An Algerian supporter of the Hirak protest movement was sentenced to three years in jail Monday for satirical social media posts mocking the government and religion, a campaign group said.
Walid Kechida, 25, was accused of insulting President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and "offending the precepts" of Islam in internet memes and other online posts, said Kaci Tansaout, from the CNLD prisoners' rights group.
-Walid Kechida is sadly sentenced to three years in prison with a fine- Tansaout said, adding that lawyers would appeal.
Lawyer Moumen Chadi confirmed the sentence.
The public prosecutor in Algeria's northeastern Setif province had called for a five-year sentence, and Kechida has already spent eight months in detention awaiting trial.
Algerian authorities have arrested and prosecuted several activists in a bid to stem the Hirak protesters.
The CNLD says over 90 people, including activists, social media users and journalists, are currently in custody in connection with the country's anti-government protest movement or individual liberties -- mostly for dissenting social media posts.
Tebboune last week signed Algeria's new constitution into law, a change the government hopes will turn the page on the long-running Hirak mass protest movement.
The Hirak first launched vast street demonstrations in early 2019 to oppose then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office. 
Following his resignation that April, the Hirak kept up the pressure to demand a full overhaul of the ruling system in place since the North African nation's 1962 independence from France.
A November referendum to approve the constitutional changes received the backing of less than 15 percent of the electorate, in a vote overshadowed by the novel coronavirus pandemic and Hirak calls for a boycott.

Walid Kechida, 25, was accused of insulting President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and "offending the precepts" of Islam in internet memes

Algerians march in an anti-government demonstration in the Algerian city of Bordj Bou Arreridj, about 240kms east of the capital Algiers, on February 14, 2020.

Algerian jailed for 3 years for political protest memes

An extensive and detailed investigation has been launched into who, according to whose order and for what purpose, eavesdropped on the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, writes "Večernje novosti".
According to the information of this paper, the investigation, which is strictly closed, has been going on for some time, and the investigation is being performed by the Internal Control Sector of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia.
At the moment, the interrogations are in progress, in the first place with the members of the Service for Special Investigative Methods of the Criminal Police Directorate.

<h2>An attempt at a silent coup d'état</h2>

According to the paper, the competence of this service is, among other things, the implementation of electronic surveillance.
Former state security operative Božidar Spasić claims that an "attempt of a silent coup d'etat" is underway, with the goal of disrupting the security system around the president, of introducing confusion, of destroying his reputation, above all in the world.
Ljuban Karan, a retired counterintelligence colonel, said that there were clear indications from the environment and the EU that a new hybrid war was being prepared against Serbia, because Vučić and the government in Serbia do not renounce Kosovo and Metohija and the policy of neutrality.

- Behind the wiretapping of the president lies one or more powerful foreign secret agencies, which rely on certain structures of our services, but also on the opposition, certain tycoons and parts of the mafia. All of them are motivated for Vučić to leave power, in order to realize some of their interests - says Karan.
A few days ago, Vučić stated that he had been wiretapped for a long time, a year and a half, that he had evidence for that - his own recorded conversations - and that he might knows who was behind it.
Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin confirmed yesterday that Vučić was wiretapped and that the services are working on an investigation.

At the moment, the interrogations are in progress, in the first place with the members of the Service for Special Investigative Methods of the Criminal Police Directorate

According to whose order and for what purpose was Vučić wiretapped

A detailed investigation has been launched into who wiretapped Vučić

The Council of Doctors of the University Clinical Center of Republic of Srpska stated that the health condition of the member and chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, is stable and that daily improvements are visible.
-Mr. Dodik is feeling well, and the council is considering the possibility of soon discharge for home treatment - it was announced from the UCC RS.
The chairman of the Presidency of BiH was hospitalized on December 20th in Banja Luka, after which it was announced that he was positive for coronavirus and that he had pneumonia.
Two days ago, it was announced that he was retested for the presence of coronavirus and that he was negative.

Dodik is feeling well, and the council is considering the possibility of soon dismissal for home treatment, said the UCC RS

Dodik's health is improved

Six young people, Ivan Miličević, Stipe Romić, Žana Pavković, Mijo Soldo, Stipe Pavković and Marija Pavković, will be buried today in front of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Rakitno.&nbsp; The joint memorial mass will be led by the Bishop of Mostar and Duvanj and the Apostolic Administrator of Trebinje and Mrkanj, Petar Palić.&nbsp; We remind you that Mirela Rezo and Stjepan Jukić were buried yesterday. Four girls and four boys were tragically killed on New Year's Eve in Tribistovo near Posušje.
Due to the death of eight young people near Posušje in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, today is the Day of Mourning.

The joint memorial mass will be led by the Bishop of Mostar-Duvanj and the Apostolic Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan Petar Palić

A river of people arrives at the funeral of six young people from Posušje

"Avaz" on the spot: A river of people arrives at the funeral of six young people from Posušje

An 82-year-old man on Monday became the first person in the world to receive AstraZeneca and Oxford University's new Covid jab outside a clinical trial, raising hopes the fight against a resurgent virus will accelerate.
Brian Pinker, a retired maintenance manager from Oxford in south central England, received the jab at the city's Churchill Hospital, the National Health Service said.
Sam Foster, chief nursing officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, administered the jab wearing protective equipment in front of the media.
-He was great. He was raring to go. He had no hesitation and he said he didn't feel a thing after his vaccine. A great patient and a great advocate for this vaccine- she said.
Pinker, who has been having dialysis for kidney disease, said: "The vaccine means everything to me. To my mind it's the only way of getting back to a bit of normal life."
Britain -- one of the worst-affected countries by the global health crisis, with more than 75,000 deaths -- is pinning its hopes on the jab as the mainstay of its mass vaccination drive.
Some 530,000 doses are to be administered at new vaccination sites across the country, adding to those already giving the Pfizer-BioNTech jab since early last month.
The new vaccine brings hope as a new variant of the virus has caused a surge in cases in England, putting pressure on hospital beds, and prompting calls for tougher restrictions.
There were 54,990 new cases on Sunday and hospitalisations rose almost 20 percent last week. Overall, Britain has now had more than 2.6 million confirmed cases.
The government has responded by putting three-quarters of England's population in the harshest tier of anti-virus restrictions.
The public has been advised to stay at home, and non-essential shops have been shut, along with bars, restaurants and other hospitality and entertainment venues.
But ministers are facing pressure to delay the return of schools after the Christmas holiday because of the rise in cases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday said he was "fully reconciled" to having to introduce tougher restrictions in the next few weeks. 
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC radio on Monday: "I hope we will get through this difficult time in the next few weeks and months. 
-The chances of us being able to do that have significantly accelerated today because we've been able to be the first country in the world to inject this new AstraZeneca vaccine into people's arms.-
Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group that developed the vaccine, was among the first to receive it on Monday.
The UK has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, which Pollard has said could transform the world's fight against the outbreak.
It was created by scientists at the University of Oxford and developed, manufactured and distributed by UK-based pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca.
Britain became the first in the world to approve the use of a vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech on December 2, and has already given nearly one million people a first dose.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is far cheaper than its rivals, costing about £2.50 ($3.40, 2.75 euros) per dose, making it affordable for developing countries.
It can also kept in the fridge while Pfizer-BioNTech's requires storage at ultra-low temperatures.
AstraZeneca has said it plans to increase production capacity globally to up to 3 billion doses this year.
India approved the vaccine on Sunday, following Argentina but the European Union regulator has said it is unlikely to approve the vaccine in January.
The UK has said it plans to administer vaccine in two doses with an interval of four to 12 weeks. Priority is being given to the elderly and clinically vulnerable.

Brian Pinker, a retired maintenance manager from Oxford in south central England, received the jab at the city's Churchill Hospital

82-year-old Brian Pinker is given the Oxford vaccine at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford

Kidney patient, 82, gets first Oxford/AstraZeneca jab

Thousands of people lined up in Beijing Monday to receive a Covid-19 vaccine as China races to innoculate millions before the Chinese New Year mass travel season in February.More than 73,000 people in the Chinese capital have received the first dose of the vaccine over the last couple of days, state media reported Sunday, including community workers and bus drivers.
Health authorities on New Year's Eve granted "conditional" approval to a vaccine candidate made by Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm, which the company said had a 79 percent efficacy rate.
An AFP journalist saw people being bussed into a temporary vaccine centre at a central park, after being instructed to fill in electronic forms about their health status and any allergies at an outside gate.
Some were wearing two layers of surgical face masks.
One man surnamed Gu, a catering worker in his 30s, told AFP his employer had booked him a vaccine appointment at the centre, and that he wanted the jab "for peace of mind."
-I believe any adverse effects will be controllable- he said.
Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed queues outside local hospitals and community health centres as people waited to read consent forms and have their temperatures taken before getting the jab.
Health officials said gyms and empty factories were among centres being used for the vaccination programme.
China plans to vaccinate millions this winter in the run-up to Lunar New Year in mid-February.
Beijing has already administered around 4.5 million doses of largely unproven emergency vaccines this year -- mostly to health workers and other state employees destined for overseas jobs, according to authorities.
But China now plans a gradual rollout for the vaccine starting with key groups considered to have a high risk of exposure to the virus, including port and food logistic workers and people planning to return to studies abroad.
China -- where the coronavirus first emerged late in 2019 -- has broadly stamped out the virus inside its borders, introducing swift local lockdowns and mass testing when cases emerge. 
But the country has stepped up testing and movement controls after a recent spate of small local outbreaks, including a handful of cases in Beijing.

More than 73,000 people in the Chinese capital have received the first dose of the vaccine over the last couple of days

Health authorities on New Year's Eve granted "conditional" approval to a vaccine candidate made by Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm

Beijing vaccinates thousands in Covid-19 jab drive

The shareholders of France's PSA and US-Italian rival Fiat Chrysler are expected to approve their merger on Monday, creating the world's fourth-biggest automaker by volume, Stellantis.
The outcome of the vote by PSA and Fiat shareholders is seen as a foregone conclusion, coming two weeks after the European Commission gave conditional approval to the mega-merger announced in late 2019.
The 50/50 tie-up, which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is seen as crucial for the two groups to undertake the investment needed to transition to clean car technology.
-This merger is a matter of survival for both Fiat and PSA- Giuliano Noci, professor of strategy at Milan Business School said, citing the "enormous technological and strategic challenges" faced by both as well as the damage wrought by the pandemic.
The merger allows Fiat-Chrysler to strengthen its presence in Europe and the French group to regain a foothold in the US.
Ranking behind global rivals such as Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and Toyota, Stellantis will be the fourth-largest automaker by volume and the third-largest by revenue, with a workforce of over 400,000.
The new company will group producers such as Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, each of which will continue under their own brand names.
PSA and Fiat expect the merger to allow them to achieve billions of euros in synergies each year.

-Only the most agile, with a Darwinian spirit, will survive- PSA chief Carlos Tavares, who will take the helm of the merged group, said in November.
The European Commission had been worried the merger could affect competition in Europe's lucrative van market, with PSA and FCA together accounting for 34 percent of market share.
To assuage those concerns, the commission said PSA would continue an agreement with Toyota to manufacture vans to be sold under the Japanese brand in Europe.
The disruptions wrought by Covid-19, which ground manufacturing to a halt for several weeks in the first half of 2020, forced PSA and Fiat to change the terms of their tie-up to ensure it remained a merger of equals.
FCA agreed to lower the exceptional dividend to be distributed to its shareholders while PSA agreed to share out its 46 percent stake in French automotive equipment maker Faurecia among all shareholders of the new company, rather than its shareholders alone as agreed to previously.
The two companies have so far shown relative resilience in the face of the pandemic.
Fiat-Chrysler posted net profits of 1.2-billion-euros ($1.47 billion) in the third quarter, compared with losses of 1.04 billion euros ($1.27 billion) in the second quarter when much of the world was in lockdown.&nbsp;

PSA sold 589,000 fewer vehicles in the third quarter but sold them for more money as part of a strategy to maximise profitability and cash flow which boosted turnover by 1.2 percent. 
At the time when the merger was announced Tavares assured no plant would be closed, but unions in France remain sceptical.
-On the whole it's a good insurance policy for the future of our group. Those who don't make the shift risk being left by the wayside- a representative for the CFTC union at PSA, Franck Don, said.
But he wondered: "What synergies will they find and what consequences will that have for sites in France?"

The outcome of the vote by PSA and Fiat shareholders is seen as a foregone conclusion, coming two weeks after the European Commission gave conditional approval to the mega-merger announced in late 2019.

Rob Nijhof in a 1948 Osfa Faccioli Fiat 750 Sport participates during historical 'Mille Miglia' vintage car rally's second stage from Cervia to Rome, as they pass through San Marino, 23 October 2020.

Peugeot, Fiat merger to be sealed by shareholders

The long-standing habit of the SDA to make senseless and suffocate the state, in a way that through acting positions are collapsing institutions, is reaching their maximum these days.The fact is that acting Director of the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA) of B&amp;H Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, who was publicly accused by the removed police officers of being the protector of his wife's drug dealer, broke out in a scandalous way again.After two indictments and inadmissibly allowing him to lead the state intelligence service, Bakir's family intelligence officer was filmed walking freely, as an accused, with the President of the Court of B&amp;H, Ranko Debevec.In any normal European country, this would be the end of a career for both.

After all, several years ago, the then state prosecutor, the late Milorad Barašin, had to leave because of much less important things. Because he shouted at reporters and because he was photographed talking to a gun trafficking suspect. The President of the Court of B&amp;H is walking with the accused, knowing that Bakir's judicial octopus and silk eights are tied around the neck of the state and that, most likely, the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor will not allow anything significant to happen. Wanting to divert the public's attention from the political beating given to him by former and current SDA members or Zlatko Lagumdžija, Bakir is doing everything to protect his first lady from the shocking fact of more than 4,000 deaths as a result of coronavirus, while she is still wildly managing health or to protect her from her secret role in the "Respirators" affair. Through intelligence intrigues, his journalists and yellow family portals, such as "Slobodna Bosna", he and the Silky Osmica are trying to declare everyone traitors to our country ?! However, traitors are those who destroy the institutions of B&amp;H for the needs of the Poljinski clan and the "Muslim Brotherhood", that is, those retrograde planetary ties.

<h2>„Muslim Brotherhood“ players</h2>

Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, who also walks illegally with Asim Metiljević, the editor of SB, is trying to tell everyone that they are Serbian-Russian players, and even to "Avaz" as well. However, the time will come to confirm the thesis that Mehmedagić and, especially his political mentor, are not only ideological followers of the "Muslim Brotherhood", but also that intelligence data goes into the hands of retrograde options. Changing identities will not help them here, because they "planted pumpkins" with Milošević, Karadžić, Tuđman and Boban. And, for an example, they went to the founding session of the SDS Assembly, prevented the abolition of that genocidal party in Dayton, and not someone from "Avaz" or close to "Avaz". While old Avaz journalists publicly fought against Milošević, the SDA leadership then claimed that the emergence of the SDS was a great thing for B&amp;H democracy, and the editor-in-chief of Slobodna Bosna sent roses to Mirjana Milosević-Marković, praising her husband and the Balkan's executioner. The founder and journalists of "Avaz" were then on the black lists of Greater Serbia politics, just as they seem to be on the black list of fundamentalist operatives in B&amp;H today.

The Poljinski clan continues with "grandiose failures" and ordered pamphlets against "Avaz" in a desire to divert attention from numerous scandals and riots against them

Mehmedagić: Does ISA work for the "Muslim Brotherhood" or B&H

Silky Osmica around the neck of the state of B&H

The "Avaz" reporters were the first to arrive in Tribistovo near Posušje, where the bodies of four boys and four girls were found in a weekend house today.
On the spot, we found desperate family members, Zdenko Ćosić, the Prime Minister of the West Herzegovina Canton, and Milan Galić, the Commissioner of the WHC Ministry of the Interior.
The police blocked the road to the weekend house, which can only be reached by SUV.
As we find out, several days of mourning will be declared in WHC.

On the spot, we found desperate family members, Zdenko Ćosić, the Prime Minister of the West Herzegovina Canton, and Milan Galić, the Commissioner of the WHC  Ministry of the Interior.

"Avaz" in Posušje: These are the first photos from the place of the terrible tragedy

Several dead young people were found in a weekend house in Tribistovo near Posušje, on the road between Posušje and Blidinje, in the area of the West Herzegovina Canton, the WHC Prosecutor's Office confirmed to "Avaz".
On the Facebook page of the mayor of Posušje was confirmed that eight young lives were lost in Posušje last night. 
- We send the most sincere expressions of condolence to the families of the victims - said Mayor Ante Begić.
According to the first unofficial information, there were talks about nine victims. But Avaz found out that four boys and four girls were killed by gas asphyxiation.
Police received a call at 10 AM.
- Police officers are there, they are doing obvious actions at the scene, after that we will have more information - said Martina Medić, spokesperson for the WHC Ministry of the Interior.
More information from the scene coming soon.

According to the first unofficial information, there were talks about nine victims. But Avaz found out that four boys and four girls were killed

Horror near Posušje: Eight dead people found in weekend house

Fahrudin Radončić, the leader of SBB, commented not only on the migrant crisis, but also on the coronavirus pandemic at the New Year's press conference.As he warned, the complete absence of reaction from the level of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is evident. - We have something called a health conference consisting of Minister Gudeljević and two entity health ministers. She never met with them, as far as I know. Then it is not surprising that in B&amp;H we have more than 4,000 deaths due to COVID, which is twice the average than in our neighbors and in other European countries. We have a situation where no one deals with that, why so many people die - Radončić asked. He assessed that the disorganization at both the state and entity levels, when it comes to the pandemic, is best seen in the fact that the vaccination has already begun in neighbouring countries. - I mean Croatia, which is part of the European Union, and Serbia, which is not, and practically no one in B&amp;H knows when the vaccine will come, whether it will come, who is responsible for it and therefore I think we should urgently ask the Council of Ministers to reactivate the work of the Coordination Body and to deal with the strategic solution of issues that are important for the life of citizens - said Radončić.

The SBB leader also spoke about the fight against corruption. - You know that SBB 10 years ago, as one of its most important program points, pointed out the fight against systemic corruption. One of the reasons for my resignation is the political disagreement regarding the fight against corruption. You remember that the "Respirators" affair started then and that friends from the SDA called it an attack to Bosniaks. By coincidence, yesterday the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed the indictment for more than 10.5 million marks of destroyed funds. You know yourself, there is no respirators. Nobody uses them, huge damage was caused and the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H was under unprecedented pressure to drop the indictment. I think that when it comes to the situation in the judiciary, it is good that there has been a change at the head of the HJPC and that we have a political approach, absolute criticism of what the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H is doing and it comes from one political party. And, on the other hand, looking at the Court of B&amp;H as something that is a "holy cow", something that must not be commented on - said Radončić. It is very important, he pointed out, that the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H, had hardest time initiating a large number of investigations and prosecuting a significant number of individuals in the most important positions in the country.- Is it the Minister of Security, is it the director of the Intelligence Service, former ministers, it should be said that the prosecution should be given support to fight systemic corruption and especially against the abuse of those in charge of budget funds, or for human resources they abused for their own purposes, to prevent investigations against themselves.I think that, on the other hand, there are tendencies, if Mr. Bakir Izetbegović can legitimately, as the president of a party, speak about criticism of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H, I think I can notice some tendencies when it comes to the Court of B&amp;H to respect the presumption of innocence and he had some milder criterion than he should have in my point of view. We have cases where Mr. Božo Mihajlović, the prosecutor who stole funds from the prosecutor's office, was sentenced to five years, after which the SDA reacted that it was an incomprehensibly large verdict and it was annulled, and the proceedings were returned to the Municipal Court. Not to mention that the trial against Goran Salihović, the former Chief Prosecutor, has been reduced to the Municipal Court and is slowly melting away, or situations where the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H requested adequate measures for individual indictees, in terms of ban on communication and so on , and I know at least by myself what it used to look like - Radončić pointed out.

Radončić said that, after yesterday's decision of the Court of B&amp;H to confirm the indictment in the "Respirators" case, Mr. Novalić should consider whether, and in what capacity, he can respond to the duties of the Prime Minister of the Federal Government. - Objectively, it is difficult to expect that a man who will have one trial a week, appearing before the judges can successfully manage the government, which has not yet made a big step forward in certain segments, although of course it has its results. - Also, we expect that some indications, given to us by Mr. Čović and Mr. Izetbegović, and the two of them are strategic partners, that the federal government will be formed quickly, it happens and it is their responsibility to implement the 2018 election results at the federal level. SBB is a hostage of their disagreement, and HDZ, SDA and the Democratic Front have more than enough hands to form a new federal government and fulfill their constitutional obligation - said Radončić. He also talked about infrastructure. - I want to mention that next year we must do everything to start the infrastructure works. We saw on one example, on the highway Belgrade - Sarajevo or Sarajevo - Belgrade, that Serbia has done a huge job, and that we have practically not yet determined the route of that highway. It is as if someone is afraid that construction will take place in B&amp;H, that communications will be faster, that people in the region, together with goods, can move more easily, and I really expect that this unblocking will follow immediately and that appropriate levels of government and institutions will dedicate themselves to the start of works as soon as possible and that the works that are happening in other places continue - said Radončić.

<h2>Kamber prosecuted for vote theft </h2>

The president of SBB also commented on the election results and the political reshuffle. - Also, I want to say today that all opposition forces should turn to cooperation, in creating fair elections, ie conditions for fair elections where the electoral will not be criminalized in a way that corrupt or party-hot members of polling stations, and there are thousands of them in all kinds of abuses, Bulgarian trains, purchases, confiscated boxes, falsifying the civil will. I will remind you that the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H prosecuted Mr. Kamber because in the last elections, 1,050 votes for the Bosniak member of the Presidency of B&amp;H were stolen from me in only one small polling station. I believe that in this sense we will be able to agree as political parties that we have better and fairer elections. I will say a few more topics that the elections in Mostar were extremely important to us. I consider it extremely necessary and I really support our coalition giving the mayor of Mostar. The elections in Mostar showed the situation in a picturesque way, for me the most important thing is that they took place and that whoever is the mayor, be it Bosniak, Croat or someone else, or third, we have a peaceful situation and atmosphere where people will work for the benefit of citizens. The elections also showed another position which, as a sovereignist, is really easy to say for years. Someone said that representatives of the Croatian state were coming to Mostar. Someone brought people from Belgrade, someone went to the variant we have already seen before with President Erdogan when are general elections. B&amp;H must get rid of all kinds of paternalism, and Bosniaks really should not participate in making Belgrade, Zagreb or Istanbul the points around which our national policies, and thus the policies of B&amp;H, will revolve. I don't think we need it. We have to solve our own problems in both Mostar and Sarajevo - Radončić added. He commented on the election of Joe Biden to head the United States.&nbsp; -This opens a new option, a new optimism that in B&amp;H certain things will start to move for the better with the help of our international friends, and that this is perhaps the best news that has caught us in this, now last year - said Radončić

Radončić said that, after yesterday's decision of the Court of B&H to confirm the indictment in the "Respirators" case, Mr. Novalić should consider whether, and in what capacity, he can respond to the duties of the Prime Minister of the Federal Gover

Radončić: Izetbegović and I differ in our assessments of the work of the judiciary

The British government said on Wednesday it would put huge swathes of England into the strictest COVID-19 restrictions to counter a highly infectious variant of the virus which is spreading across the country.
Case numbers have risen sharply in Britain in the last two weeks and Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to cancel an easing of the rules over Christmas after a new strain that is up to 70% more transmissible than the original was discovered.
The government, which reported another 981 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours, said three quarters of England’s population would be in the top tier of restrictions from 0001 on Thursday, covering 44.1 million people.
In those areas hospitality venues and non-essential shops are closed and households cannot mix.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said secondary schools would delay and stagger their reopening after Christmas to enable testing to be implemented, while some primary schools in the worst hit areas will not open to all pupils.
“The NHS (health service) is under very significant pressure,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told lawmakers.
“Unfortunately this new variant is now spreading across most of England and cases are doubling fast. It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 4 to a wider area.”
London and surrounding areas were put into the newly created Tier 4 on Dec. 19. The Midlands, the north east, parts of the north west and parts of the south west will join them on Thursday.
Britain has suffered one of the highest death tolls in Europe and the deepest economic contraction from the pandemic.

Case numbers have risen sharply in Britain in the last two weeks

An electronic sign displays information as the British government imposes a stricter tiered set of restrictions amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in London, Britain, December 20, 2020.

UK widens English lockdowns as COVID variant surges

The head of the World Health Organization, marking a year since the first cases of the novel coronavirus were reported by China, urged countries on Wednesday to ensure that vaccines are made available to people at risk everywhere, not just in rich nations.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, appealed for $4 billion to buy COVID-19 vaccines for distribution in lower and middle-income countries through the COVAX vaccine facility.
-This is the challenge we must rise to in the New Year- Tedros said in a video message issued a day before the first anniversary of China reporting the first cases of pneumonia of unknown origin to the U.N. health agency.
-Vaccines offer great hope to turn the tide of the pandemic. But to protect the world, we must ensure that all people at risk everywhere - not just in countries who can afford vaccines - are immunised- he said.
He also urged countries to combat conspiracy theories and attacks on science, saying “The choice is easy,” and the world can “walk the last miles of this crisis together, helping each other along the way, from sharing vaccines fairly, to offering accurate advice, compassion and care” to all who need them.
The COVAX alliance, which aims to secure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries, said on Dec. 18 it had agreements in place for nearly 2 billion doses, roughly doubling its supply, with the first deliveries due in early 2021.
A WHO-led international mission of experts is due to visit China in the first week of January to investigate the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that emerged in the central city of Wuhan in December 2019.
More than 81.84 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,788,443 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
-The likely scenario is the virus will become another endemic virus, a virus that will remain somewhat of a threat but a very low-level threat in the context of an effective global vaccination programme- Mike Ryan, WHO’s top emergency expert, told a press conference on Monday.

Tedros: Vaccines offer great hope to turn the tide of the pandemic

WHO, marking year since COVID-19 began, urges fair vaccine distribution to all

Contrary to warnings that dating apps are encouraging superficial and short-lived flings over true romance, a Swiss study showed Wednesday that app users were more likely to be seeking longterm relationships.
Mobile apps have revolutionised the way people meet around the world, and are quickly becoming the main way couples form in many countries.
Unlike traditional dating sites, which require detailed user profiles, smartphone apps like Tinder and Grindr are largely based on rating photos with a swipe review system.
This has raised fears about the impact on the ways we interact, fall in love and create lasting connections.
But a study conducted at the University of Geneva (UNIG), and published in the PLOS ONE journal, indicates that app-formed couples actually have stronger "cohabition intentions" than couples who meet offline.
"Large parts of the media claim they have a negative impact on the quality of relationships since they render people incapable of investing in an exclusive or long-term relationship," report author Gina Potarca, a researcher at UNIG's the Institute of Demography and Socioeconomics, said in a statement.
"Up to now, though, there has been no evidence to prove this is the case." 
Potarca used a 2018 family survey by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, analysing responses from over 3,000 people who were in a relationship and had met their partner in the past decade.
Her analysis showed that couples who met through an app were more motivated by the idea of living together than others.
"The study doesn’t say whether their final intention was to live together for the long- or short-term," she said, adding though that since expressed desire to marry remained high across the board, "some of these couples likely see cohabitation as a trial period prior to marriage."
The study also found that couples formed via dating apps expressed stronger desires and intentions to have children than others.
Couples who met through dating apps meanwhile also expressed the same level of satisfaction about their relationships as those who met their partners through more traditional means.
Potarca said the findings were especially encouraging at a time when the coronavirus pandemic continues to place traditional dating out of reach for many.
"Knowing that dating apps have likely become even more popular during this year's periods of lockdown and social distancing, it is reassuring to dismiss alarming concerns about the long-term effects of using these tools," she said.

Mobile apps have revolutionised the way people meet around the world

The study at the University of Geneva (UNIG) measured the "cohabition intentions" of couples formed over the previous decade

Dating apps don't destroy love, Swiss study shows

The vote count after the elections in Mostar is coming to an end, and talks on the new government, the mayor and the future of the city on the Neretva are just beginning.
Everyone wants the position of mayor. HDZ, with individually the largest number of won council seats, sees the holder of the list, Mario Kordić, in that position. The "Coalition for Mostar", within which the SDA will probably have eight council seats, is pushing Dr. Zlatko Guzin to become the head the city.

The „Civic bloc“, which consists of the SDP and Naša stranka, would like to place the popular Irma Baralija among the people of Mostar in the mayor's chair.
Three legitimate wishes, 18 hands are required for the majority, and the place is only one. Mathematically, all options are open. The "Coalition for Mostar", with 12 councilors, can appoint a mayor in alliance with "B&amp;H bloc '' and its six councilors, without HDZ.
The HDZ, with its 13 councilors, can most easily elect a mayor from the SDA's eight councilors, which would be a continuation of the decades-old coalition between the two parties. The same can be done with six councilors of the SDP and Naša stranka, but this is already a bit more difficult and unlikely option.

Denis Zvizdić, vice president of the SDA, the party in charge of this year's elections in Mostar, calls for a program gathering of pro-Bosnian parties from the "Coalition for Mostar" and "B&amp;H block '', which can ensure the choice of Dr. Guzina or Irma Baralija for mayor, but it does not solve the problem of further functioning of the government in Mostar, because without HDZ and its 13 councilors, it is simply impossible. 
Our party and the SDP view such and similar initiatives from the SDA with considerable suspicion. It is believed that Zvizdić's call is not sincere and that it is just a forced half-step that the SDA is making, counting on the fact that "B&amp;H bloc'' to reject the offer, which consequently gives an alibi for SDA negotiations and post-election cooperation with HDZ.

This is supported by information about the advanced talks between the leaders of HDZ and SDA, Dragan Čović and Bakir Izetbegović, which are conducted far from the eyes of the public, but also of their coalition partners. Allegedly, the mayor's office for HDZ's Mario Kordić is on the table in exchange for removing the barricades that Čović set up for the formation of the new Government of the Federation of B&amp;H.

<h2>Public conflicts and secret agreements</h2>

Given Mostar's political, economic, and demographic importance to the HDZ and Dragan Čović - whom he unjustifiably calls the "capital city of Croats in B&amp;H" at every opportunity - rumors of a willingness to trade Kordić to head Mostar for the new FB&amp;H government do not appear far from the truth.
Experience so far tells us that the SDA and HDZ always agree in the end, regardless of public conflicts and difficult words.
Especially since the "Coalition for Mostar" (in which the SDA has the most councilors) has achieved a result by which Izetbegović can now wave his peace of mind in front of those within the party who are naturalizing the election debacle in Sarajevo.
If the door is opened for the rapid formation of the Federal Government, in which the SDA currently has only three ministers and prime ministers, the mayoral post in Mostar, from Izetbegović's point of view, will be the lowest price he and the SDA have to pay.

<h2>Is a two-thirds majority possible without the HDZ?</h2>

A much more difficult political operation will be securing a two-thirds majority (24 councilors out of 35), which makes all important decisions in the Mostar City Council, from the budget onwards. The key role in this crossword puzzle will be played by the Alliance for a Better Future, which is part of the "Coalition for Mostar", with three councilors, and the Croatian Republican Party, with three councilors.
With SBB's three councilors, HDZ with 13 and SDA with eight have a two-thirds majority. DF and its leader Željko Komšić have already announced that cooperation with HDZ in the City Council is out of the question, where DF will most likely have one councilor.
In the second variant, in which there would be no SDA and DF, HDZ with 13, ''B&amp;H bloc'' with six and SBB with three councilors, do not have a two-thirds majority, so they need the help of three HRS councilors.
The least likely, more precisely impossible mission is to make the two-thirds majority needed for the functioning of the government in Mostar without the HDZ. All other parties and coalitions, including one SNSD and SDS councilor who does not have a decisive force in any combination, have a total of 22 councilors.

Will there be a barter of the mayor's position for Croats in exchange for the formation of the new Government of the Federation of B&H

Čović and Izetbegović: Intensified conversations

What are Izetbegović and Čović talking about in Mostar?

Members of the B&amp;H Council of Ministers are holding consultations in order to make a decision as soon as possible on what will happen to migrants in the Bihać area.
As "Avaz" finds out, an emergency telephone session is planned, which should be held tonight or tomorrow morning.
However, our sources from the Council of Ministers of B&amp;H claim that the transfer of migrants from the "Lipa" camp to the barracks of the Armed Forces in the area of Bradina - Konjic was abandoned.

As we were unofficially told, the new proposal of the Minister of Security of B&amp;H, Selmo Cikotić, is to allow a temporary reception center for the accommodation of migrants at the center "Bira", which is located in the heart of the city of Bihać.
Cikotić refers to the decision from March 2019., which determined this location as a reception center for migrants.
This decision would be in force until the container settlement "Lipa" is ready, for which the Council of Ministers approved five million KM to Cikotić at yesterday's session in Sarajevo.

Cikotić refers to the decision from March 2019, by which "Bira" was determined as a reception center for migrants

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WHO, marking year since COVID-19 began, urges fair vaccine distribution to all

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News

Algerian jailed for 3 years for political protest memes

A detailed investigation has been launched into who wiretapped Vučić

Dodik's health is improved

"Avaz" on the spot: A river of people arrives at the funeral of six young people from Posušje

Kidney patient, 82, gets first Oxford/AstraZeneca jab

Beijing vaccinates thousands in Covid-19 jab drive

Peugeot, Fiat merger to be sealed by shareholders

Silky Osmica around the neck of the state of B&H

"Avaz" in Posušje: These are the first photos from the place of the terrible tragedy

Horror near Posušje: Eight dead people found in weekend house

Radončić: Izetbegović and I differ in our assessments of the work of the judiciary

UK widens English lockdowns as COVID variant surges

WHO, marking year since COVID-19 began, urges fair vaccine distribution to all

Dating apps don't destroy love, Swiss study shows

What are Izetbegović and Čović talking about in Mostar?

Cikotić gives up on Bradina: Will migrants go to the center of Bihać again?