Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sifet Podžić could not say anything concrete today regarding the disappearance of weapons from the Pazarić Basic Training Center of the B&amp;H Armed Forces until the investigation is completed, but he announced that the accountability would be established.

Podžić emphasized that he feels responsible as the head of that institution when such things happen in the Armed Forces, but disciplinary proceedings will be conducted in order to determine where the system has failed.
He rejected media allegations that nothing concrete had been done in previous cases of the disappearance of weapons, presenting exact data on how those responsible were sanctioned with disciplinary proceedings and announced that the public would be informed about everything after the investigative bodies give permission.
When asked how it is possible for weapons to disappear from the barracks, he answered that if he knew, he would immediately take concrete measures, but that "it is obviously possible and it is happening which is why all the persons in the chain of command will be questioned, from top officials to the soldier who was on guard".
While performing regular tasks, the officers in charge determined that the security seal at the entrance was damaged in the premises of the Pazarić Basic Training Center of the Armed Forces of B&amp;H on February 11th.
The vice-chairperson of the Joint Committee, Dušanka Majkić (SNSD), stated that there has been no such meeting for more than five years, nor did the parliamentarians have the opportunity to get the answers to the questions they posed, and their obligation is to supervise those institutions.
Majkić believes that the Committee should be informed about everything that is happening, especially when it comes to such a case of the disappearance of weapons from the Pazarić Basic Training Center of the Armed Forces of BiH, because this institution is the largest state budget beneficiary.

He emphasized that he feels responsible as the head of that institution when such things happen in the Armed Forces

Podžić rejected media allegations that nothing concrete had been done in previous cases of the disappearance of weapons

Podžić: We’ll determine the responsibility for the disappearance of weapons

BioNTech has announced Wednesday that the European Union will buy an additional 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccine from the company, and these are planned to be delivered throughout this year.

Dr. Ugur Sahin, the co-founder of BioNTech, said they have taken additional steps together with their American partner Pfizer to significantly boost their production capacity in Europe.
-We will initiate production at our Marburg facility this month and have strengthened our manufacturing network with additional partners. We are continuing to evaluate, together with governments, authorities, and partners at all levels, how we might address an even higher future supply requirement for our vaccines- he said.
BioNTech/Pfizer’s new agreement with Brussels brings total supply to the EU to 500 million doses, with an option for an additional 100 million doses.
The new manufacturing site of BioNTech in Marburg, Germany has an annual production capacity of up to 750 million doses of coronavirus vaccine.
BioNTech/Pfizer’s mRNA-based vaccine, known as COMIRNATY, was the first coronavirus vaccine approved for use in the European Union. It also received emergency use or conditional marketing authorization in more than 45 countries, including the UK, Canada, and the US.

German pharma company planning to deliver 500M doses of vaccine to EU member states by end of this year

The new manufacturing site of BioNTech in Marburg, Germany has an annual production capacity of up to 750 million doses of coronavirus vaccine

EU to purchase 200M extra doses of BioNTech vaccine

The first drive-through testing site for coronavirus was opened today in Sarajevo in the parking lot near the Suada and Olga Bridge.

Sarajevo Canton Health Minister Haris Vranić said the drive-through testing site was set up according to all standards for epidemiological sampling for coronavirus testing.
-All those who have a referral from a general practitioner for testing can come, which is especially convenient for people who have difficulty moving. The test results will be ready in six to eight hours, but never more than 24 hours- Minister Vranić pointed out.
He stressed that there has been an increase in the number of newly infected and that in the next few days the Ministry will take adequate epidemiological measures and perhaps tighten restrictive measures.
The Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Edin Forto, said that they had initiated activities related to the procurement of a minimum of 100,000 vaccines against COVID-19, and once again appealed to the state level to procure vaccines and start mass vaccination.

It was opened today in the parking lot near the Suada and Olga Bridge

Drive-through testing site was set up according to all standards for epidemiological sampling for coronavirus testing

The first drive-through coronavirus testing site opens in Sarajevo

European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson will be paying a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on February 18th and 19th.

Johansson will begin her visit in Bihać, where she will meet with B&amp;H Security Minister Selmo Cikotić, the Una-Sana Canton Prime Minister Mustafa Ružnić, Bihać Mayor Šuhret Fazlić and the Una-Sana Canton Police Commissioner Mujo Koričić, after which she will meet with representatives of B&amp;H institutions, IOM and other UN agencies and partners and visit the temporary migrant center "Lipa".
On the second day of the visit, the Commissioner will hold meetings in Sarajevo with members of the B&amp;H Presidency, the Chairman of the B&amp;H Council of Ministers and his deputies, and heads of state agencies responsible for migration management, announced the EU Delegation to B&amp;H.

She will begin her visit in Bihać

Ylva Johansson will be paying a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on February 18th and 19th

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson on a two-day visit to B&H

EU Ambassador to B&amp;H Johann Sattler, US Ambassador to B&amp;H Eric Nelson and Head of the OSCE Mission to B&amp;H Kathleen Kavalec said in a joint statement that 2021 should be a year of the announced reforms, starting with the electoral reform.

They stressed that reforms are not abstractions, but specific, common-sense changes clearly mapped out in the European Commission Opinion’s 14 Key Priorities, which includes implementation of OSCE/ODIHR and Council of Europe GRECO recommendations.
These reforms address deficiencies highlighted in recent general and municipal elections are needed to help ensure your votes truly count.
-We stand ready to support and advise reform efforts, but change will depend on the willingness of the leaders of this country to take responsibility, talk seriously to each other, and make compromises- it was said in the announcement. 
Real change also depends on your resolve as citizens to push for change and to hold your elected leaders to account for inaction. There is no time to waste this year – there are commitments to keep, potential to realize, and a better future to secure. Reforms are urgently needed in 2021 so that elections in 2022 are not plagued by the same well-known deficiencies.
-Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy, but they must be free, fair, and founded on the principle of the equality of each citizen. The Central Election Commission (CEC) did commendable work organizing the 2020 local elections in a year of unprecedented challenges: managing not only the pandemic but also avoidable delays in securing election funding. At the same time, the elections were marred by persistent issues that have given new urgency to implementing long-standing ODIHR recommendations to increase transparency, improve the training of election workers, and strengthen the power of your ballot- they said. 
Among the most pressing priorities is reforming how polling station commissions (PSC) are formed. Currently, PSC members are appointed exclusively from political party nominees. With this structure, it is difficult to ensure the impartiality and professionalism of PSCs. 
Moreover, as seen in the latest local elections, uneven or insufficient training for PSC members risks procedural errors, undermining citizen confidence in the election process.
According to them, legal reforms can ensure a more balanced composition of PSCs, as well as introduce mechanisms to prevent abuses in appointment procedures, contributing to integrity while preventing irregularities and fraud.
The ambassadors also added that the introduction of new technologies can also contribute to the transparency and accuracy of ballot tabulation and promptness in preliminary ballot counts, ultimately reducing fraud and making elections more efficient.
For example, electronic voter identification would make it easier to detect the misuse of ID documents and falsification of signatures as reported in the latest local elections. Finally, sanctioning hateful and offensive language beyond the election campaign will help ensure responsible dialogue.
"Free and fair elections are the most powerful tool citizens have to hold political leaders accountable for their action – and inaction – in delivering the European future that B&amp;H citizens want and deserve. With sufficient political will, there is no reason why any of these reforms should be deferred. Changes that make sure that each of your votes counts, free of manipulation or political influence, will put power back in the hands of you, the citizen, to help make that future a reality," announced the EU Delegation in B&amp;H.&nbsp;

They stressed that reforms are not abstractions, but specific, common-sense changes clearly mapped out in the European Commission Opinion’s 14 Key Priorities

These reforms address deficiencies highlighted in recent general and municipal elections are needed to help ensure your votes truly count

EU, US and OSCE ambassadors call for electoral reform

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina filed a new indictment today against Osman Mehmedagić, director of the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA). An indictment has also been filed against Selmo Cikotić, the Minister of Security of B&amp;H, and Muriz Druškić, an ISA employee, "Avaz" has learned.
This is a new indictment in the "Security Check" affair, which was refused to be confirmed by the Court of B&amp;H at the end of last year.
The Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H confirmed this information to "Avaz".
- After returning the case to the investigation phase in the case against Osmed Mehmedagić, Selmo Cikotić and Muriz Druškić, the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina undertook additional investigative actions, after which it re-filed an indictment against them on 17th of February and referred it to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Boris Grubešić, spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office, told us.
The Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H charges Osman Mehmedagić, Selmo Cikotić and Muriz Druškić, Advisor to the General Director of the Intelligence and Security Agency of B&amp;H and a member of the Commission of the Council of Ministers of B&amp;H for deciding on appeals in security clearance cases, with having committed the criminal offense of abuse of office or official authority under Article 220 of the CC B&amp;H.
They are accused in an affair related to embezzlement related to the appointment of members of the Commission for the Second instance resolution of the security check procedure for police and state officials.
This is a new indictment against Mehmedagić, and the accused three are charged with the criminal offense of abuse of office or authority in connection with illegal appointment and participation in the work of the Second Instance Commission, which resulted in general legal uncertainty for handling security checks.
The investigation was initiated on the basis of a criminal complaint filed by certain police and civil servants of SIPA and the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H.
Mehmedagić is already on trial in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina because of the "B&amp;H Post" affair, due to the illegal exclusion of a video from this state institution.

They are accused of embezzlement in connection with the appointment of members of the Commission for the Second Instance of Security Screening

"Security checks" affair: New indictment filed against Osman Mehmedagić, Minister Selmo Cikotić is also charged

The office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of B&amp;H (HJPC), headed by Alena Kurspahić-Nadarević, is still conducting a disciplinary investigation against Ranko Debevec, President of the Court of B&amp;H, in connection with allegations of abuse of office and corruption.
Although three disciplinary cases have been filed against the head of the Court of B&amp;H, and the report that he committed the criminal offense of abuse of office or authority under Article 220 of the B&amp;H Criminal Code and several corrupt acts, filed with the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H in the middle of last year,still no disciplinary proceedings have been initiated nor has a disciplinary lawsuit been filed.
We would like to remind you that Debevec was also reported for inappropriate contact with the accused director of ISA, Osman Mehmedagić, who is being tried in the Court of B&amp;H.

<h2>The prosecution requested financial reports</h2>

On October 22nd, 2020, the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H which performs checks from the criminal report, sent all the evidence that Debevec did not report property in the Kingdom of Spain or that he has Spanish citizenship to the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor of B&amp;H.
The letter clearly states: "In no financial report did Ranko Debevec, the President of the Court of B&amp;H, reported property in the Kingdom of Spain or that he has Spanish citizenship."
The reason why the Prosecutor's Office requested financial reports, from which it can be concluded that Debevec committed the criminal offense of abuse of position and authority under Article 220 of the B&amp;H Criminal Code and several corrupt acts, is the verification of allegations from the criminal report against the head of the State Court.

Checking the allegations from the report, which states that Debevec committed several criminal acts while performing the function in the Court of B&amp;H, all with the aim of obtaining illegal property gain, the prosecutors came across information that the President of the Court hid for years.
The Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H, through investigative actions in B&amp;H and through international cooperation, determined that the President of the Court of B&amp;H did not report the property he owns in Spain, as well as the dual citizenship of this country.
It was established that Ranko Debevec was registered as a citizen of the Kingdom of Spain under the name Ranko Debevec Kaveson by a decision made on April 12th 1999.
It has also been established that he owns a valid driving license issued by the Kingdom of Spain on 21st of February 1995. with a validity period until 3rd of April 2024., and is the holder of a travel document issued by the Kingdom of Spain on April 2nd 2019.
According to the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H, Ranko Debevec Kaveson acquired the citizenship of the Kingdom of Spain on the basis of residence. According to operational data, in order to obtain Spanish citizenship, Ranko Debevec formally renounced the citizenship he had at that time.

According to the information of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H, Ranko Debevec Kaveson used the travel document of the Kingdom of Spain when crossing the border of the Kingdom of Spain on April 14th, 2018., then on June 23rd, 2018., June 27th, 2018. and June 30th, 2018. at the Barcelona (El Prat) Airport.
Also, his property in Malaga was discovered, which he did not report, about which the Prosecution, after the checks, informs the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel giving them clear evidence.
It is an apartment of 99 square meters in Torremolinos (Torremolinos - Malaga), which was purchased in 1999., with a cadastral value of 75,682.71 euros. It was determined that Debevec also owns a parking space of 12 square meters in Torremelinos, purchased in 2016. with a cadastral value of 1,379.77 euros. He did not report any real estate in his property card, although, according to B&amp;H law, he had to.

In addition, Debevec is also the owner of a bank account in "CaixaBank", which was opened on June 25, 2018.
Inspecting the personal file, it was determined that Ranko Debevec provided incomplete and inaccurate information when applying for the position of prosecutor, judge and president of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and when filling in the application form for judges, prosecutors and associates, in which he did not state the fact that he also uses Ranko Debevec Kaveson name, and that he also has another citizenship, which indicates that he committed a disciplinary offense prescribed by Article 56, item 19 of the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina - according to the information of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H.

It was also pointed out that based on the Law on Protection of Classified Information of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the capacity of President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ranko Debevec has access to classified information of all levels and that according to the Law on Intelligence and Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina issues orders to the Agency for secret surveillance and searches, and that Ranko Debevec also has another identity and a travel document of another state that he uses.

In no financial report did Ranko Debevec, the President of the Court of B&H, reported property in the Kingdom of Spain or that he has Spanish citizenship, according to the documentation of the Prosecutor's Office of B&H

Debevec and Kurspahić: Who protects whom

Why the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor is silent about Ranko Debevec?

Ryanair on Wednesday lost its fight against the state aid granted to rivals including Air France and Sweden’s SAS after a top European court said such schemes were not discriminatory amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The judgment from the Luxembourg-based General Court is the first to deal with aid measures cleared by the European Commission under easier rules aimed at helping European Union governments prop up companies hit by the health crisis.
The court said the French and Swedish schemes were in line with the bloc’s rules. The airline industry has been one of the hardest-hit by virus-related restrictions and lockdowns imposed by governments worldwide.
-That aid scheme is appropriate for making good the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and does not constitute discrimination- the court said, referring to the French scheme.
For the Swedish scheme, it said: -The scheme at issue is presumed to have been adopted in the interest of the European Union.-Ryanair said it would appeal to the EU Court of Justice in a process likely to take several years.
The company had taken issue with the European Commission for clearing a French scheme allowing airlines to defer certain aeronautical taxes and Sweden’s loan guarantee scheme for airlines. Both schemes benefited their flag carriers.
Europe’s biggest budget airline has filed 16 lawsuits against the Commission for allowing state aid to individual airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, Austrian Airlines and TAP, as well as national schemes that mainly benefit flag carriers.
EU competition enforcers have to date cleared more than 3 trillion euros ($3.6 trillion) to help virus-hit companies across the 27-country bloc.
The cases are T-238/20 Ryanair v Commission and T-259/20 Ryanair v Commission.

They would appeal to the EU Court of Justice in a process likely to take several years

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 aircraft approaches Paris-Beauvais airport in Tille, northern France, September 27, 2018.

Ryanair loses legal fight against French, Swedish airline state aid

In the past 24 hours, 1,998 samples were registered with the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 250 were positive for SARS-CoV-2.

New cases have been registered in all cantons in the Federation of B&amp;H, except in Posavina.
A total of 430,261 samples have been tested so far, and SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed in 81,681 individuals.
As of today, 75,159 patients have been cured in the Federation of B&amp;H. In the past 24 hours, 648 patients recovered. Currently, 3,923 cases positive for SARS-CoV-2 are active.
In the past 24 hours, seven new deaths were reported to the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H.
As of today, the number of deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H is 2599, the FB&amp;H Public Health Institute announced.
In the last 24 hours, in the Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Srpska, the University Clinical Center of the Republic of Srpska, the University Hospital in Foča and in the hospitals of St. Vračevi in ​​Bijeljina and Sv. Apostle Luke in Doboj tested 575 laboratory samples, and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in 112 people.
In the last 24 hours, seven deaths were reported to the Republic of Srpska Institute of Public Health, in which the presence of the coronavirus virus was confirmed.
So far, 41,827 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Republic of Srpska, and a total of 2,178 people who have been tested for coronavirus have died.
In Republic of Srpska, 31,307 people have recovered from coronavirus so far, and a total of 193,295 people have been tested.

In the past 24 hours, 648 patients recovered in FB&H

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

COVID-19 confirmed in 362 people in B&H, with 14 deaths in the last 24 hours

Japan launched its coronavirus vaccination programme on Wednesday, five months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, as the World Health Organization reported a fall in new cases around the world.

The same day, Australia and New Zealand ended snap lockdowns after they successfully brought small outbreaks under control in just days -- suggesting that despite their unpopularity, movement restrictions remain vital tools against the pandemic. 
Japan kicked off its inoculation drive at a Tokyo hospital, with a plan to initially give Pfizer-BioNTech shots to 40,000 healthcare workers.
-Hopefully vaccinations... can change the situation here- nurse Rino Yoshida told national broadcaster NHK after she got one of the first shots.
Japan is battling a much more limited outbreak compared with hard-hit countries such as the United States and Britain, but its response is being closely watched around the world as doubts swirl over the postponed Tokyo Olympics, due to start July 23.
Organisers have outlined measures they say will keep the Games safe even without requiring participants to be vaccinated or quarantined on arrival.
But there are fears among the Japanese public and experts that the precautions may not be enough for a global event, even as the WHO on Tuesday reported a slowing of the pandemic.
New infections worldwide fell by 16 percent last week, while the number of new deaths also dropped 10 percent week-on-week, based on figures up to Sunday.
-The fire is not out, but we have reduced its size- WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday.

<h2>Lockdowns end in Australia, New Zealand</h2>

With infections topping 109 million and more than 2.4 million deaths, the pandemic has devastated the global economy, and populations are growing increasingly frustrated with financially painful restrictions that authorities and experts say are necessary to fight the virus.

Among the countries that have successfully deployed such measures is Australia, where stay-at-home measures for six million people in Victoria state were to be lifted late Wednesday after a snap five-day lockdown brought an outbreak under control.
-If we had been open throughout this outbreak... total case numbers would be much, much higher and it is a certainty that I would not be reporting zero cases today- said Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews.
Neighbouring New Zealand, widely praised for its Covid-19 strategy, also ended a snap lockdown it had imposed from Monday in its largest city Auckland after three community cases emerged. 
These measures sharply contrast with Europe, where restrictions have been less rigorous through the pandemic, and tightening them has often been politically difficult.
The Dutch government's nationwide curfew survived a bitter legal challenge on Tuesday, from an anti-restrictions group that promotes baseless conspiracy theories about the pandemic.

<h2>'Not safe until everyone is safe' </h2>

Frustration and rancour have not been limited to restrictions though, with poorer nations and the WHO warning against wealthy countries dominating vaccine supplies.

President Joe Biden told a CNN town hall Tuesday that the United States -- the worst-hit nation in the world -- would have "600 million doses, enough to vaccinate every American".
Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard had earlier said his government would complain to the United Nations about hoarding and inequality in the global inoculation drive.
And Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the new head of the World Trade Organization, said the body can help ensure universal access to the jabs.
-It's really in the self-interest of every country to see everyone vaccinated because you're not safe until everyone is safe- she told AFP in an interview.
Mass inoculation projects have been made more complicated with the emergence of new coronavirus variants, raising concerns about the efficacy of vaccines against them.
The virus threat hung over Ash Wednesday in the Philippines, where thousands of Catholics wearing masks and face shields turned out to mark the beginning of Lent.
For the second year in a row, devotees stood -- socially distanced -- in long lines outside Manila's popular Baclaran Church to receive a sprinkling of dust on top of their heads, instead of a cross daubed on their foreheads, to reduce the coronavirus risk.
-We should not forget God- said worshipper Jeanne Sunga. -Even during the pandemic.-

They plan to initially give Pfizer-BioNTech shots to 40,000 healthcare workers

Japan is battling a much more limited outbreak compared with hard-hit countries such as the United States and Britain

Japan starts vaccinations as new coronavirus cases, deaths drop worldwide

Minister of Health of the Sarajevo Canton Haris Vranić received today Ambassador of the Republic of France to Bosnia and Herzegovina Christine Toudic and discussed the current epidemiological situation and health problems, as well as future cooperation in that area.

As Minister Vranić informed Ambassador Toudic, the priority of the Ministry is the fight against Covid and the procurement of vaccines.
Funds for those purposes have been provided, but unfortunately due to the complex system and the dysfunction of higher levels of government, as Vranić stated, the process of procuring vaccines is still ongoing.
On that occasion, he informed the Ambassador about the activities that are being conducted on the reorganization of health care in SC and which have been intensified, because their goal is to ensure a clear division of labor among health care institutions, as well as providing better health services to citizens and providing better working conditions for employees in that area.
Minister Vranić also talked with Ambassador Toudic about possible cooperation that would include the organization of professional training for health workers from the Sarajevo Canton in medical institutions of the Republic of France. Such educations have existed before, and especially in the difficult post-war period, which the medical profession, as Vranić pointed out, has not forgotten the friendly country of France, the Press Service of SC said.

The priority of the Ministry of Health of the Sarajevo Canton is the fight against COVID and the procurement of vaccines

Minister Vranić also talked with Ambassador Toudic about possible cooperation that would include the organization of professional training for health workers from the Sarajevo Canton in medical institutions of the Republic of France

Vranić and Toudic discuss health cooperation

Germany plans to offer all citizens rapid coronavirus tests free of charge from March 1, its health minister said on Tuesday.

Jens Spahn said rapid antigen tests were now sufficiently available on the market to enable local test centres and pharmacies to offer the tests for free.
Earlier, German media group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) reported that Spahn planned to expand the national testing strategy to enable free tests. The federal government plans to bear the costs, RND said.
Spahn also wants to make tests that can be conducted at home available to everyone once they have been approved by regulators.
-These testing options can contribute to a safe everyday life, especially in schools and daycare centres- Spahn said on Twitter, adding the health ministry was in negotiations with test manufacturers.
The number of new daily infections in Germany has been falling in recent weeks, to 3,856 on Tuesday, although this was around 480 cases higher than a week ago. The seven-day incidence was 59 cases per 100,000.
German leaders agreed last week to tighten the threshold for a gradual reopening of the economy, targeting an infection rate of under 35 new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, down from 50 previously.

The number of new daily infections has been falling in recent weeks

A woman wears a protective mask as she crosses a bridge in front of the skyline as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues during an extended lockdown and a demand by the German government for more home office possibilities in Frankfurt, Germany, February 11, 2021.

Germany plans to offer free rapid coronavirus tests from March 1st

Croatia’s drugs wholesalers urged the government on Tuesday to quickly pay them what they are owed by state-owned hospitals and pharmacies.

Settling the drugs wholesalers’ demands would increase pressure on state coffers in a year when Croatia hopes to keep public finances on track for adopting the euro currency in 2023.
The overall debts of the health system for delivered medicines will this month reach a record high of 5.7 billion kuna ($915.94 million), the wholesalers said.
-We cannot credit the state any more and we demand urgent payment of 2.0 billion kuna for the debts of the hospitals and 700 million kuna for the debts of the pharmacies- Diana Percač, who represents a group of wholesalers, told a news conference.
To adopt the euro at the beginning of 2023, Croatia will have to keep the budget deficit below 3.0% of gross domestic product (GDP) this year and next.
The budget is also under pressure because of the economic costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, and because of reconstruction costs for the capital Zagreb and central parts of Croatia after two earthquakes last year.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has said Finance Minister Zdravko Marić will have talks with the drugs wholesalers, but has not announced a date.

The overall debts of the health system for delivered medicines will this month reach a record high of 5.7 billion kuna

Branka Anicic receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Zagreb, Croatia, December 27, 2020.

Croatia's drugs wholesalers ask government to settle bills

On the occasion of the end of the election process in Mostar, the Embassy of the United States of America in B&amp;H has congratulated the newly elected Mayor Marijo Kordić, the President of the City Council Salem Marić and the councilors.

-Many years have passed, and the citizens of Mostar now have a new mayor and the City Council, and we hope that the new city leadership will act in the spirit of cooperation and in the interest of citizens in solving the numerous challenges that Mostar faces- FENA learns from the Public Relations Office of the US Embassy when asked to comment on yesterday's election of the new mayor of Mostar.

They congratulated the newly elected Mayor Marijo Kordić, the President of the City Council Salem Marić and the councilors

US Embassy: We hope the new Mostar leadership will act in spirit of cooperation

A Russian prosecutor on Tuesday called for Alexei Navalny to face a $13,000 fine in a defamation case, one of a series of legal proceedings the jailed Kremlin critic says are aimed at silencing him.

President Vladimir Putin's most vocal opponent was taken into police custody immediately after returning to Moscow in January from Germany, where he was recovering from an August poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.
His arrest sparked two consecutive weekends of nationwide protests demanding his release, in some of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in years.
A Moscow court earlier this month ruled to convert a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence Navalny received on fraud charges in 2014 to jail time over alleged parole violations.
Navalny is now facing defamation charges for referring to a World War II veteran and others who appeared in a pro-Kremlin video as "traitors".
A Moscow district court on Tuesday heard the final arguments in the case, during which the prosecutor asked for a fine of 950,000 rubles ($13,000/10,600 euros).
As the alleged defamation occurred during the suspended sentence, the prosecutor also requested that it be converted to real jail time, despite the other court having already ruled to do so.
Inside a glass cage for defendants and wearing a blue hoodie, the 44-year-old anti-graft campaigner frequently smiled and paced inside the glass cell, an AFP journalist reported.
In his closing arguments, Navalny said that "every moment of this case is obvious legal nonsense" and accused the prosecution of presenting fabricated evidence.

Navalny has often used his court hearings to mock the proceedings and in his final remarks Tuesday he asked if the judge could recommend a recipe for pickles, since it is "pointless to talk about the law" with her.

Navalny's lawyer Olga Mikhailova insisted the charges were "contrived and arbitrary" and said the defence "strongly disagreed" with the prosecution’s arguments.
After the final arguments were delivered, the judge adjourned the hearing to February 20, the same day Navalny is scheduled to appeal his jail term in a different court. 
Asked about Navalny's case by reporters on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "in our country it is forbidden to insult veterans". 
Navalny and his allies have faced a slew of legal challenges in recent years, most stemming from their investigations into the wealth of Russia's elites.
Another Moscow court on Tuesday rejected Navalny's appeal against a fine of 3.3 million rubles that he was ordered to pay a food company in another defamation lawsuit.
He is facing more defamation charges from Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed "Putin's chef" because his company Concord catered for the Kremlin.
The 59-year-old businessman, who is under US and European sanctions, has two pending cases against Navalny that will be considered in March.
Navalny's arrest sparked large-scale rallies across the country that saw at least 10,000 people detained in a police crackdown. 
On Sunday several hundred female activists formed a human chain in central Moscow in a show of support for Navalny's wife Yulia and other women caught up in the crackdown. 
Activists across Russia also staged courtyard protests on Sunday evening, briefly lighting their phone flashlights and posting pictures of the gatherings on social media.

President Vladimir Putin's most vocal opponent was taken into police custody immediately after returning to Moscow in January

In his closing arguments, Navalny said that "every moment of this case is obvious legal nonsense"

Prosecutor seeks defamation fine in latest Navalny case

In the past 24 hours, 2,774 samples were registered with the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 163 were positive for SARS-CoV-2. New cases have been registered in all cantons in the Federation of B&amp;H, except in the Una-Sana.

A total of 428,263 samples have been tested so far, and SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed in 81,431 individuals.
As of today, 74,511 patients have recovered in the Federation of B&amp;H. In the past 24 hours, 1,108 patients recovered. There are currently 4,328 cases of SARS-CoV-2 positive.
In the past 24 hours, 9 new deaths were reported to the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H.
As of today, the number of deaths in the Federation of BiH is 2592, the Institute of Public Health of FB&amp;H announced.
In the last 24 hours, at the Institute of Public Health of the Republika Srpska, the University Clinical Center of the Republic of Srpska, the University Hospital in Foča and the hospitals of Sv. Vračevi in ​​Bijeljina and Sv. Apostle Luke in Doboj, it is pointed out that 708 laboratory samples were tested, and the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in 99 people.
In the last 24 hours, ten deaths have been reported to the Republic of Srpska Institute of Public Health, in which the presence of the coronavirus has been confirmed.
So far, 41,715 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Republic of Srpska, and a total of 2,171 people who have been tested for coronavirus have died.
In the last 24 hours, 80 people were tested in the Brčko District, of which 12 were positive for coronavirus. Eight persons have recovered, and there are no deaths.

New cases have been registered in all cantons in the Federation of B&H, except in the Una-Sana

In the last 24 hours, 80 people were tested in the Brčko District, of which 12 were positive for coronavirus

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Podžić: We’ll determine the responsibility for the disappearance of weapons

EU to purchase 200M extra doses of BioNTech vaccine

The first drive-through coronavirus testing site opens in Sarajevo

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson on a two-day visit to B&H

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"Security checks" affair: New indictment filed against Osman Mehmedagić, Minister Selmo Cikotić is also charged

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Ryanair loses legal fight against French, Swedish airline state aid

COVID-19 confirmed in 362 people in B&H, with 14 deaths in the last 24 hours

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Germany plans to offer free rapid coronavirus tests from March 1st

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B&H registers 274 new cases of coronavirus in last 24 hours, 19 persons died