Remembered as an inspirational, humble leader with a passion for education and commitment to his people, former Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah was honored Saturday with a funeral procession that stretched for 100 miles (160 kilometers) from western New Mexico into eastern Arizona. People lined roads on the reservation to say their final farewells to a monumental leader who made education, family, culture and Navajo language the hallmarks of his life. He fought tirelessly to correct wrongdoings against Native Americans.“He led with compassion and a crystal-clear vision of what is right for the people first," said Robert Joe, Zah's nephew who served as the master of ceremonies at a public reception Saturday afternoon. "He always put the people before him to do what was right and for the interest of the people.”Crsytalyne Curley, Zah's granddaughter who is now the speaker of the Navajo Nation Council, said Zah “spread hope throughout the whole Navajo Nation.”Zah died late Tuesday in Fort Defiance, Arizona, surrounded by his family and after a lengthy illness. He was 85.Zah was buried in a private service at his family's cemetery in Low Mountain, Arizona, where he was born.The procession passed through several Navajo communities, with people holding their hands to their hearts and displaying signs that declared Zah would be missed. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority hoisted flags from utility trucks along the route.“All of Indian Country mourns with you today,” said Stephen Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community. “We mourn the loss of his brilliant mind, his personality, his wisdom. ... We are truly mourning the passing of an era.”Zah was the first president elected on the Navajo Nation — the largest tribal reservation in the U.S. — in 1990 after the government was restructured into three branches to prevent power from being concentrated in the chairman’s office. At the time, the tribe was reeling from a deadly riot incited by Zah’s political rival, former Chairman Peter MacDonald, a year earlier.Zah, who also served a term as tribal chairman, vowed to rebuild the Navajo Nation. Under his leadership, the tribe established a now multi-billion-dollar permanent fund after winning a court battle that found the tribe had authority to tax companies that extracted minerals from the vast reservation.“President Zah never lost sight of his purpose: to stand up for the dignity and respect of the Navajo people,” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden wrote in a letter to Zah's family Saturday.U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said in a statement that Zah “transformed the Navajo Nation, and with it, our state.”Sometimes referred to as the Native American Robert Kennedy, Zah was known for his charisma, ideas and ability to get things done, including lobbying federal officials to ensure Native Americans could use peyote as a religious sacrament.Zah also worked to ensure Native Americans were reflected in federal environmental laws like the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.He was well-known for his low-key but stern style of leadership, driving around in a battered, white 1950s International pickup that was on display outside at the public reception Saturday.Several speakers said Zah was instrumental in their determination to attend and graduate from Arizona State University or other institutions of higher learning.“To say Peterson Zah was a champion of education is like saying there are a lot of stars in the sky. It’s an understatement," said Charles Monty Roessel, a former director of the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Education who is now president of Diné College in Arizona.“He understood the transformational power of education because he saw it in his own life,” Roessel said.Buu Van Nygren, president of the Navajo Nation, said Zah had recently met with tribal leaders to emphasize the importance of continuing to prioritize educational opportunities for their children.“He made sure education was at the forefront of everything he did," Nygren said. “He touched many, many generations of young Navajo leaders like myself.”

He fought tirelessly to correct wrongdoings against Native Americans

In this photo provided by the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President, tribal utility workers hiost a flag above a funeral procession route for former Navajo President Peterson Zah

Ex-Navajo president honored in funeral procession, reception

Heavy snow bookended the United States on Tuesday, with a late-season storm bringing a messy morning commute to the Northeast and California residents digging out, or in some cases simply stranded, after yet another storm.While not a blockbuster storm by regional standards, the Northeast felt what could end up being the most significant snowfall of what has so far been a mild winter. The brunt of the storm hit Boston as the Tuesday morning commute commenced.A winter storm warning covered parts of the Northeast, including Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, with heavy snow forecast through Tuesday afternoon.Most of the nation’s flight cancellations or delays were concentrated in the Northeast early Tuesday. There were about 450 flight cancellations in the U.S. and over 500 delays, according to FlightAware.com.Boston could get 5 inches (13 centimeters), according to the weather service. As much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) were forecast in western Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut and Vermont.Dozens of school districts in Massachusetts closed or delayed opening, WCVB-TV reported. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey directed all nonemergency state employees in the executive branch to stay home Tuesday, her office said.By early Tuesday, parts of New York City saw an inch or so of snow — some of the first snow to stick to the ground this season. The worst was over before sunrise, and a mix of snow and rain was expected Tuesday morning in the city, making for a slippery commute, NY1 reported.At the other end of the country, California dug out yet again.San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles, declared a state of emergency amid the latest snow event after many mountain residents were trapped in their homes over the weekend. Heavy snow stranded hundreds of motorists at higher elevations, KTLA-TV reported.Dozens of elementary school children were stranded at a science camp in Crestline for nearly a week, but buses escorted by the state highway patrol eventually evacuated them, the TV station reported. The county fire department used “specialized snow vehicles” to reach people who need critical medical care.The new series of storms arrived even as parts of California were still digging out from last week’s powerful storm, which added to a massive snowpack left by a siege of “atmospheric rivers” in December and January.A cold weather alert was declared for valley and mountain areas north of Los Angeles as overnight temperatures were expected to plunge below freezing for much of the week. Shelters were opened for residents without access to warmth.While the mountainous areas around Los Angeles tried to dig out, rain fell on lower elevations of California, near the Pacific Coast. Storms were to continue moving through the state until the end of Wednesday. Blizzard warnings were in effect in the Sierra Nevada range in California and Nevada.An avalanche warning was issued for the backcountry around Lake Tahoe, where up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow was expected over the next two days in the upper elevations and gale-force winds could create waves up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) high on the lake, the National Weather Service said.State offices across northern Nevada, and the Nevada Legislature in Carson City, shut down.The northbound side of Interstate 5, the West Coast’s major north-south highway, closed amid the weather and was littered with disabled vehicles about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the Oregon line. Interstate 80 was closed due to blizzard conditions.

Most of the nation’s flight cancellations or delays were concentrated in the Northeast early Tuesday

A winter storm warning covered parts of the Northeast, including Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island

Snowstorms flank US, with Northeast, California digging out

Hundreds of people in Croatia have spent the night in their cars or at gas stations and reception centers after a snowstorm over the weekend caused traffic to collapse and left parts of the country cut off. The sudden change of weather after a period of warm and balmy days also has snarled traffic in neighboring Serbia and Bosnia, leaving areas in western Serbia without power and cutting railway traffic to neighboring Montenegro.Croatian authorities said on Monday that the roads leading to and from the Adriatic Sea coastline remain closed because of snow and strong winds. Media reported that cars and buses were parked along the main Croatian highway as they wait to move on.About 300 people have stayed in the reception centers that have been set up because of the situation, said Natalia Turbic, local emergency official in Gracac in central Croatia. Others sought places in private accommodation in the area, she said.State television HRT reported that hundreds of people that couldn't reach the reception centers stayed in buses and cars or looked for gas station cafes nearby which opened their doors for stranded motorists and passengers.People were lying on the floor or sleeping on chairs, HRT said. A group of soccer fans who were traveling from the capital Zagreb to the coastal town of Split were among those stuck on the way.“There is no use in getting irritated,” Melita Ancic, a bus passenger, told HRT. “These are extraordinary circumstances. We just need to be patient.”Marijan Grubisic was traveling from Germany to Bosnia when he got stranded. He told HRT that “we didn't expect something like this.”“It's been tough, lots of snow, very hard, very cold,” he said.While the situation was most dramatic in Croatia, problems were also reported in western Serbia and elevated regions of Bosnia.Serbia's state railway company said that trains to Montenegro weren't running, mostly because of fallen trees and problems in power supplies in the region near the border between the two countries.The towns of Prijepolje and Bajina Basta were without electricity overnight Sunday to Monday, the Tanjug news agency reported.Bosnian authorities said Monday that heavy snow and wind have slowed down traffic throughout the country, especially over the mountains. Landslides and fallen trees are causing further problems, traffic authorities said, urging caution.

Hundreds of people in Croatia have spent the night in their cars or at gas stations

Hundreds blocked on Croatia roads as snowstorm spurs chaos

Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić received in Sarajevo the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Bosnia and Herzegovina Ji Ping, with whom he discussed the current economic and political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speaker Zvizdić and Ambassador Ji agreed that Bosnia and Herzegovina and the People's Republic of China have good bilateral cooperation and friendly relations that should be improved in the coming period as well.They also said that there is significant room for improving cooperation in all segments, especially in the energy sector, as well as in the fields of agriculture, tourism, culture, science and sports.The interlocutors expressed the expectation that successful cooperation and quality partnership will continue in the coming period based on mutual understanding, as well as mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international subjectivity, the Press Service of the BiH PA announced.

They also said that there is significant room for improving cooperation in all segments, especially in the energy sector

Zvizdić and Ji: There is room for enhancement of cooperation between BiH and China in all segments

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a first-instance verdict in which three former members of the Croat Defense Council (HVO) were sentenced to a total of 16 years in prison for crimes against the civilian population in the area of Mostar in 1993, while six others were acquitted.Nedžad Tinjak was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Jure Kordić to three years, while Dražen Lovrić was sentenced to one year.By the same verdict, the accused Tomislav Ančić, Dario Sušac, Nuhan Šikalo, Dario Mihalj, Stanko Škobić and Slavko Golemac were acquitted, BIRN reports.According to the indictment, they acted in violation of the basic principles of international humanitarian law by taking part in an unlawful abduction and/or detention of Bosniak civilians from the territory of Mostar.Neđad Ćorić and Marinko Šunjić were previously accused but the proceedings were suspended due to death.This verdict can be appealed.

Nedžad Tinjak was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Jure Kordić to three years, while Dražen Lovrić was sentenced to one year

Three former members of HVO sentenced to a total of 16 years for crimes in Mostar area

Russian aggression against Ukraine is conducted by all means, including informational ones, it was pointed out at today's conference on the topic "Development of propaganda narratives about Ukraine" organized on the occasion of the anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine.The conference, which aims to strengthen cooperation and recognize the needs of the media community, gathered journalists, fact-checkers, media professionals and members of the academic community from the Western Balkans, Eastern Bloc countries, the Middle East and North Africa.<h2>Powerful weapon</h2>The meeting was opened by the head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Johann Sattler, who reminded that a year ago hell began for 42 million Ukrainians, and during the year the world was flooded with terrible images of civilian murders and massacres. But the war does not only happen on the battlefields, says Sattler, but also in other places, including the information space.- What we saw a year ago, it started much earlier, are the mechanisms developed by the Russian Federation to spread fake news and shift the blame from them to Ukraine, NATO, the European Union and the West globally. It has become a very powerful weapon in this war, and we must confront it - emphasized Sattler.He stated that objective and professional journalism, the fight against fake news and working according to the highest standards are even more important today than ever before, for which he thanked all journalists and civil society who work every day in the fight against misinformation.The editor-in-chief of the fact-checking portal StopFake from Ukraine, Yevhen Fedchenko, addressed the conference and said that Russia's information war against Ukraine started nine years ago, and that was a way to recognize how things would unfold on the ground.<h2>Fake news and propaganda</h2>He says that the war is organized on the basis of fake news and propaganda because it would be very difficult to imagine war operations without this important element. Such disinformation is used to continue aggression and invasion with the aim of further dehumanizing and portraying Ukraine as a failed state.- At the end of the war, Ukrainians hope not only for victory but also for justice against all those behind this system of disinformation, because their responsibility for everything that happens is equal to that of those who fight on the battlefields - concluded Fedchenko.Some of the narratives that were present in the disinformation world concerned the fake news that Ukraine was developing nuclear and bioweapons funded by the United States and that the Nazis had taken power in Ukraine through a coup d'état, and were transmitted not only by anonymous portals but also by public media.&nbsp;

The conference gathered journalists, fact-checkers,  media professionals and members of the academic community

Propaganda narratives comprise a significant part of the war in Ukraine

The candidates for president and vice-president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Refik Lendo, Lidija Bradara and Igor Stojanović, did not reach an agreement today on who will be the president and who will be the vice-presidents of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.It was concluded that this decision will be made by the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at a session that will most likely be scheduled for Monday.The Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina prescribes a procedure by which three candidates decide among themselves which of them will perform the function of president. If an agreement is not reached, it will be decided by the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament.The aforementioned agreement was not reached at today's meeting initiated by Refik Lendo in the FBiH Parliament building.Also, a second meeting is taking place in the FBiH Parliament, which was called by the leadership of the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament in order to determine all relevant facts related to the candidate election process, that is, the process of electing the president and vice president of the Federation of BiH.

It was concluded that this decision will be made by the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH

Lidija Bradara, Igor Stojanović and Refik Lendo

Lendo, Bradara and Stojanović without an agreement on the president/vice presidents of FBiH

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, will pay an official visit to the Republic of Serbia today and tomorrow, February 24 and 25.Today, on the first day of the visit, Konaković will meet with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dačić. After the meeting, statements for the media are planned.As part of this visit, Konaković will also meet with the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, the Minister for European Integration, Tanja Miščević, and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Usama Zukorlić.On the second day of his stay in Serbia, the BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs will visit Novi Pazar, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Konaković will also meet with the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić

Konaković on an official visit to the Republic of Serbia 

On the occasion of the first anniversary of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Denis Bećirović, a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, strongly condemned Vladimir Putin's policies, called for an end to the invasion of the sovereign and independent state of Ukraine, the establishment of peace and respect for international law. - As a member of the BiH Presidency, I once again condemn the Russian aggression against Ukraine. We in Bosnia and Herzegovina know very well what aggression and war bring and how important peace is. I want to offer open support to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of sovereign and independent Ukraine in these difficult times for their country. Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the free and democratic world, stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people in the fight for freedom - Bećirović pointed out.<h2>Numerous cities and towns were destroyed</h2>He states that from February 24 of last year until today, tens of thousands of people, including a large number of civilians, have been killed in Ukraine. Numerous cities and towns throughout the country were destroyed. Russian aggression against Ukraine has also caused a humanitarian crisis, and millions of Ukrainians had to leave their homes.The brutal aggression against Ukraine caused enormous geopolitical changes on the global stage, and also influenced events in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Bećirović emphasizes that the entire democratic world, including the United States of America and the European Union, condemned the aggression against Ukraine, and they justifiably imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation.- We belong to that free world and that's why we completely disassociate ourselves from the awarding of decorations by the president of the entity of RS in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin - underlines Bećirović.<h2>Basic principles of international law</h2>As he said, the position of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is clear: we respect and support the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and condemn the Russian Federation's attack on Ukraine and flagrant violations of international law.- Bosnia and Herzegovina must continue to insist on respecting the basic principles of international law, the UN Charter and the basic principles of international relations directed towards another state - it is stated in the message of a member of the BiH Presidency, Denis Bećirović, on the occasion of the anniversary of the onset of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

We in Bosnia and Herzegovina know very well what aggression and war bring and how important peace is, said Bećirović

Bećirović: BiH stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people

The United States has determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday, insisting that “justice must be served” to the perpetratrors. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Harris said that the international community has both a moral and a strategic interest in pursuing those crimes, pointing to a danger of other authoritarian governments taking advantage if international rules are undermined.“Russian forces have pursued a widespread and systemic attack against a civilian population — gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and deportation,” Harris said. She also cited “execution-style killings, beatings, and electrocution.”The Biden administration formally determined last March that Russian troops had committed war crimes in Ukraine and said it would work with others to prosecute offenders. A determination of crimes against humanity goes a step further, indicating that attacks against civilians are being carried out in a widespread and systematic manner.“Russian authorities have forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of people, from Ukraine to Russia, including children,” Harris said. “They have cruelly separated children from their families."She also pointed to the attack in mid-March on a theater in the strategic port city of Mariupol where civilians had been sheltering, which killed hundreds, and to the images of civilians' bodies left on the streets of Bucha after the Russian pullback from the Kyiv area last spring.Harris said that, as a former prosecutor and former head of California's Department of Justice, she knows “the importance of gathering facts and holding them up against the law.”“In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt,” she said. “These are crimes against humanity.”Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also was attending the Munich conference, said in a statement issued as Harris spoke that “we reserve crimes against humanity determinations for the most egregious crimes.”The new determination underlines the “staggering extent” of suffering inflicted on Ukrainian civilians and “also reflects the deep commitment of the United States to holding members of Russia’s forces and other Russian officials accountable for their atrocities,” he said.Harris told the annual gathering of security and defense officials from around the world: "Let us all agree — on behalf of all the victims, both known and unknown, justice must be served.”“Such is our moral interest,” she said. “We also have a significant strategic interest.”“No nation is safe in a world where one country can violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another, where crimes against humanity are committed with impunity, where a country with imperialist ambitions can go unchecked,” Harris added.If Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds in attacking international rules and norms, “other nations could feel emboldened to follow his violent example,” she said. “Other authoritarian powers could seek to bend the world to their will, through coercion, disinformation and even brute force.”Harris' audience Saturday didn't include any Russian officials. Conference organizers decided not to invite them this year.Asked on the sidelines of the event about the U.S. determination, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba replied that “Russia waged a genocidal war against Ukrainians because they do not recognize our identity and they do not think we deserve to exist as a sovereign nation."“Everything that stems from that is crimes against humanity, war crimes and various other atrocities committed by the Russian army in the territory of Ukraine,” he said. "Let lawyers sort out specifically which act belongs where in terms of legal qualification.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western allies in a video address to the Munich conference on Friday to quicken their military support for Ukraine, declaring that “it’s speed that life depends on.”Kuleba voiced confidence that Ukraine would eventually receive fighter jets from its partners, despite their current reluctance. He noted that they initially pushed back on providing six other types of heavy weapons that were later delivered or promised to Ukraine — anti-tank weapons, artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems, air defense systems, tanks and long-range missiles.“So the only outstanding type of weapon is planes,” Kuleba said.

In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt,” she said

Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich

US: Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine

A recent bird flu outbreak at a mink farm has reignited worries about the virus spreading more broadly to people. Scientists have been keeping tabs on this bird flu virus since the 1950s, though it wasn't deemed a threat to people until a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong among visitors to live poultry markets.As bird flu hits more and varied animals, like at the mink farm, the fear is that the virus could evolve to spread more easily between people, and potentially trigger a pandemic.Scientist say another kind of bird flu was likely behind the devastating 1918-1919 flu pandemic, and avian viruses played roles in other flu pandemics in 1957, 1968, and 2009.Still, the risk to the general public now is low, says Dr. Tim Uyeki of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.A look at the bird flu virus and why it is getting renewed attention:WHAT IS BIRD FLU?Some flu viruses mainly affect people, but some others chiefly occur in animals. For example, there are flus that occur in dogs, plus pig — or swine — flu viruses. And then there are avian viruses that spread naturally in wild aquatic birds like ducks and geese, and then to chickens and other domesticated poultry.The bird flu virus drawing attention today — Type A H5N1 — was first identified in 1959, by investigators looking into a flu outbreak in chickens in Scotland. Like other viruses, it has evolved over time, spawning newer versions of itself.By 2007, the virus was found in more than 60 countries. In the U.S., it has recently been detected in wild birds in every state, as well as in commercial poultry operations or backyard flocks in 47 states. Since the beginning of last year, tens of millions of chickens have died of the virus or been killed to stop outbreaks from spreading, one of the reasons cited for soaring egg prices.HOW OFTEN DO PEOPLE GET BIRD FLU?The Hong Kong outbreak in 1997 was the first time this bird flu was blamed for severe human illness. Out of 18 people infected, six died. To contain the outbreak, the Hong Kong government closed live poultry markets, killed all the birds in the markets, and stopped bringing in chickens from southern China. It worked, for a while.Symptoms are the similar to that of other flus, including cough, body aches and fever. Some people don't have noticeable symptoms, but some develop severe. life-threatening pneumonia.Globally, nearly 870 human infections and 457 deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization in 20 countries. But the pace has slowed and there have been about 170 infections and 50 deaths in the last seven years. In the vast majority of cases, the infected people got it directly from infected birds.The first and only U.S. case occurred just last April. A prison inmate in a work program picked it up while killing infected birds at a poultry farm in Montrose County, Colorado, in the western part of the state. His only symptom was fatigue and he recovered.CAN IT SPREAD BETWEEN PEOPLE?In some instances, investigators concluded that the bird flu virus apparently did spread from one person to another. That happened in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China and Pakistan, most recently in 2007.In each cluster, it spread within families from a sick person in the home. Scientists do not believe it can spread easily through casual contact, as seasonal flu can. But viruses mutate and change. Scientists worry about the ever-increasing number of opportunities for bird flu to mix with other flu viruses in infected people or animals and mutate, making it easier to spread to people.It wouldn't take much for that to happen "and then we would be in a really tough situation,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, chief of infectious diseases and epidemiology at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.The CDC's Uyeki said the most worried he's been about H5N1 was during the earlier clusters. That kind of human-to-human spread does not appear to be happening right now, he said.WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MINK FARM?Recent concern among public health experts has been fueled, in part, by detection of infections in a variety of mammals. The growing list includes foxes, raccoons, skunks, bears and even marine mammals like seals and porpoises. Officials in Peru said three sea lions found dead in November tested positive for, and the recent deaths of hundreds of others may be due to bird flu.Then last month, a European medical journal reported on a bird flu outbreak in October at a mink farm in Spain with nearly 52,000 animals, where the illness spread like wildfire.The mink were fed poultry, and wild birds in the region had been found to have bird flu. But researchers said that however it started, they believe the virus then spread from mink to mink — a worrisome scenario. No workers were infected, though they wore masks as part of COVID-19 precautions.Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health, said the outbreak virus is being watched for mutations that could make it more easily transmitted to people, and potentially between people."That's the real worry," said Nuzzo.

Some flu viruses mainly affect people, but some others chiefly occur in animals

Municipal workers collect dead pelicans on Santa Maria beach in Lima, Peru

Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu

Wafting across the United States and into the attention of an alarmed national and global public, a giant Chinese balloon has changed Americans' awareness of all the stuff floating in the air and how defense officials watch for it and respond. President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. is updating its guidelines for monitoring and reacting to unknown aerial objects. That's after the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon transiting the country triggered high-stakes drama, including the U.S. shootdowns of that balloon, and three smaller ones days later.Biden said officials suspect the three subsequent balloons were ordinary ones. That could mean ones used for research, weather, recreational or commercial purposes. Officials have been unable to recover any of the remains of those three balloons, and late Friday the U.S. military announced it had ended the search for the objects that were shot down near Deadhorse, Alaska, and over Lake Huron on Feb. 10 and 12.In all, the episodes opened the eyes of the public to two realities.One: China is operating a military-linked aerial surveillance program that has targeted more than 40 countries, according to the Biden administration. China denies it.Two: There’s a whole lot of other junk floating up there, too.A look at why there are so many balloons up there — launched for purposes of war, weather, science, business or just goofing around; why they're getting attention now; and how the U.S. is likely to watch for and respond to slow-moving flying objects going forward.WHAT ARE ALL THOSE BALLOONS DOING UP THERE?Some are up there for spying or fighting. Humans have hooked bombs to balloons since at least the 1840s, when winds blew some of the balloon-borne bombs launched against Venice back on the Austrian launchers. In the U.S. Civil War, Union and Confederate soldiers floated up over front lines in balloons to assess enemy positions and direct fire.And when it comes to peacetime uses, the cheapness of balloons makes them a favorite aerial platform for all kinds of uses, serious and idle. That includes everything down to "college fraternities with nothing better to do and $10,000,” joked Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.Himes' role on the committee involved him in a congressionally mandated intelligence and military review of the most credible of sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UFOs. That review also drove home to him and other lawmakers ”how much stuff there is floating around, in particular balloons," Himes said.For the National Weather Service, balloons are the main means of above-ground forecasting. Forecasters launch balloons twice daily from nearly 900 locations around the world, including nearly 100 in the United States.High-altitude balloons also help scientists peer out into space from near the edges of the Earth's atmosphere. NASA runs a national balloon program office, helping coordinate launches from east Texas and other sites for universities, foreign groups and other research programs. School science classes launch balloons, wildlife watchers launch balloons.Commercial interests also send balloons up — such as Google's effort to provide internet service via giant balloons.And $12 gets hobby balloonists — who use balloons for ham radio or just for the pleasure of launching and tracking — balloons capable of getting up to 40,000 feet and higher.That's roughly around the altitude that the U.S. military says the three smaller balloons were at when U.S. missiles ended their flights.Most pilots probably wouldn't even be aware of a collision with such a balloon, said Ron Meadows, who produces balloons — with transmitters the size of a popsicle stick — for middle schools and universities to use for science education.All it “does is report its location and speed,” Meadows said. “It's not a threat to anyone.”Among hobby balloonists, there are suspicions that a balloon declared missing by the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Brigade was one of the ones shot down, as the publication Aviation Week Network first reported. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday the administration was not able to confirm those reportsAnd it's not just the United States' Mylar, foil and plastic overhead. Wind patterns known as the Westerlies sweep airborne things ranging from Beijing's tailpipe soot and the charred chunks of Siberian forest fires swinging over the Arctic and into the United States. China says its big balloon was a meteorological and research one that got picked up by the Westerlies. The U.S. says the balloon was at least partly maneuverable.WHY ARE WE JUST NOW SPOTTING ALL THESE BALLOONS?Short answer: Because we are just now looking for them.Balloons' rise to global prominence got a lift starting in the past few years. Congress directed the Director of National Intelligence to pull together everything the government has learned about unidentified aerial phenomena. That included creating a Defense Department UAP task force.Last year, in the first congressional hearing on unidentified airborne objects in a half-century, Scott W. Bray, the deputy director of Naval intelligence, told lawmakers that improved sensors, an increase in drones and other non-military unmanned aerial systems, and yes, “aerial clutter” including random balloons were leading to people noticing more unidentified airborne objects.That awareness kicked into overdrive this month, after the U.S. military and then the U.S. public spotted the Chinese balloon floating down from the High North. While the U.S. says previous Chinese balloons have entered U.S. territory, this was the first one of them to slowly cross the United States in plain view of the public.That balloon, and what had been growing official awareness of a Chinese military-linked balloon surveillance campaign that had targeted dozens of countries, led U.S. officials to change radar and other sensor settings, screening more closely for slow-moving objects in the air as well as fast ones.SIDEWINDER MISSILES: A LONG-TERM BALLOON STRATEGY?Post big Chinese balloon, U.S. defense officials are expected to keep up broader monitoring so that balloons remain on the radar, but fine-tune the response.Biden's order to the Air Force to shoot down the three smaller airborne objects with Sidewinder missiles left him fending off Republican accusations he was too trigger-happy. Biden says all four shootdowns were warranted since the balloons could have posed dangers to civilian aircraft. Hobby balloons with payloads of only a few pounds are not covered by many FAA airspace rules.Biden says the U.S. is developing “sharper rules” to track, monitor and potentially shoot down unknown aerial objects.He directed national security adviser Jake Sullivan to lead an interagency team to review the procedures.

In all, the episodes opened the eyes of the public to two realities

This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach

Why balloons are now in public eye — and military crosshairs

Israeli forces demolished the home on Thursday of a Palestinian behind a deadly shooting in the occupied West Bank, as tensions and unrest surge in the region. The military said the demolition was carried out after an Israeli court rejected appeals to spare the residence. The home, in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron, was demolished in a controlled explosion. A flash and then grey tufts of smoke were seen emerging from the apartment in the early morning hours.Israel says home demolitions are meant to deter future attackers but critics say they amount to collective punishment against the families of assailants and only exacerbate tensions with Palestinians.In the fatal shooting incident last year, Muhammed Kamel al-Jabari opened fire at the entrance to an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, killing an Israeli man and wounding several civilians before a security guard shot him dead.The demolition comes as unrest has been roiling the region for months. Israel has been conducting near-nightly arrest raids in the West Bank, which were prompted by a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis last spring. Nearly 150 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 2022, making it the deadliest year in those territories since 2004, according to a leading Israeli rights group.Nearly 50 Palestinians have been killed in those lands just this year, a sign that the fighting has intensified in recent weeks, just as Israel's new, far-right government has risen to power. It has promised to take a tough line against the Palestinians, and already has taken steps to ramp up West Bank settlement building.Israel says most of those killed have been militants. But youth protesting the incursions and others not involved in confrontations have also been killed.Some 30 people were killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis last year while at least another 11 people have been killed in attacks this year.Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state.

Israel says home demolitions are meant to deter future attackers but critics say they amount to collective punishment

Israeli troops demolish the house of Palestinian Muhammed Kamel al-Jabari, who carried out a deadly shooting attack last year that killed one Israeli, in the West Bank city of Hebron

Israel demolishes West Bank home of Palestinian attacker

Russia again pummeled Ukraine with a barrage of cruise and other missiles on Thursday, hitting targets from east to west as the war 's one-year anniversary nears. One of the strikes killed a 79-year-old woman and injured at least seven other people, Ukrainian authorities said.Russian forces used a variety of missile types, firing 36 in a two-hour overnight burst, Ukraine’s military chief, Valery Zaluzhnyy, said. Ukrainian air defense batteries shot down 16 of them, he said — a lower rate of success than against some previous Russian waves.Ukrainian authorities said targets in the north, west, south, east and center of the country were struck.The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said Russian forces “changed their tactics” for the strike, deploying what he described as “active reconnaissance” and “false targets.”Russian troops had launched balloons with corner reflectors to deceive Ukraine's air defense as part of an effort to retake some battlefield advantage after months of setbacks, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said.“This indicates that (the Russians) are preparing and not sleeping," Danilov said on Ukrainian TV, "and they are starting to use other methods.”Ukrainian air defenses that have been strengthened by Western-supplied weapons systems and have had high rates of success against previous Russian barrages of missiles and killer drones.One of the overnight strikes caused casualties and destroyed homes in the eastern city of Pavlohrad, the regional governor said. Gov. Serhiy Lysak said a 79-year-old woman was killed and at least seven other people were wounded, including two who were later hospitalized.The strike destroyed seven homes, damaged 30 others and sparked a fire at an industrial plant that emergency services put out within hours, the governor added.A regional governor in western Ukraine, Maksym Kozitskyi, said a fire broke out at a “critical” infrastructure facility in the province of Lviv. He did not immediately offer details.Overall, Russian attacks and shelling over the previous 24 hours killed at least seven people, Ukraine’s presidential office said Thursday.

The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said Russian forces “changed their tactics”

Rescue workers climb by ladder as they clear the rubble of the residential building which was destroyed by a Russian rocket in Pokrovsk, Ukraine

Russia fires another missile barrage at Ukraine, kills 1

She is from Ukraine and he is from Russia. Their love blossomed online, but with their nations at war, the odds of carrying on their relationship were stacked against them. Even so, it didn't take long for the young couple to beat the odds. Mariia Vyhivska and Iurii Kurochkin, now both 23, fell in love while playing an online video game. But Russia's invasion of its neighbor threatened to scuttle their relationship before it even got off the ground. They boldly turned their backs on the war-engendered enmity pervading their homelands and chose to be together.Vyhivska was living in Zvyagel, near Ukraine's capital Kyiv, and Kurochkin in St. Petersburg in Russia. Despite the seemingly insurmountable distance, the couple didn't give up.“It wasn't hard,” said Vyhivska, smiling. “I wasn't afraid, not at all. I am happy. Because I am loved.”Kurochkin recalled how the couple started making plans to meet in person.“It was a year ago ... I started to organize my international passport, to visit Mariia in Ukraine." recalled Kurochkin. "I finished it in January, and as you know, the war started in February and it crashed all our plans.”It seemed that all hope of meeting evaporated amid the Russian onslaught in Ukraine that drew global condemnation and saw millions of Ukrainian refugees stream out of the country.Vyhivska and Kurochkin were at a loss. She moved to Czechia soon after the war started while he stayed at home in Russia. But they didn't give up. They started sizing up “some options to live together," said Kurochkin.The answer turned out to be Serbia, a fellow-Slavic nation in the Balkans that remained friendly with Russia, and where Russians could enter without a visa. Serbia's capital Belgrade was where Vyhivska and Kurochkin met for the first time.“I arrived to Serbia on 27th of April and I waited for her for several days,” he said. “She arrived from the Czech Republic and we met each other at the central bus station."He was all that she imagined, said Vyhivska.“There was this moment of unbelievable joy,” she said. “I traveled for 16 hours and had no sleep, I couldn't sleep. So, I came out of the bus and I fell into his arms.”Their new life together began in that instant. A hostel served as their first abode before the couple found a small flat in a Belgrade suburb. They took up various jobs while pursing IT studies online at a St. Petersburg university.Life together hasn't been without its problems. Last July pro-Russian extremists in Serbia drew a huge Z sign — a symbol of Russia’s invasion — on their building and assailants broke into their flat. They were also attacked by a group of hooligans, Kurochkin said.An estimated 200,000 Russians and some 20,000 Ukrainians have come to Serbia in the past year. Many Russians set up businesses in the Balkan country, which has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia despite seeking European Union membership.“We talk about the war sometimes but we don’t have any problems between each other,” said Kurochkin. “With other people, of course (we have), because there are a lot of people, there are a lot of points of view, so it is impossible to handle them all.”For Vyhivska, the biggest concern has been how she'll be perceived by fellow Ukrainians because of her relationship, even through own family has no objections at all.“What happens next? We'll see,” she said. “We don't know what happens tomorrow, there is danger even of nuclear war, they are frightening us with that now. I can't look too far ahead.”Kurochkin said they will just take things as they come: “We are happy because we are together.”

Kurochkin recalled how the couple started making plans to meet in person

Mariia Vyhivska, from Ukraine, left, and Iurii Kurochkin, from Russia, pose with a heart-shaped sign on the banks of the Ada Ciganlija Lake, in Belgrade, Serbia

Love blossoms in Serbia between Ukrainian, Russian 'enemies'

Humanitarian groups working in southern Turkey and northwest Syria warn that Monday's earthquake will have a “long tail” — a wide range of needs that will require donations for months, or even years, after the rescue and recovery missions end. Among the worst in recent history, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 23,200 in the region and left tens of thousands more homeless, with thousands taking refuge in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centers. Humanitarian access to northern Syria is complicated by the civil war, while sending funds can be blocked or slowed by U.S. sanctions, despite an exemption for relief efforts. The political environment in Turkey also poses challenges.The first shipment of earthquake-related aid crossed from Turkey into Syria's rebel-held enclave on Friday, a painful delay caused by damage and debris but also a U.N. policy that allows only for the use of a single crossing.However, some aid groups were already in place because of the country's 12-year civil war. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) had 500 staff, two of whom were among those killed, stationed in northern Syria, where they’ve helped meet medical needs amid the conflict.“We were able to do a massive distribution of food and blankets to more than 500 families,” from one of their warehouses in the immediate aftermath of the quake, said Avril Benoît, executive director for MSF USA. Her organization keeps emergency supplies on hand in the case of major disasters.“There’s a long tail to an emergency like this, both for the injured from the earthquake, but also for chronic disease management, making sure they have access to their medications,” Benoît said.People will die without access to medications to control chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes, she said, adding that the earthquake will also take a mental toll.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said they had 5,200 volunteers mobilized on both sides of the border, with the Turkish operation being more robust and better-equipped because of its longstanding program to support Syrian refugees.The IFRC's Syrian chapter works in areas controlled by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. and European countries. In the past year, little humanitarian aid has arrived from Damascus to the opposition-held north, which has suffered an outbreak of cholera and COVID-19 amid desperate living conditions for many.The Syrian government said Friday that it would allow aid to reach all parts of the country, including the northern enclave, portions of which are controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an insurgent group with ties to al-Qaida, as well as groups backed by Turkey and U.S.-backed Kurdish groups.The Syrian American Medical Society, which also provides significant medical services in northern Syria, has called for the opening of additional border crossings and has commissioned a legal analysis that argues the United Nations has the authority to use other crossings.“We think that the U.N. does not really need a Security Council resolution to proceed with this lifesaving medical relief,” said Dr. Basel Termanini, the medical society’s board chair.Both MSF and SAMS said their supplies in the region are much depleted and need new shipments to continue to help.However, delivering supplies is difficult. There are major obstacles to moving machinery to places in Syria where it’s needed to remove rubble. Fuel shortages also constrain the supply of electricity, said Xavier Castellanos, undersecretary general for operations coordination of the IFRC.He called the situation in the region “the great storm,” with all the conditions reducing the amount of support to below the level that it should be.Castellanos, speaking from Geneva on Thursday, said the IFRC has received “soft” pledges from governments and a very small number of pledges from companies so far. The group will look to individual giving to make up for the shortfall because those funds can be used wherever they are needed most.The group has launched an appeal of 200 million Swiss Francs ($217 million) for responses in both countries and the national chapters of the IFRC are also collecting donations. He estimated the IFRC has received 7 million Swiss Francs ($7.6 million) so far in the early response to their appeals.As of Thursday, MSF had $5.1 million come in from online donations along with a 10 million euros ($10.7 million) donation from the IKEA Foundation. SAMS had raised almost $2 million between a Facebook fundraiser and another on GiveSmart as of Friday.The humanitarian organization Direct Relief immediately granted $100,000 to both SAMS and AKUT, a Turkish search and rescue team, and announced Friday that it was increasing its commitment to $3 million because of the strong support coming from donors from more than 70 countries. The Santa Barbara, California-based organization has shipped 42 pallets of supplies that it says will arrive by Sunday.Thomas Tighe, who leads Direct Relief, said his team has opened discussions with health care companies to source the medications and supplies that are mostly likely to be needed based on the limited information available and in coordination with other groups.“If you rush in too fast with the wrong quantities or the wrong material, you clog up the already compromised distribution channels, which then compounds the problem,” Tighe said.Amazon has pledged $600,000 to humanitarian organizations, including AKUT and Red Crescent of Türkiye, in addition to supplying emergency supplies for cold weather, the company said in an online post. The founder of yogurt giant Chobani, Hamdi Ulukaya, a native of Turkey, pledged $1 million to the Turkish Philanthropy Funds and promised to match another $1 million in donations.The IFRC already is planning its recovery efforts over 12 months, with reoccurring assessments to define the scope. Trauma response and sanitation issues are among the top priorities.Some Syrians in the affected area have already been displaced many times by the war as well as separated from their families with little support. Many now have lost whatever shelter they had acquired.“Over 12 years, you can imagine the loss of hope that one would have,” said Benoît, of MSF, which also provides psychological first aid and will train people to provide it if there are not enough counselors.“It’s essentially to help the person in a culturally appropriate way, whatever is resonant for them,” she said. “To get through the day. To to be able to function, to be able to feed their children.”

Among the worst in recent history, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 23,200

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News

Ex-Navajo president honored in funeral procession, reception

Snowstorms flank US, with Northeast, California digging out

Hundreds blocked on Croatia roads as snowstorm spurs chaos

Zvizdić and Ji: There is room for enhancement of cooperation between BiH and China in all segments

Three former members of HVO sentenced to a total of 16 years for crimes in Mostar area

Propaganda narratives comprise a significant part of the war in Ukraine

Lendo, Bradara and Stojanović without an agreement on the president/vice presidents of FBiH

Konaković on an official visit to the Republic of Serbia

Bećirović: BiH stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people

US: Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine

Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu

Why balloons are now in public eye — and military crosshairs

Israel demolishes West Bank home of Palestinian attacker

Russia fires another missile barrage at Ukraine, kills 1

Love blossoms in Serbia between Ukrainian, Russian 'enemies'

Fundraisers for Syria, Turkey earthquake try to deliver aid