The announcements that the SDA, after Sarajevo, will lose the governments in both Tuzla and Zenica-Doboj Cantons have come true.
After collecting signatures in Tuzla, the same scenario has now happened in Zenica. Namely, the deputies of several opposition parties, realized the idea announced by the mayor of Zenica, Fuad Kasumović, a few days ago.
Deputies from SDP, SBB, Nezavisni blok, DF, Naša stranka and SB&amp;H collected enough votes for the Government in Zenica-Dobo Canton to be dismissed.
Also, with several agreements on how to dynamize economic development and improve the situation in this canton, the signatories have crystallized the view that the new government should include representatives of the HDZ, as is the case now.

Deputies of SDP, SBB, Nezavisni blok, DF, Naša stranka and SB&H collected a sufficient number of votes

Zenica-Doboj Canton Assembly: The same scenario like in Tuzla

After Tuzla and Sarajevo, the SDA will be ousted from authority in the Zenica-Doboj Canton

London's Heathrow airport on Friday said its Terminal 4 will remain closed until the end of next year because of a slump in passenger numbers caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The west London hub said passenger numbers fell by 88 percent last month from November 2019 due to continued travel restrictions and curbs on movement to cut Covid-19 infection rates across England.
Just 747,000 people used the airport in November and cargo volumes were also down year-on-year, it added.
-Based on current forecasts and continued decline in passengers, the decision has been taken for Terminal 4 to remain non-operational until the end of 2021- it said in a statement.
During the UK-wide coronavirus lockdown from March, Heathrow shut Terminal 3 in April and Terminal 4 in May, switching all flights to terminals 2 and 5.
The airport, which is seeking cost-savings and has put an investment project on hold, appealed to the government for more support to protect jobs.
It wants a full business rates tax relief for all UK airports, and for plans to end tax-free shopping for international travellers from January 1 to be scrapped.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland Kaye called the end to duty-free a "tourist tax", which could be the death knell for struggling businesses in the hospitality reliant on tourism.
The scrapping of duty-free shopping would likely see 2,000 jobs lost at Heathrow alone, he said.
-To make 'Global Britain' a reality, the government should be helping the aviation sector to survive, to develop routes to our key trading partners, and attract businesses and tourists to come to Britain to spend their money- he added.
Before the global health crisis, Heathrow was the biggest airport in Europe but it has since lost business to other hubs including Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Heathrow has introduced pre-departure passenger testing with airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and United Airlines as a way of ending quarantine.

Passenger numbers fell by 88 percent last month from November 2019

Heathrow: Just 747,000 people used the airport in November

London Heathrow Terminal 4 to stay shut for most of 2021

In the last 24 hours, 940 new cases of coronavirus infection have been registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 566 of them in the Federation of B&amp;H, 346 in the Republic of Srpska and 28 in the Brčko District.
37 people died, 16 of them in FB&amp;H, 19 in RS and two in Brčko District.
2,391 samples were reported to the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 566 were positive for the virus.
New cases have been registered in all cantons in Federation of B&amp;H. A total of 303,190 samples have been tested so far, and the virus has been confirmed in 64,033 cases.
As of today, 43,526 patients have been cured in the Federation of B&amp;H, and in the last 24 hours, 625 patients recovered. There are currently 18,705 active cases.
In the past 24 hours, 16 new deaths were reported to the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H. As of today, the total number of deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H is 1802.
Today, 28 new cases of coronavirus infection were registered in the Brčko District of B&amp;H. Two people died, a man and a woman.

<h2>In Republic of Srpska, 346 newly infected,whilst 19 people died</h2>

According to the latest data, there are 346 newly infected people in Republic of Srpska, it was said at the press conference of the representatives of the Institute of Public Health of RS about the current epidemiological situation caused by the coronavirus.
In the past 24 hours, 885 laboratory samples were tested in RS.
According to the place of residence, 108 people are from Banja Luka, 44 from Bijeljina, 19 from Zvornik, 17 from Prijedor, 12 from Laktaši, ten people from Doboj, nine each from Bosanska Gradiška and Bosanska Dubica, eight each from Kotor Varoš and Lopar, seven each from Kostajnica and Teslić, six each from Bratunac, Derventa and Prnjavor, five each from Kneževo, Mrkonjić Grad and Čelinac, four each from Berković, Višegrad and Bosanski Novi, three each from Nevesinje, Novi Goražde, Petrov, Srebrenica and Šamac, two each from Bosanski Brod, Gacko, East Ilidža, East New Sarajevo, Modriča, Oštra Luka, Ugljevik, Foča, Han Pijesak and Čajniče and one person each from Osmak, Petrovac, Ribnik, Rudo, Srbac, Trnovo, Šeković and Šipovo.
19 deaths were reported. From these,there are 11 men and eight elderly and middle-aged women, of whom five are from Banja Luka, two from Bijeljina and Doboj and one each from Bosanska Gradiška, Zvornik, Prijedor, Mrkonjić Grad, Ribnik, Čelinac, Laktaš, Bosanski Novi, Kotor Varoši and Šamca.
So far, 33,271 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Republic of Srpska, and a total of 1,340 people have died.

<h2>Seven deaths were recorded in Canton Sarajevo</h2>

Kemal Beganović, a member of the Crisis Staff of the Ministry of Health of Canton Sarajevo, said at today's press conference that 744 tests were processed, and 179 were newly infected.
- Of that, 56 percent are already self – isolating or they are part of so called family cluster. In the past 24 hours, 312 people have recovered and this number is significantly higher than the number of newly infected. Unfortunately, the number of deaths in the past 24 hours is seven. There are 273 patients in hospital. There are 180 patients in KCUS, including Podhrastove, and 93 patients in the General Hospital - said Beganović.

37 people died, 16 of them in FB&H, 19 in Republic of Srpska and two in Brčko District

In FB&H 566 persons tested positive for coronavirus

In B&H, the number of newly infected people decreased, whilst 37 people died

Turkey on Friday dismissed as "biased" and "unlawful" an EU move to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions in response to Ankara's drilling activities in the Mediterranean. 
Turkey is at loggerheads with EU members Greece and Cyprus over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean. 
Ankara has been challenging Athens over maritime territory in the region by repeatedly sending a gas exploration vessel into disputed waters.
-We reject the biased and unlawful attitude which had to be inserted into the December 10 EU summit conclusions after the pressure of solidarity and veto- the foreign ministry said in a statement. 
After the marathon summit on Thursday, the bloc decided to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions.
France, Greece, and Cyprus are pushing for action against Turkey, but other EU nations including Germany, Italy and Poland oppose slapping broad sanctions or an embargo on a fellow NATO member.
-The council adopted sanctions in the face of Turkey's 'unilateral actions and provocations'- French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune tweeted.

Turkey rejects "biased,unlawful" EU sanctions plan: foreign ministry

Turkey says EU sanctions plan 'biased, unlawful'

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca's Russian branch said Friday it would use part of Russia's homemade Sputnik V vaccine in further clinical trials. 
-Today we announce a clinical trial programme to assess safety and immunogenicity of a combination of AZD1222, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and Sputnik V, developed by Russian Gamaleya Research institute- AstraZeneca said in a statement published on its website in English and Russian.

The pharmaceutical company said that adults over the age of 18 will be enrolled in the trials.
Both the AZD1222 and Sputnik V jabs use human adenovirus vectors.
Russia's Direct Investment Fund, which funded the development of Sputnik V, said in a statement on Friday that on November 23 it offered AstraZeneca "to use one of the two vectors of the Sputnik V vaccine in additional clinical trials of its own vaccine".
Those trials are expected to start before the end of this year. 
-Combinations of different COVID-19 vaccines may be an important step in generating wider protection through a stronger immune response and better accessibility- AstraZeneca said in its statement.
It added that cooperation with the Gamaleya Research Institute -- the developer of the Sputnik V jab -- is "important to explore the potential of vaccine combinations unlocking synergies in protection and accessibility through a portfolio approach."
Russia was one of the first countries to announce the development of a coronavirus vaccine, which it named Sputnik V after the Soviet era satellite. 
Last week Russia started a large-scale public vaccination drive, offering the vaccine initially to medics and other people in risk groups.
While the vaccine is yet to complete its third and final phase of trials, its developers said that interim trial results showed 95 percent efficacy. 
The British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca had earlier said that its vaccine was on average 70 percent effective.

Adults over the age of 18 will be enrolled in the trials

Russia's vaccine is already being offered to medics and other at-risk groups, although it is yet to complete trials

AstraZeneca to use part of Russian Covid vaccine in trials

Italy will invest one billion euros ($1.2 billion) in a joint deal with ArcelorMittal to rescue the country's struggling Taranto steel plant, the steel giant said Friday.
The agreement allows ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel maker, to maintain partial control over production in Italy and avoids the shuttering of the plant, which employs thousands of people.
Under the deal, production will be refocused on lower-carbon steelmaking technologies.
-The agreement provides for a significant financial commitment from the Italian state and represents an important step towards the decarbonisation of the Taranto plant- Italy's economic development minister, Stefano Patuanelli, said in a statement.
Maurizio Landini, leader of the CGIL, Italy's main trade union, called it a "positive move".
ArcelorMittal had announced in 2018 that it was buying Ilva, but backtracked the following year following legal issues relating to the expensive clean-up of the heavily-polluted site.
Italy's government has been desperate to save the Taranto plant, an important employer in the south, since the debt-ridden Ilva was placed under judicial administration in 2015.
The new deal provides for a capital increase of AM InvestCo, ArcelorMittal's subsidiary, which will acquire the remains of Ilva, according to a press release from ArcelorMittal.
Invitalia, a state-owned investment agency, will put in 400 million euros by the end of January, followed by a second tranche of 680 million euros that will leave it with a 60-percent share.
ArcelorMittal will also invest 70 million euros for a 40 percent stake, it said.
The future entity, which aims to produce eight million tonnes of steel in 2025, "involves a series of public support measures, including ongoing government-funded employment support," said the press release.
ArcelorMittal said in June that it would cut about 5,000 jobs out of approximately 11,000 ex-Ilva workers.

Production will be refocused on lower-carbon steelmaking technologies

ArcelorMittal, Italy sign ex-Ilva steel production deal

After the mass vaccination against coronavirus began in Great Britain, the focus of the world public is again the possibility of introducing the COVID passport. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was talk of such a "passport" for those who defeated COVID-19, because at that time there was no word about the vaccine. However, it is now being talked about as something that is not far from reality.

And the American "Washington Post" wrote that this is a concept that will, above all, normalize the travel industry. They state that the "health passport", is primarily intended for international travelers. However, it would be an application in which users could upload verified test results and, when possible, evidence of vaccination.




It's called "CommonPass" and has been tested since this month on some airlines' flights between New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong. The program works through "Apple's" Health app "on IOS or "CommonHealth" on Android, and is connected to 230 US health systems and works by scanning code that contains user information.&nbsp; The second application is called "IATA Travel Pass", and is being developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It should be introduced in the first months of 2021. It will be available first to "Apple" users, and later to those who use Android.
- Vaccination has started in Great Britain. They say everyone will get a card. What it entails and whether it will be important in the future when crossing borders, we will see. I don’t believe it can be solved just like that. For tourism, I don’t know if that might be necessary. I would like it not to be - says Adnan Vlajičić, a tourist worker.

He adds that the vaccination process can certainly create great complications for people when traveling.
- If the states will connect it in some direct way with passports, that is not impossible. And, if in the end it will be the only way to travel, but also for the arrival of guests, then it is logical that something will have to happen. As a tourist worker, I am looking forward to the arrival of guests, and we still don't know what the entrance will be like and how it will be dictated - Vlajičić points out.
Infectologist, prof. dr. Ednan Drljević believes that this is realistic and that it will be the future.
- When we go to a country, they need to be sure that we are COVID-19 free. Until now, you had to have a negative test for coronavirus in writing, and like this, you will always have that you have been vaccinated and that no country is in any danger from you in terms of spreading the infection - says Dr. Drljevic.

- It is not yet possible to know how long the immunity lasts after vaccination, but it is certainly more than six months. For some it lasts a lifetime, for some, like the flu, it lasts a year. But the interrogations are still ongoing and everything needs time to be clarified - said Drljević.

Pandemic brings with it new rules

The COVID passport is again in the focus of the world public

Will we need COVID passports?

Former US President Bill Clinton will take part in a conference on the legacy of the Dayton Peace Agreement organized by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) next week, "Dnevni Avaz" has found out.
It will be an opportunity for Clinton, after a long time, to talk again about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially after his former vice president and close associate Joe Biden won the US elections.
A two-day conference about the future of B&amp;H will be held on December 14th and 15th, on the 25th anniversary of the official signing of the agreement in Paris.
In addition to Clinton, who will be a special guest, the conference will be attended by prominent officials, including Christiane Amanpour, a well-known CNN journalist, Baroness Arminka Helić, Christoph Heusgen, the German ambassador to the UN and a great connoisseur of opportunities in B&amp;H.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, former High Representative Karl Bildt, Austrian Minister Alma Zadić, Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference and former German representative in Dayton will also speak about B&amp;H.
Jim O'Brien, former US Special Representative for the Balkans, Stephen Heinz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation will also participate.
Among the participants are Sabina Čudić, Member of the FB&amp;H Parliament, Predrag Kojović, President of Naša stranka, Ivana Korajlić, Jasmin Mujanović and Jasminko Halilović, and EU Special Representative for Foreign Affairs Nathalie Tocci.

Among the participants are Sabina Čudić, Member of the FB&H Parliament, Predrag Kojović, President of Naša Stranka…

Clinton: The former president is most commendable for the Dayton Peace Agreement

Clinton will talk about the future of B&H

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 14th and 15th this year. Lavrov was supposed to come to B&amp;H ahead of the local elections, but due to isolation he had to cancel his visit at the time.
However, the date of this visit was carefully chosen due to the fact that December 14th will mark the 25th anniversary of signing the Dayton Peace Agreement in Paris. In this way, Lavrov directly signals his commitment to Dayton, but in the way they see it in Moscow, absolutely different from other members of the Peace Implementation Council.

According to diplomatic sources, the visit of Putin's most important man to Bosnia and Herzegovina is perceived as a very strong attempt by Moscow to show by changed geopolitical conditions that it will not so easily give up the already achieved level of influence in the Balkans, especially in B&amp;H.
- Lavrov is a high-ranking Russian official and the fact that he is coming to B&amp;H in such circumstances, while the pandemic lasts, shows that Moscow does not intend to give in easily or leave its influence to someone else. This date and the manner of realization of the visit are a message to the United States of America and especially to the European Union that Russia remains an international player in the region - our source states.
It is known that Russian views the Dayton Agreement in a completely different way from the international community, the United States, the EU and other world powers, and opposes B&amp;H's progress towards membership in the Union and NATO.
- Russia is undoubtedly worried by serious announcements from Washington that the new administration will strongly support B&amp;H's integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic community. That is why Lavrov wants to personally tell his rivals that he has players in B&amp;H - our sources said.

However, well-informed sources believe that, although Russian influence is evident in B&amp;H, they will not be able to prevent a possible stronger initiative from Washington. It is more likely that the Russians will try to slow down the American initiative through partners from the European Union.
Nevertheless, the visit of the Russian official, which comes after the visit of the American Secretary of State to the region and the visit of the European Foreign Minister to B&amp;H, indicates that great and important world officials are taking positions before the new US administration begins its activities.

All of these are clear signals that a major international initiative to address the remaining issues in BiH could be expected as early as next spring, especially with regard to constitutional reform. In this regard, in addition to the American initiative, the role of Brussels will be important, but also indirectly Moscow.

Why Putin's main man is coming to the Balkans

Lavrov wants to show Biden that they are not giving up their influence in B&H

In the last 24 hours, 1,240 newly infected persons and 34 deaths were registered in B&amp;H.
2,765 samples were reported to the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 861 were positive for the virus.
New cases have been registered in all cantons in the Federation of B&amp;H. A total of 300,799 samples have been tested so far, and the virus has been confirmed in 63,467 cases.
As of today, 42,901 patients have been cured in the Federation of B&amp;H, and in the past 24 hours, 656 patients recovered. There are currently 18,780 active cases.
In the past 24 hours, 16 new deaths were reported to the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H. As of today, the total number of deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H is 1786.

<h2>In the last 24 hours, 1,101 laboratory samples were tested in Republic of Srpska</h2>

In the last 24 hours, 1,101 laboratory samples were tested in Republic of Srpska, and the coronavirus was confirmed in 379 cases.
From confirmed cases, 219 newly infected are men and 160 women, of whom 46 are younger, 221 middle-aged and 112 older people.
According to the place of residence, 108 people are from Banja Luka, 52 from Bijeljina, 22 from Trebinje, 20 from Zvornik, 16 from Prnjavor, 14 from Kneževo and Laktaši, 13 from Prijedor, 10 from Bosanska Dubica, nine from Mrkonjić Grad, eight each from Doboj and Kotor Varoš, six each from Bosanska Gradiška and Teslić, five each from Derventa, Srbac, Srebrenica and Čelinec, four each from Bosanski Brod, Sokolac and Ugljevik, three each from Višegrad, Lopar, Modriča, Rudo, Foča and Šamac, two each from Kostajnica, Bratunac, Bosanski Novi, Osmak, Rogatica, Šeković and Šipovo and one each from Vlasenica, Gacko, Jezera, Kalinovik, Milić, Novi Goražde, Pale, Ribnik and Trnovo.
In the last 24 hours, 18 deaths have been reported to the Republic of Srpska Institute of Public Health, in which the presence of the virus has been confirmed. These are 12 men and six elderly and middle-aged women, three of whom are from Bosanska Gradiška, two from Bijeljina, Trebinje and Banja Luka and one each from Nevesinje, Bosanska Kostajnica, Prijedor, Teslić, Petrov, Doboj, Foča , Bosanska Dubica and Laktaša.
On 9th of December, 10 deaths were subsequently reported which have happened in the few previous days (eight from Prijedor and one each from Bosanski Novi and Bosanska Gradiška).

<h2>In Sarajevo Canton two deaths have been reported, and 185 newly infected</h2>

According to the Canton Sarajevo Public Health Institute, 185 new cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in the last 24 hours.
This number is the result of an analysis conducted on 741 samples collected between December 6th and 12th this year. 110 infected persons belong to family clusters or they are contacts of previously ill patients.
At the same time, 294 persons recovered from the infectious disease Covid - 19, which is a data that continues to confirm the continuation of the positive trend, according to which a higher number of recovered than the number of newly infected persons was registered in our canton.
282 people were hospitalized at the clinics and in the Isolator of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo at Podhrastovi (185) and the General Hospital (97), of which eight patients use mechanical respiratory support during breathing. 21 people were discharged from this hospital treatment.
Unfortunately, two deaths have been registered, so the death toll caused by the coronavirus has been increased to 304 people.
Currently, 2,822 cases of coronavirus infection are active in Sarajevo Canton.
From January 30th to December 9th this year, a total of 21,807 people infected with coronavirus were registered, of which 18,681 recovered from the infectious disease Covid-19.

New cases have been registered in all cantons in the Federation of B&H

16 new deaths were reported to the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&H

1,240 newly infected persons and 34 deaths were registered in B&H

On the occasion of misinformation published on the web portal "Slobodna Bosna" on December 10TH, 2020. , that the company "Avaz" d.o.o. allegedly has ownership ties with the illegal business of the brokerage house "Eurohaus Invest" and its real owners, the company through a lawyer informs the public about the following:
The truth is completely different from what was published by the portal "Slobodna Bosna" and all the facts are easily verifiable in the Municipal Court in Sarajevo. Eurohaus Invest d.o.o. Sarajevo, as a fund management company, was founded in 2007, with the share of "Avaz" d.o.o. (represented by the director Bajra Šaban), of 20% or 200,000.00 KM. (Municipal Court in Sarajevo, Decision on Registration, number: 065-0-Reg-07-003614 dated 31 December 2007).
Due to the bad management of that company and the conclusion that with the businesses in question "Avaz" d.o.o. does not want to deal with, the company, ten years ago on 22nd of November 2010. withdrew from "Eurohaus Invest" and ceded its founding share for 86,138.00 KM, and thus realized a loss from investment in the amount of 113,862.00 KM.
This legal change and extract from co-ownership was also verified by the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, through the Decision on Registration number: 065-0-Reg-11-00715.
From this, it is completely clear that the company "Avaz" has nothing to do with the later business of the brokerage house "Eurohaus Invest".
After all, no one from the company "Avaz" ever gave a statement, even as a witness, in the long-term and very thorough investigation of the later business of the company "Eurohaus Invest", which speaks enough about the malice of misinformation placed by the party portal "Slobodna Bosna". For that reason, the company's lawyers will take legal action against those who tried to cause business damage to the company "Avaz" d.o.o.

This legal change and extract from co-ownership was verified by the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, through the Decision on registration number: 065-0-Reg-11-00715

Asim Metiljević, informal editor of "Slobodna Bosna" again placed untruths about the company "Avaz"

"Avaz" has nothing to do with the "Eurohaus" affair

&nbsp;U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said on Wednesday that documents related to development of their COVID-19 vaccine had been “unlawfully accessed” in a cyberattack on Europe’s medicines regulator.&nbsp;The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which assesses medicines and vaccines for the European Union, said hours earlier it had been targeted in a cyberattack. It gave no further details.
Pfizer and BioNTech said they did not believe any personal data of trial participants had been compromised and EMA “has assured us that the cyber attack will have no impact on the timeline for its review.”
It was not immediately clear when or how the attack took place, who was responsible or what other information may have been compromised.
The two companies said they had been informed by the EMA “that the agency has been subject to a cyber attack and that some documents relating to the regulatory submission for Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate” had been viewed.
Such documents could be extremely valuable to other countries and companies rushing to develop vaccines, experts said.
-When it comes to the data submitted to these kinds of regulatory bodies, we are talking confidential information about the vaccine and its mechanism of action, its efficiency, its risks &amp; known possible side effects and any unique aspects such as handling guidelines- said Marc Rogers, founder of a volunteer group fighting Covid-related breaches, CTI-League.
-It also provides detailed information on other parties involved in the supply and distribution of the vaccine and potentially significantly increases the attack surface for the vaccine- adding more ways the formulas or production could be hacked or stolen.
The companies said “no BioNTech or Pfizer systems have been breached in connection with this incident and we are unaware that any study participants have been identified through the data being accessed.”
A spokeswoman for BioNTech declined further comment. Pfizer did not respond to a request for further comment.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is a top contender in the global race to beat back COVID-19. It is already being administered in Britain.

The EMA has said it would complete its review by Dec. 29, although its schedule may change.
The EMA statement gave few details about the attack, saying only it was investigating with help from law enforcement.
-EMA cannot provide additional details whilst the investigation is ongoing- it said in a statement.
U.S. law enforcement and cybersecurity officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Hacking attempts against healthcare and medical organisations have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic as attackers ranging from state-backed spies to cyber criminals hunt for information.
Reuters has previously reported on allegations that hackers linked to North Korea, South Korea, Iran, Vietnam, China and Russia have on separate occasions tried to steal information about the virus and potential treatments.
Reuters has documented that espionage campaigns targeted a slew of pharmaceutical and vaccine development companies including Gilead, Johnson &amp; Johnson, Novavax, and Moderna. Regulators and international organizations such as the World Health Organization have also come under repeated attack.
-Vaccine candidates represent liquid gold to many parties, both in terms of the opportunity and the pure market value- said Rogers, who is also vice president at security company Okta Inc. -Information on the vaccine and access to any link in the distribution chain has significantly increased value.-
The respiratory virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has infected more than 68 million people worldwide, according to a Reuters tally. More than 1.5 million people have died.

London shows vials with Covid-19 vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech

Hackers steal Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine data in Europe, companies say

France's CNIL data privacy watchdog slapped 135 million euros in fines on US tech titans Google and Amazon for placing advertising cookies on users' computers without consent.
The 100-million-euro fine against Google is the largest sanction the regulator has ever imposed, which it justified by the fact 90 percent of French internet users use the firm's search engine.
CNIL said the fines were "for having placed advertising cookies on the computers of users ... without obtaining prior consent and without providing adequate information."
A cookie is a small piece of data stored on a user's computer browser that allows websites to identify users and remember their previous activity. They are important for providing targeted advertising as well as improving user experience on websites.
The CNIL said when a user visited the website google.fr, several cookies used for advertising purposes were automatically placed on his or her computer, without any action required on the user's part.
It said a similar thing happened when visiting one page on the amazon.fr website.
The regulator said "no matter what path the users used to visit the website, they were either insufficiently informed or never informed of the fact that cookies were placed on their computer."
CNIL said the type of cookie used "can only be placed after the user has expressed his or her consent" and thus violated regulations on receiving prior consent.
It faulted Google for providing insufficient privacy information for users as it did not let them know about the cookies which had been placed and that the procedure to block them still left one operational. 
CNIL said after redesigns implemented in September 2020 the websites of both firms stopped placing cookies on computers without consent.
However, it rapped both for still not providing clear or complete information about the use of the cookies and the possibility to refuse them, ordering both to make changes within three months or face additional fines.

CNIL imposed fines of 60 million euros on Google LLC and 40 million euros on Google Ireland Limited.
The 35-million-euro ($42-million) fine is on the Amazon Europe Core subsidiary.
When contacted, Google defended its "record of providing upfront information and clear controls" to users.
A Google representative also complained "that French rules and regulatory guidance are uncertain and constantly evolving" and overlooked its efforts to comply.
Amazon also expressed its disagreement with the fine in a statement sent to AFP.
-We continuously update our personal data protection practices to ensure we meet the needs and expectations of clients and regulators which are in constant evolution- it said in a document written in French. 
The sanctions were based on French regulations before Europe's data protection regulation (GDPR) entered into force in 2018.
The GDPR stiffened fines for violations which can rise to 4 percent of a company's worldwide revenue.
CNIL has said it will begin in April 2021 to fine companies which do not meet the GDPR's requirement of having an option to accept or refuse all cookies.&nbsp;

When contacted, Google defended its "record of providing upfront information and clear controls" to users

Both Amazon and Google were found by France's data privacy watchdog to have violated the privacy of internet users

France fines Google, Amazon 135 mn euros

A female Afghan news anchor and activist was shot dead by assailants Thursday, her employer said, the second journalist killed in a month in Afghanistan.
Malalai Maiwand, in her 20s, was killed along with her driver Mohammad Tahir in the eastern city of Jalalabad as they travelled to work, said Enekaas TV, the private television channel she worked for.
The journalist, whose activist mother was also killed by unknown gunmen five years ago, had previously spoken out about the difficulties of being a female reporter under Afghanistan's ultra-conservative patriarchal system.
Maiwand's death comes as targeted killings of prominent figures becomes increasingly common as violence surges, despite ongoing peace talks between the government and the Taliban.
No group has claimed the attack.
Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial governor, and the local hospital both confirmed the deaths.
-Who has problems with women working in the Afghan society?- deputy spokeswoman to the president Fatima Murchal tweeted.
She added: -These coward culprits will not be forgiven, not even after peace.-
Daily life for women has improved from a nadir under the Taliban, but the United Nations noted there were widespread levels of violence against women in the war-ravaged nation.
The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, a group that oversees journalists' security in the country, warned the continued violence was threatening to undo years of progress.
-If the killing of journalists does not stop, Afghanistan will lose one of its greatest achievements which is press freedom,- the committee tweeted and called for an investigation.
Top US envoy in Kabul Ross Wilson condemned the "assassination" and called for the violence to stop.
President Ashraf Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi also condemned Maiwand's murder.
"The terrorist attack on Malalai Miwand is shocking and utterly despicable," Sediqqi tweeted. "The current senseless violence against our people must end".
Nangarhar province and its capital Jalalabad have seen regular clashes between government forces and the Taliban. The extremist Islamic State group has also claimed several deadly attacks there.
The murder of Maiwand comes just weeks after Radio Liberty reporter Aliyas Dayee was killed in a car bomb attack in Lashkar Gah.
Human Rights Watch said Dayee had previously been threatened by the Taliban.
A former television presenter in Kabul, Yama Siawash, was killed in a similar car bomb attack near his home last month. 
No group has so far claimed those murders.
Afghan forces are battling an increase in violence, much of it unleashed by the Taliban as they attempt to gain leverage in peace talks in Qatar, which opened in September.

No group has claimed the attack

Mourners carry the coffin of Malalai Maiwand, who was a reporter at Enikas Radio and TV in Nangarhar

Female Afghan TV journalist and activist shot dead

Winning the Nobel prize is often the peak of professional achievement, but chemistry laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier, who received the coveted award this week, has her sights set on repeating her success.
Speaking ahead of Thursday's live-streamed ceremony crowning the Nobel awards week, replacing the usual lavish royal banquet in Stockholm, the 51-year-old French geneticist described winning the prize as "life-changing" but said she still had many ambitions. 
-One ambition would be to win another Nobel prize, of course!- she told AFP. 
-But if I want to one day make another discovery, I know I'll need to isolate myself for some years, and I think that's pretty much impossible at the moment- Charpentier said. 
Another medal would see Charpentier echo the achievement of scientist Marie Curie, whose 1911 chemistry prize made her the first person in history to be awarded a second Nobel, eight years after her award for physics.
Along with Jennifer Doudna of the US, Charpentier won the Nobel chemistry prize for the gene-editing technique known as the CRISPR-Cas9 DNA "scissors", a tool that allows scientists to snip DNA and edit the genetic code of animals, plants and microorganisms. 
The discovery has huge implications for creating new medicines and for scientists' understanding of the role of genes in biology and disease. 
Although she has received dozens of professional distinctions and awards in the years since her research was first published in 2011, Charpentier said the Nobel felt special because it is "held in the highest regard by the public".

However, the public recognition brings with it its own demands and opportunities, which can eat into the time needed for research, she said. 
-The challenge in the future for me is to be able to organise myself to contribute to my role, to be present, to be an advocate for science and young scientists- she said. 
-I have to make sure I have time to lead my lab and hopefully some time to continue researching, too.- 
When the award was announced in October -- the first time a Nobel science prize has gone to an all-female team -- the pair said they hoped it would inspire a new generation of women in science.
Charpentier also said she believed the pandemic had increased the understanding of the importance of science among the public and governments, although she feared that funding would suffer in the economic downturn sparked by the coronavirus.
Research "is expensive but science benefits everything around us," she said. &nbsp;
-Everything is science and I hope people understand that.-
Because of the pandemic, the traditional Stockholm ceremony honouring the Nobel laureates has been replaced by an online event Thursday, featuring pre-recorded segments of the laureates receiving their prizes in their countries of residence.
Charpentier accepted her Nobel gold medal and diploma on Monday at a ceremony at the Swedish embassy in Berlin, where she is the director of the director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens.

Emmanuelle Charpentier: winning the prize was "life-changing"

Charpentier received her Nobel diploma and medal from Per Thoresson, the Swedish ambassador to Germany, in Berlin on Monday

'My ambition? Another Nobel prize' says chemistry laureate

The Czech government extended a state of emergency until December 23 on Thursday as the number of Covid-19 infections in the EU member started to surge again.
The Czech Republic registered 6,402 new cases on Wednesday, the fastest growth since November 19, taking the country's total tally since March to 563,333 cases and 9,226 deaths.
-If the situation keeps worsening, we may have to tighten the measures again on Monday- Health Minister Jan Blatny told reporters.
The state of emergency makes decision-making easier for the government at the time of crisis.
The government eased some restrictions a week ago when it reopened restaurants and bars, small shops, museums and galleries and raised the limit on gatherings.
But it has since cut back opening hours for restaurants, which must close at 8pm as of Wednesday.
Ministers have come under fire over the measures described as chaotic by critics as they often do not match the government's five-tier epidemic system introduced in November.
On Wednesday, several pubs across the country rebelled against the measures, staying open after 8pm despite the risk of a hefty fine.
The Czech Republic saw a massive spike in Covid-19 cases earlier in autumn with daily increases of around 15,000 cases, and it has been struggling to flatten the growth curve ever since.

The state of emergency makes decision-making easier for the government at the time of crisis

Jan Blatny:If the situation keeps worsening, we may have to tighten the measures again on Monday

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Female Afghan TV journalist and activist shot dead

'My ambition? Another Nobel prize' says chemistry laureate

Czechs extend state of emergency as Covid spreads again

News

After Tuzla and Sarajevo, the SDA will be ousted from authority in the Zenica-Doboj Canton

London Heathrow Terminal 4 to stay shut for most of 2021

In B&H, the number of newly infected people decreased, whilst 37 people died

Turkey says EU sanctions plan 'biased, unlawful'

AstraZeneca to use part of Russian Covid vaccine in trials

ArcelorMittal, Italy sign ex-Ilva steel production deal

Will we need COVID passports?

Clinton will talk about the future of B&H

Lavrov wants to show Biden that they are not giving up their influence in B&H

1,240 newly infected persons and 34 deaths were registered in B&H

"Avaz" has nothing to do with the "Eurohaus" affair

Hackers steal Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine data in Europe, companies say

France fines Google, Amazon 135 mn euros

Female Afghan TV journalist and activist shot dead

'My ambition? Another Nobel prize' says chemistry laureate

Czechs extend state of emergency as Covid spreads again