lucky to receive them this calendar year,” said Herbst, who is now senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.Ahead of Scholz's official announcement, members of his three-party coalition government welcomed the Cabinet's agreement to supply the domestically made tanks.“The Leopard’s freed!” German lawmaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt, a senior Green party lawmaker, said.However, two smaller opposition parties criticized the move. The far-right Alternative for Germany, which has friendly ties to Russia, called the decision “irresponsible and dangerous.”“Germany risks being drawn directly into the war as a result,” party co-leader Tino Chrupalla said.Scholz sought to reassure people in his country who were concerned about the implications of sending tanks to Ukraine.“Trust me, trust the government,” he said. “By acting in an internationally coordinated manner, we will ensure that this support is possible without the risks to our country growing in the wrong direction.”Other European nations, such as Finland and Spain, indicated a willingness Wednesday to part with their own Leopard or similar battle tanks as part of a larger coalition.

The U.S. decision followed Germany's agreement to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its own stocks

A boy takes pictures of old tanks on display at a war museum in Kyiv, Ukraine

US, Germany sending battle tanks to aid Ukraine war effort

At today's session of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the appointment of ministers to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, their deputies and the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, was confirmed. 23 representatives in this chamber voted to confirm the appointment, and 19 voted against it.The Minister of Finance will be Zoran Tegeltija (SNSD), the Minister of Transport and Communications Edin Forto (Naša stranka), the Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković (Narod i pravda), the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Staša Košarac (SNSD), the Minister of Security Nenad Nešić (DNS), Minister of Justice Davor Bunoza (HDZ BiH), Minister of Civil Affairs Dubravka Bošnjak (HDZ BiH), Minister of Defense Zukan Helez and Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Sevlid Hurtić (BH Zeleni-Pokret za državu).The future deputy ministers are Josip Brkić, Muhamed Hasanović, Ljiljana Lovrić, Elvir Mahmuzić, Ognjen Janjić, Marijana Mojić, Ivica Bošnjak, Aleksandar Goganović and Slaven Galić and Duška Jurišić.Krišto appointed Zoran Tegeltija and Zukan Helez as her deputies.<h2>SDA in the opposition</h2>This confirmed the formation of the state government without the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). This party could thus be left without numerous directorial and intelligence functions, functions in agencies, without the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the state budget, which amounts to more than one billion KM.Before the vote, Borjana Krišto read the Decision on the Appointment of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Representative Milan Dunović (DF) said that the conditions for the confirmation of the Council of Ministers have not been met today because, as he claims, the security check has not been fully implemented.Mladen Bosić (SDS) said that he does not expect any changes because the two parties that used to be the backbone (op.cit. SNSD and HDZ) still remain in power.- You have in the Council of Ministers a man who was the head of the previous Council of Ministers (op. cit. Zoran Tegeltija), which has the worst results since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Previously, he took care of finances in the RS during the time when three, at that time, large banks failed - said Bosić.<h2>Candidate competencies</h2>Šemsudin Mehmedović (SDA) also criticized security checks.- The lack of competence of the candidates for the Council of Ministers can be observed. We received biographies full of diplomas from wild faculties from Novi Sad, Pale and others in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will alert you on every process you make a mistake. I call on principled colleagues not to support this Council of Ministers, because it can cause institutional damage to BiH, and then there is no going back - said Mehmedović.He accused the Eight that the demands of Belgrade and Zagreb were met, but none of the Bosniaks.Representatives Vujičić (SNSD), Petković (US) and Borenović (PDP) criticized Mehmedović's statement about the BiH Council of Ministers.Zlatko Miletić (Za nove generacije) criticized the low representation of women in the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also said that he does not believe in SIPA checks, especially because of Nenad Nešić, and he also recalled the burning of cars of people connected to DNS in East Sarajevo. Miletić said that he will not support this Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Midhat Čaušević (SDA) criticized the fact that there were changes for the deputy chairman, so at the last minute Zukan Helez was proposed instead of Elmedin Konaković. He also reminded that Helez was accused of giving a false testimony. Čaušević said that four ministers have criminal files.<h2>Disputed choice of Nešić</h2>Miroslav Vujičić said that he was not satisfied with the choice of Nenad Nešić. He says that he is the proposal of a wider coalition, not SNSD, and that it is likely that DNS proposed Nešić as the best. He ordered that the ministers be voted on individually in order to vote against the appointment of Nešić, but that he cannot vote against his colleagues.- I would suggest to all ministers that in their work they should not deal with big topics that bother any of the three peoples, but to deal with issues that are in the interest of all peoples and to be guided by compromise - said Vujičić.Darko Babalj (SDS) also criticized the election of Nenad Nešić and said that he would not support this Council of Ministers and announced that he would remind everyone of what they said, and did not fulfill.- You have the statement of his colleague from the same constituency, Vujičić, who says that he does not agree with the election of Vujičić. Is this normal in the kind of society we live in? We have a reality show circus of daily political statements, I would need two days to list what they said about each other - said Babalj.

Krišto appointed Tegeltija and Helez as her deputies

New convocation of the Council of Ministers was appointed: A new shock for Bakir

The parents of a New Zealand scientist who was killed in Ukraine said Wednesday he helped save hundreds of people while volunteering in the dangerous Donbas region. Andrew Bagshaw, 47, a dual New Zealand and British citizen, was killed along with British colleague Chris Parry, 28, while attempting to rescue an elderly woman from the town of Soledar when their car was hit by an artillery shell, according to Bagshaw's parents, Dame Sue and Phil Bagshaw.<h2>A very tragic situation</h2>The Bagshaws said the deaths, which occurred some time this month, had only just been confirmed to them.They said their son worked independently and wasn't affiliated with an aid agency, They said he helped evacuate people from dangerous areas and bring food, water and medicine to others in need. They said he even fed abandoned pets.Soledar has seen intense military action and Russia this month claimed it had retaken the salt-mining town in a rare recent victory in the 11-month conflict.Bagshaw’s parents said Ukrainian authorities were working with officials in New Zealand and Britain, but it could take some time to get their son's body returned from where it was being held at a children’s hospital mortuary in the capital, Kyiv.New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he'd yet to be officially briefed about the death but had received some preliminary information.“I just want to extend my condolences to the Bagshaw family,” Hipkins said. “I haven't had an opportunity to convey that to them personally yet. It's obviously a very tragic situation for them."Hipkins said that there was very limited consular support available in Ukraine.Andrew Bagshaw's parents told reporters their son was a humanitarian who had traveled to Ukraine in April with little more than a backpack and a travel guide.“He was a very intelligent man, and a very independent thinker,” Phil Bagshaw said. “And he thought a long time about the situation in Ukraine, and he believed it to be immoral. He felt the only thing he could do of a constructive nature was to go there and help people.”<h2>He was an amazing man</h2>Phil Bagshaw said they worried for their son.“We did try to convince him not to go,” he said. “We rapidly realized it was a waste of time.”“We’re very, very proud of him. He was an amazing man,” Sue Bagshaw said. “He had so much talent, and he would have given so much to the research world. And he did. He had lots of papers printed, but he felt human beings were more important.”The Bagshaws said they would be speaking out about the war in Ukraine to anybody who would listen in the hope their son's death wasn't in vain.“We urge the civilized countries of this world to stop this immoral invasion of Ukraine, and help them to rid their homeland of an aggressor,” Sue Bagshaw said.The Bagshaws said their son was single and is survived by a brother, two sisters, and seven nieces and nephews.

They said their son worked independently and wasn't affiliated with an aid agency

New Zealander killed in Ukraine helped hundreds, parents say

The construction of the controversial parking lot behind the "Alta" shopping center in Marindvor continued in mid-January, and the construction of a 22-story skyscraper is planned for that area. However, there are no workers on the construction site for days. The board on which the investor, designer and contractor were listed was also removed. Izvođač radova je firma "Mevludin Commerc", a investitor je "Palace Investments".<h2>Construction of a parking lot</h2>Although the company "Palace Investments", behind which stands Tihomir Brajković, does not have a construction permit for the construction of a 22-story skyscraper in Marindvor, they received a permit for the construction of a parking lot from the Ministry of Transport of the SC.It is disputed how Brajković got the land in Marindvor. On several occasions, the Municipality of Centar and the Institute for Construction of the Canton of Sarajevo denied that they had sold the land to "Palace Investments".However, in March 2020, the representative in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, Igor Stojanović, requested information from the SC Construction Institute about the sold land, which is owned by the Institute.The representative's question was answered by Mirza Hulusić, the former director of the Institute for Construction of SC. Among the plots listed, this one in Marindvor is mentioned.<h2>Plot value</h2>- Sales contract number OPU-IP 1053/2019 for the design of plot A3 in Marindvor concluded with the company "Palace investments" d.o.o. Sarajevo, signed by director Mirza Hulusić, plot area 1,539 square meters, price 1,800 KM per square meter, according to the Centar Municipality Valuation Commission - stated Hulusić in the answer.

The land was sold without bidding or public invitation. The total value of the land sold is almost 2.8 million KM.<h2>No answer</h2>We asked the Construction Institute for information about the plan to build a 22-story skyscraper and how Hulusić gave permission to the company "Palace Investments" without the approval of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, but we did not receive any answers.In response to another inquiry about the works in Marindvor, they gave a terse explanation, that is, that they do not have data on the issuance of building permits, as well as on previous inspections.

"Palace Investments" does not have a building permit for the construction of skyscrapers

Who allowed Brajković to buy state land

A high-level shakeup in the Ukrainian government cost nearly a dozen senior officials their jobs, as the country's president sought Tuesday to root out entrenched corruption while conducting the fight against Russia's invasion. The crackdown came as Poland formally requested permission from Germany to transfer a modest number of its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. Germany builds the high-tech armor and Warsaw needs Berlin's permission to send them to a non-NATO country.<h2>European Union and NATO</h2>In Kyiv, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office quit after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged to address high-level corruption allegations — including some related to specific wartime spending — that have embarrassed authorities and could slow the country’s bids to join the European Union and NATO.Kyrylo Tymoshenko asked to be relieved of his duties, according to an online copy of a decree signed by Zelenskyy and Tymoshenko’s own social media posts. Neither gave a reason for the resignation.Deputy Defense Minister Viacheslav Shapovalov also resigned, local media reported, alleging his departure was linked to a scandal involving the purchase of food for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko quit, too.In all, four deputy ministers and five regional governors were set to leave their posts, the country’s cabinet secretary said on the Telegram messaging app.The departures thinned the government’s wartime ranks as Zelenskyy had already lost his Interior Minister, who oversaw Ukraine’s police and emergency services, and the rest of the ministry’s leadership in a helicopter crash last week.With Western allies channeling billions of dollars to help Kyiv’s fight against Moscow, Zelenskyy had pledged to weed out corruption which some observers have described as endemic. Zelenskyy came to power in 2019 on an anti-establishment and anti-corruption platform.Tymoshenko joined the presidential office in 2019, after working on Zelenskyy’s media and creative content strategy during his presidential campaign.In his nightly video address Sunday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s focus on the Russian invasion would not stop his government from tackling alleged corruption, even amid a war.“I want to be clear: There will be no return to what used to be in the past,” Zelenskyy said.Tymoshenko was last year under investigation relating to his personal use of luxury cars. He was also among officials linked last September by an investigator working with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine to the embezzlement of humanitarian aid worth more than $7 million earmarked for the southern Zaporizhzhia region. He has denied all the allegations.On Sunday, a deputy minister at the infrastructure ministry, Vasyl Lozynsky, was dismissed for being part of a network allegedly embezzling budget funds.Oleksandr Kubrakov, the infrastructure minister, said Lozynsky was relieved of his duties after Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency detained him while he was receiving a $400,000 bribe for helping to fix contracts related to restoring facilities battered by Russian missile strikes.Last June, the EU agreed to put Ukraine on a path toward EU membership. To join the bloc, countries must meet a detailed host of economic and political conditions, including a commitment to the rule of law and other democratic principles.Ukraine has long aspired to join NATO, too, but the military alliance is not about to offer an invitation, because of the country’s contested borders, defense establishment shortcomings and, in part, its corruption issues.Meanwhile, the delivery of an expected 14 Leopard tanks from Poland appeared to be a foregone conclusion, with the main outstanding question being when it will happen.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Sunday that Berlin wouldn’t seek to stop Poland providing the versatile tanks to Kyiv if it asked, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Tuesday the Poles — and other Western allies he didn’t identify — are already training Ukrainian soldiers in Poland on the Leopards.German officials confirmed to the dpa news agency they had received the Polish application and said it would be assessed “with due urgency.”Poland is a leading advocate in the EU for giving military aid to help Ukraine prevail 11 months after the Kremlin’s forces invaded. Though Germany has become one of Ukraine’s main weapons suppliers, other Western allies — especially Poland and the Baltic countries on NATO’s eastern flank that feel especially threatened by Russia — have shown impatience with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s perceived slowness to act.Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak appealed to Germany “to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks” — a reference to recent pressure on Berlin to send some of its own tanks. Germany has hesitated to take that step, despite Ukraine’s pleas.“This is our common cause, because it is about the security of the whole of Europe!” Błaszczak tweeted.Morawiecki aimed another political broadside at Berlin.“I hope the response from the German side comes quickly this time, because the Germans are lingering, dodging, acting in a way that is difficult to understand,” Morawiecki said.He claimed Germany was unwilling to defend Ukraine more broadly and speculated on why that might be: “Does it mean fear, some not entirely comprehensible dread or faith that a return to normal relations with Russia is possible?”NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for the speedy delivery of new weapons to Ukraine, where a broad battlefield stalemate is expected to give way to new offensives in the spring.“At this crucial moment in the war, we need to provide Ukraine with heavier and more advanced systems, and we need to do it faster,” Stoltenberg said Tuesday after talks with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin.<h2>Russian forces</h2>Polish officials have indicated that Finland and Denmark are ready to join Warsaw in sending Leopards to Ukraine. Poland wants to send a 14-strong company of the tanks, but these would barely make an impression in a war that involves thousands of tanks. If other countries contribute, Warsaw reckons, the tank detachment could grow in size.In other developments:Ukraine’s presidential office said Tuesday that at least five civilians were killed and seven others were wounded in Ukraine over the previous 24 hours. One Russian rocket hit a school in eastern Ukraine, killing one person, Donetsk region Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said.Russian forces also shelled nine towns and villages in the northern Sumy region, which borders Russia, hitting a house where a young woman was killed and three other people were wounded, local Gov. Dmytro Zhyvytskyy reported on Telegram.

The crackdown came as Poland formally requested permission from Germany to transfer a modest number of its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier looks out of an APC during combat training in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.

Kyiv targets graft as Poland asks Berlin to OK Ukraine tanks

Meliha Zulović and her husband, who live in Sarajevo, waited eight and a half years to adopt a child. They turned to the Center for Social Work 16 years ago, where they underwent basic processing, which was followed by a long wait. In an interview with "Avaz", Zulović recalled the period of adoption of two children, who were then five and six years old, and today they are schoolchildren aged 13 and 14, who grow up in a happy family of five, because six years ago they also got a sister.<h2>There is no deadline</h2>- Our children were in the difficult-to-adopt category because they are brother and sister. Another thing is that our children were at an growing age. What the public doesn't know is that the focus is on children who are as young as possible and up to one year old, and our children were already of school age, and therefore we got priority on the list of adopters when we said that we don't have a limit - said Zulović.She explained to us that the adoption process itself basically has no time limit.- We waited a long time, and the centers for social work justified that wait by saying that there are not enough children who are ready to go through the legal adoption procedure - she added.Although babies up to one year are most often adopted, the specificity of this case is that the children knew their biological parents and, as Meliha told us, they had the experience of growing up in a biological family. An adaptation period followed, which legally lasts from six months to a year.- The essence of the whole process is actually finding a family for the child, not finding a child for a family that wants to adopt a child, the child's interest is key and that is what we as a society should talk about much more, how much we work for children, how much we damage every child who is without parental care for the reason that we are usurping his basic right according to all conventions, which is his right to create a family and grow up in a family - Zulović believes.<h2>Happy end</h2>Meliha does not hide her joy because off happy end and states that the wait was worth it. Six years ago, she gave birth to a baby girl, although she and her husband thought their chances of conceiving were minimal.<h2>Frozen in space</h2>Zulović mentioned a problem that is little talked about, and it refers to the family law, according to which, if the mother abandons the child, but does not renounce parental rights, that child cannot be adopted. In those cases, the alternative is for the child to be adopted by foster families.- Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a family law and we are sensitive to the deprivation of parental rights, mothers leaves children they do not want to care for, and do not want to give up parental rights, these are the children who are frozen in space, live in institutions, and there is no legal basis to for them to be adopted - said Zulović.

The kids were in the difficult-to-adopt category because they are brother and sister

They adopted two children and then became pregnant

Members of the Indirect Taxation Administration (ITA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with members of the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA) and the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), found and seized 52 kilograms of cocaine in Sarajevo two days ago. <h2>Company owner</h2>It was operation "Crown", and cocaine was found in boxes with bananas that were in a warehouse in Sarajevo.The action was managed by the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the seizure was carried out according to the oral order of the State Court.This is a record seizure of cocaine in Sarajevo. Last year, 73 kilograms of cocaine were seized in Doboj.However, this drug was not intended for the BiH market, nor, as we learn, the 52 kilograms of drugs that were seized on Saturday, that are marked "D&amp;G Prince".According to "Avaz's" information, employees of the company that imported bananas reported to the ITA BiH that they found packages with contents associated with drugs in boxes with bananas.The owner of the company immediately called SIPA and reported everything, so the role of ISA in this story is more than modest.<h2>Entered country through Croatia</h2>The drugs arrived from South America, then entered Croatia through the port of Rijeka, and then by truck to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sarajevo.As no one has been arrested, it is believed that this shipment has strayed into our country. For now, everything points to the fact that the drug was not intended for the BiH market.<h2>What they say from SIPA</h2>It is evident from SIPA's statement that they acted according to the report.- On the basis of the report, and in cooperation with the Indirect Taxation Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of the operational action "Crown", in the area of the Sarajevo Canton, SIPA members discovered and temporarily seized 52 kilograms of powdery substance, which in its appearance is associated with the narcotic drug cocaine – it was stated from SIPA.

The drugs entered Bosnia and Herzegovina via South America and Croatia, and were found by employees of a Sarajevo company

They ordered bananas, but got cocaine!

A judge is set to hear arguments Tuesday on whether to release a report by a special grand jury tasked with investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies broke any laws as they sought to overturn his narrow 2020 election loss in Georgia. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney will hear arguments from the district attorney’s office, news outlets and potentially other parties before making a decision on the release of the report. The special grand jury, whose work was overseen by McBurney, recommended that the report be made public.The report is expected to include recommendations for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on possible criminal prosecution, though it’s unclear just how specific those recommendations will be. The special grand jury did not have the power to issue indictments, and it will ultimately be up to Willis to decide whether to seek indictments from a regular grand jury.If McBurney decides to disseminate the report, he must also determine whether any parts of it should be redacted and whether the report should be made public now or later. It’s unclear how quickly he will rule.The investigation is one of several that threaten potential legal consequences for the Republican former president as he seeks reelection in 2024. Over a period of roughly seven months, the special grand jury heard from dozens of witnesses, including high-profile Trump allies, such as attorney Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and high-ranking Georgia officials, such as Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp.Willis began investigating shortly after a recording of a January 2021 phone call between Trump and Raffensperger became public. In that call, the president suggested that the state’s top elections official, a fellow Republican, could “find” the votes needed to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.“I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump had said. “Because we won the state.”A coalition of news organizations, including The Associated Press, argued in favor of the report's release in full, saying in a filing Monday that the document “is a court record subject to a presumption of openness” under state court rules and the state and federal constitutions. The media group said that the public interest in the report is “extraordinary” and that there “are no countervailing interests sufficient to overcome the presumption.”Willis, a Democrat, had not filed a brief by Monday outlining whether the report should be released.Trump's legal team in Georgia said in a statement that it does not plan to be present or to participate in the hearing.“To date, we have never been a part of this process,” Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg and Jennifer Little wrote, noting that the former president was never subpoenaed or asked to come in voluntarily as part of the investigation.“Therefore, we can assume that the grand jury did their job and looked at the facts and the law, as we have, and concluded there were no violations of the law by President Trump," they wrote.The order granting Willis' request for a special grand jury authorized the panel to “make recommendations concerning criminal prosecution as it shall see fit.”A grand jury handbook produced by the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia says courts have repeatedly held that a grand jury “cannot include, in a report or general presentment, comments that charge or accuse identifiable person(s) of misconduct.” That can only be done in a charging document, like an indictment, the handbook says.“I don’t think you can accuse anybody specifically of committing a crime, so it’s going to have to be a general recommendation” on whether the district attorney should continue to pursue the investigation, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council executive director Pete Skandalakis said of the report.If the special grand jury did recommend that specific people be charged, Skandalakis said he believes that would have to be redacted before the report can be released.While the special grand jury’s work took place in secret, as required by law, related public court filings provided a glimpse of investigative threads that were being pursued. Those included:— Phone calls by Trump and others to Georgia officials in the wake of the 2020 election.— A group of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate in December 2020 falsely stating that Trump had won the state and that they were the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.— False allegations of election fraud made during meetings of state legislators at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020.— The copying of data and software from election equipment in rural Coffee County by a computer forensics team hired by Trump allies.— Alleged attempts to pressure Fulton County elections worker Ruby Freeman into falsely confessing to election fraud.— The abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta in January 2021.

The report is expected to include recommendations for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on possible criminal prosecution

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney swears in potential jurors during proceedings to seat a special purpose grand jury in Atlanta, on May 2, 2022

Judge to hold hearing over Georgia special grand jury report

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

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News

Sheriff: Gunman didn't know Monterey Park dance hall victims

Ukraine lauds Western move on tanks, while Russia attacks

Crusading judge tests boundaries of free speech in Brazil

New lawsuits target state restrictions on abortion pills

US, Germany sending battle tanks to aid Ukraine war effort

New convocation of the Council of Ministers was appointed: A new shock for Bakir

New Zealander killed in Ukraine helped hundreds, parents say

Who allowed Brajković to buy state land

Kyiv targets graft as Poland asks Berlin to OK Ukraine tanks

They adopted two children and then became pregnant

They ordered bananas, but got cocaine!

Judge to hold hearing over Georgia special grand jury report

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