The United States Embassy in B&amp;H said that genocide denial and war criminal glorification are unacceptable and undermine the mutual trust needed to bring B&amp;H forward on its EU path. The outgoing High Representative's action demonstrates the gravity he places on this issue as a matter of B&amp;H stability and underscores the continuing imperative that all in B&amp;H contribute to reconciliation.

The criminal code amendment is a starting point for more concrete debate and steps by local actors when it comes to practical implementation. 
-We must underscore that the genocide at Srebrenica is not a matter of debate, but of historical fact. It is likewise important to emphasize that these terrible crimes are not a reflection or condemnation of an entire people. Glorification of war criminals by any party or disrespecting the suffering endured by each community in B&amp;H dishonors the memory of the victims and undermines reconciliation. It is time to truly turn to a future based on peace and mutual trust. We support the efforts of anyone in B&amp;H aimed at improving the foundations for peace and a more prosperous future and the mandate of the High Representative in supporting and facilitating implementation of the civilian aspects of the DPA- announced the US Embassy in B&amp;H.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The criminal code amendment is a starting point for more concrete debate and steps by local actors when it comes to practical implementation, they added

US Embassy: We must underscore that the genocide at Srebrenica is not a matter of debate, but of historical fact

US Embassy: Genocide in Srebrenica is not a matter of debate

The Alliance for a Better Future of B&amp;H welcomes the decision of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Valentin Inzko to impose amendments to the B&amp;H Criminal Code prohibiting and punishing the denial of genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, as well as all other forms of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
- Delighted by the decision of the High Representative, Mr. Inzko, which the citizens of B&amp;H and the victims expected much earlier, we emphasize that the OHR move is a completely expected gesture of civilization, which prevents the last phase of genocide, ie its denial.
The state of Bosnia and Herzegovina needed such a legal solution, because the conscious denial of genocide by certain individuals and groups constantly disrupted interethnic relations and led to tensions in our country.
After the expected, but also very brave decision of Mr. Inzko, we believe that the awareness of all politicians in B&amp;H will be awaken, who for years prevented the adoption of the law on genocide denial, and that changes to the Criminal Code imposed by the OHR will be confirmed in the B&amp;H Parliamentary Assembly.
It is also significant that this decision, in a way, confirms the unequivocal position of the international community and its support for the OHR, as well as all the positive processes and necessary changes in B&amp;H - the statement said.

The state of Bosnia and Herzegovina needed such a legal solution, the SBB emphasizes

SBB: Inzko’s move is a civilizational gesture that prevents the denial of genocide as its final stage

Members of the UN Security Council sent a clear message yesterday that they will not support any action that undermines the Dayton Peace Agreement and PIC decisions.

Ambassador Richard Mills Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations stated that the U.S. expressed support for the PIC’s appointment of Christian Schmidt as the next High Representative of B&amp;H.
-The United States welcomes the Peace Implementation Committee Steering Board’s appointment of Christian Schmidt. However, the United States, along with our partners on this Council, will not support a text that undermines the Dayton Peace Agreement and decisions made by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, and therefore we abstained on this draft resolution- said Mills yesterday at the UN Security Council. 
Christian Schmidt was appointed by the Steering Board on May 27 as the new High Representative. All Steering Board Members except Russia agreed to Mr. Schmidt’s appointment. Steering Board decisions do not require unanimity.
On June 3, High Representative Inzko informed the Secretary-General Guterres of this appointment, and a letter was sent to the President of the Security Council. Mr. Schmidt will assume his position on August 1.
There is no determinative role for the Secretary-General or the UN Security Council in the appointment process, and no requirement that the Council take action to confirm Mr. Schmidt’s designation. Security Council and support from the Security Council has never been required to designate a High Representative.
Mills said that the international community concurs on the long-term objective to close the Office of the High Representative.
-The conditions for closing the Office were clearly laid out in 2008 in the 5+2 Agenda with support of the whole Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, including Russia. These conditions have not yet been achieved- he reminded. 
As expressed by many Security Council members, once again, in the meeting on May 4 in support of the 5+2 Agenda, urgent reforms for a stable Bosnia and Herzegovina are still needed and nationalistic rhetoric continues to divide the country, prohibiting real progress on reforms.&nbsp;

The conditions for closing the Office were clearly laid out in 2008 in the 5+2 Agenda with support of the whole Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, including Russia

Ambassador Richard Mills Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations stated that the U.S. expressed support for the PIC’s appointment of Christian Schmidt as the next High Representative of B&H

USA expressed support for the appointment of Schmidt as next High Representative

Members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Sarajevo Canton (MUP SC) started this morning on the order of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the seizing of certain documentation from the premises of the Intelligence and Security Agency ISA, "Avaz" has learned.
These are actions in the "Diploma" affair, due to which Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, the director of ISA, was arrested two weeks ago, but the Court ordered prohibitive measures instead of the proposal of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H for detention.
A month ago, members of the SC Ministry of the Interior, on the order of the Court of B&amp;H, seized Mehmedagić's personal file with all the data on higher education. But then the diploma of the American University in B&amp;H, which Osmica handed over to the Commission for Supervision of the Work of ISA, was not found.

We learn that this time the court order refers to certain work regulations, job lists, security checks, reports and correspondence with the Council of Ministers.
The inspectors are interested in how Mehmedagić stopped his retirement, even though he fulfilled all the legal conditions.
It is suspected that the service sent a request for Mehmedagić on January 1st, 2018, stating that the benefited length of service is not recognized. However, according to the law, the benefited length of service cannot be waived.
The Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H is conducting an investigation in which the suspect Mehmedagić is charged with criminal offenses of abuse of position or authority, forgery of a document and money laundering. The investigation also included Denis Prcić, the owner of the American University of B&amp;H, who was also arrested and spent a month in custody.

These are the actions in the "Diploma" affair due to which Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, the director of ISA, was arrested two weeks ago

ISA: They are acting on the order of the Court of BiH

"Diploma" affair: SC MUP inspectors are seizing documentation from ISA again

The High Representative Valentin Inzko visited the Sućeska cemetery in order to pay respect to Hatidža Mehmedović, on the third anniversary of her death. "Hatidža Mehmedović is the strongest person I have ever met in my life. Her colossal fight for truth and justice, lucidity, prudence and dedication to humanity, which I had the opportunity to witness for years, has brought me to her grave today, on the third anniversary since this woman with a big heart left for a better world, to join her sons and her husband.

I had a great need to pay respect to this impressive woman, from whom I learned that "forgiveness is the ultimate love."
When you hear the mother whose both sons were killed, and buried only in 2010, talk about the "necessity of reconciliation", when you hear her pine to hear "forgive me", or publicly call on “all those who participated in the genocide, that they can come to the commemoration, or on some other day, if they have the need to ask forgiveness from the victims at the cemetery in order to find their peace, they are all welcome”, one truly wonders where a mother could get so much strength and wisdom. She was a mother who, suffering through her immense pain, spiritually reached heaven already during her life on earth.
Hatidža inspired me to work on the project "Humanity overcomes through forgiveness". Srebrenica, so far globally known for the genocide which took place at the end of the 20th century, should also become a symbol of the power of mother's forgiveness.
-We all live in the same house. If we keep arguing all the time, it will be bad for everyone. Without reconciliation and forgiveness, no one here has a future. Even unborn children will have no future if we do not reconcile with our neighbors - this is what that great, wise woman told me, at the zenith of her life, and I memorized that as Hatidža's testament. Today, I would like to publicly address this Hatidža’s testament to all citizens of this afflicted country for reflection- the High Representative emphasized at the end.

Inzko: She is the strongest person I have ever met in my life

Inzko: I had a great need to pay respect to this impressive woman, from whom I learned that "forgiveness is the ultimate love"

High Representative Inzko pays respect to the memory of Hatidža Mehmedović

Life expectancy in the US fell by the largest one-year decline since World War II, according to figures released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The average lifespan for Americans in 2020 fell by a year and a half, and the drop was even worse for Black and Hispanic Americans: three years.
The drop was mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic, which the CDC said was responsible for almost 74% of the overall decline of life expectancy.
White Americans now have a life expectancy of 77 years, 7 months.
Black Americans' average life expectancy is at 71 years, 10 months.
And more Americans died in 2020 than in any other year in history: over 3.3 million. Of those deaths, COVID-19 accounted for about 11%.
The last time that life expectancy dropped so dramatically for Black Americans was during the Great Depression of the mid-1930s.
Records for Hispanic life expectancy do not go as far back, buy they, too, show the largest drop in history.
Overall, life expectancy for all Americans peaked in 2019 at 78 years, 10 months.
The CDC study found that the COVID crisis affected races differently: COVID was responsible for 90% of the Hispanic drop in life expectancy, 68% responsible for the drop among whites, and 59% responsible for the drop among Blacks.
Other than COVID, drug overdoses helped push the death toll higher, and life expectancy lower, especially for white Americans.
The study's lead author, Elizabeth Arias, pointed out that homicides, which have seen dramatic increases over the last year, are a small but significant reason why Black Americans are dying younger.

More Americans died in 2020 than any other year in history

The average lifespan for Americans in 2020 fell by a year and a half, and the drop was even worse for Black and Hispanic Americans: three years

COVID fuels largest drop in US life expectancy since World War II

Australia reported two more deaths due to rare blood clotting disorder after receiving AstraZeneca vaccine, local media reported on Thursday.

The country’s Therapeutic Goods Administration said that a woman, 48, in Victoria and a man, 44, from Tasmania died “after receiving their first doses,” SBS News reported.
At least five such cases have been reported in Australia after more than 6.1 million AstraZeneca doses have been administered.
The report added that “all are linked to people receiving their first doses.”
Parts of Australia are witnessing resurgence of new COVID-19 cases as New South Wales reported 124 new local cases -- its highest daily tally of the year.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she “expects the number of cases to rise even higher.”
-[The virus] is spreading like we’ve never seen before.-Meanwhile, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged there was slowdown in vaccination program.
-I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to achieve the marks that we had hoped for at the beginning of this year, of course I am- he told reporters.
He added that more pharmacies will be brought into rollout sooner.
Australia has fully vaccinated around 15% of its population aged above 16.
The country has reported 654,745 cases, including 10,729 deaths, since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is ‘sorry’ as vaccination program has failed to achieve its marks

At least five such cases have been reported in Australia after more than 6.1 million AstraZeneca doses have been administered

Australia reports 2 more deaths linked to AstraZeneca vaccine blood clots

China on Thursday upped the ante, saying it will not follow the World Health Organization’s proposal to conduct a second phase of COVID-19 origin tracing.

-The work plan on the second phase origins study proposed by the WHO contains language that does not respect science- said Zeng Yixin, deputy head of China’s National Health Commission, public broadcaster CGTN reported.
The decision came after the WHO on Friday proposed a second phase of studies into the origins of the coronavirus, including inspection of laboratories and markets in Wuhan, from where the first cases of the virus were reported in December 2019.
Zeng called the move as “arrogant” and a “disrespect for common sense” with its return to the “lab leak” theory, daily South China Morning Post reported.
He said: -I was very surprised because it places the hypothesis that ‘China’s breach of laboratory protocols caused the virus to leak’ as one of the research priorities’.-The Chinese official argued that none of the staff or postgraduates at the Wuhan Institute of Virology – at the center of the lab leak claims – “had been infected with the coronavirus and the lab had not conducted any gain-of-function studies.”
Renewal of demand for a fresh probe came after push by Western states after the WHO-China joint international research team released its report in February following a visit to China for more than ten days in search of the virus origins.
Beijing said such efforts were to politicize the scientific work.
-Those so-called scientists are politicians. True scientists with a neutral position are facing attacks by extreme forces of certain countries- Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said early this month.
The team of international experts from the WHO and China told a news conference in February that there is insufficient evidence that the coronavirus had spread in Wuhan before December 2019.
Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, from the WHO team, had said the evidence also points to a natural reservoir of the virus, i.e., bat population.
-But since Wuhan is not (located) near the bat habitation, thus a direct jump of this virus to Wuhan is highly unlikely- he said. -How the virus entered the market is yet to be known. Host is yet to be identified.-China, however, said the WHO should “genuinely treat the COVID-19 origin-tracing work as a scientific issue, get rid of political interference.”
It called on the world health body to “actively and prudently promote the tracing work to be carried out continuously in multiple countries and regions around the globe.”
-What has been carried out in the first stage of origin tracing, especially those that have reached a clear conclusion, should not be repeated- Zeng added.

Treat COVID-19 origin-tracing work as ‘scientific issue, get rid of political interference,’ Beijing tells WHO

The decision came after the WHO on Friday proposed a second phase of studies into the origins of the coronavirus, including inspection of laboratories and markets in Wuhan, from where the first cases of the virus were reported in December 2019.

China turns down 2nd phase of coronavirus origin tracing

A total of 1,308 samples were registered with the Public Health Institute of the Federation of BiH in the past 24 hours, of which 32 were positive for SARS-CoV-2.

There were no deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H in the past 24 hours.
The total number of deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H is 5,538, the FB&amp;H Public Health Institute said.
In the last 24 hours, 62 samples were tested in the Brčko District of B&amp;H, and fortunately, there were no positive ones. Four people have recovered in the past day, so there are currently 16 active cases of the infection in the District.
In the entity of Republic of Srpska, 173 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in seven people.
In the same period, no deaths were reported to the RS Institute of Public Health.
So far, a total of 3,797 people have died in the entity who have tested positive for the virus.
The total number of hospitalized is 33.

In the entity of Republic of Srpska, 173 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, and coronavirus was confirmed in seven people

The total number of deaths in the Federation of B&H is 5,538

COVID-19 confirmed in 39 people in B&H, with no deaths

The session of the Interdepartmental Working Group for Amendments to the Election Legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled for today, was not held due to the lack of a quorum.

The session should be held tomorrow when the members of the working group should continue to consider proposals for changes to the B&amp;H Election Law.
During the last two-day session, on July 12 and 13, the Group discussed the chapters related to the voter register, certification and candidacy for elections, conduct of elections, and protection of voting right and rules of conduct in the election campaign.

The session should be held tomorrow

During the last two-day session, on July 12 and 13, the Group discussed the chapters related to the voter register, certification and candidacy for elections

No session today for Election Law Working Group because of lack of quorum

Ten years after right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik carried out twin attacks in Norway, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who was then the country's prime minister, warned that the hatred was "still present".

The former Labour Party prime minister had distinguished himself by promising "more democracy" and "more humanity" in response to the attacks that killed 77 people on July 22, 2011.
Breivik first set off a bomb in Oslo next to the building that housed the office of the prime minister, but Stoltenberg was not there at the time.
The blast killed eight people and Breivik then went on a shooting spree at a summer camp for left-wing youths on the island of Utoya, killing another 69 -- most of them teenagers. 
-Ten years ago, we met hatred with love- Stoltenberg said in a speech Thursday.
-But the hatred is still present- he added.
Stoltenberg noted that just this week vandals scrawled "Breivik was right" on a memorial for Benjamin Hermansen, who was killed by neo-Nazis in 2001 in what was billed as Norway's "first racist crime".
He also brought up the attempted attack on a mosque near Oslo in 2019, and the threats still received by Utoya survivors.
In 2012, Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison. His sentence can be extended indefinitely and the extremist, now 42, will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. 
Breivik blamed his victims for fostering a multiculturalism that he abhorred, and outlined his ideology in a 1,500-page anti-immigration manifesto.
"He grew up in our neighbourhood, believed in the same God, and had the same skin color as the majority in this country. He was one of us," Stoltenberg said.
"But he is not one of us, who are respectful of democracy. He is one of them. Who believe they have the right to kill to achieve their political goals," he added, saying it did "not matter if they place themselves on the right or left side of the political spectrum, calling themselves Christians or Muslims."
"They have more in common with each other than they have with any of us who follow the rules of democracy," Stoltenberg stressed.
Norway has planned several ceremonies to honour the 77 victims of the bloodiest attack in its post-war history.

Breivik first set off a bomb in Oslo next to the building that housed the office of the prime minister

Survivor Astrid Eide Hoem was 16 when a neo-Nazi set off a bomb in Oslo and then went on a shooting spree at a summer camp

NATO chief warns hate 'still present' 10 years after 2011 Norway attacks

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday she was concerned about Germany's rising Covid-19 infections, urging Germans to get vaccinated.

-The infection figures are rising again and with a clear and worrying dynamic- Merkel told a press conference in Berlin. 
-We are seeing exponential growth- she said, adding that "every vaccination... is a small step towards a return to normality".
Germany has seen low infection numbers over the summer compared to many of its European neighbours, but cases have been creeping up over the past two weeks, largely fuelled by the Delta variant.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency on Thursday recorded 1,890 new infections over the past 24 hours and an incidence rate of 12.2 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days -- up from a low of 4.9 in early July.
Merkel said she expected cases to double in the next two weeks. "With a rising incidence rate, it could be that we need to introduce additional measures," she said.
-The more people are vaccinated, the freer we will be -- not only as individuals, but also as a community.-Germany began easing pandemic restrictions in May and has now reopened restaurants, shops, pools and museums, as well as easing limits on public and private gatherings.
As of Thursday, 60.4 percent of Germans had received one jab against Covid-19, with 48 percent fully vaccinated.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency on Thursday recorded 1,890 new infections over the past 24 hours and an incidence rate of 12.2 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days

Merkel: every vaccination is a small step towards a return to normality

Merkel worried by Germany's 'exponential' virus growth

French President Emmanuel Macron has called an urgent national security meeting for Thursday to discuss the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware after reports about its use in France emerged this week, a government spokesman said. 

-The president is following this subject closely and takes it very seriously- Gabriel Attal told France Inter radio, adding that the unscheduled national security meeting would be "dedicated to the Pegasus issue and the question of cybersecurity".
A consortium of media companies, including the Washington Post, the Guardian and France's Le Monde, reported on Tuesday that one of Macron's phone numbers and those of many cabinet ministers were on a leaked list of potential Pegasus targets.
The newspapers said they had been unable to confirm whether an attempted or successful hacking had taken place without forensically analysing the president's phone. 
Evidence of an attempted hacking was found on the device of former environment minister and close Macron ally Francois de Rugy, with the attempt allegedly originating in Morocco.
De Rugy demanded on Tuesday that Morocco provide "explanations to France, to the French government and individuals like me, who was a member of the French government when there was an attempt to hack and access the data on my mobile phone."
The NSO Group has denied that Macron was among the targets of its clients.
We can "specifically come out and say for sure that the president of France, Macron, was not a target", Chaim Gelfand, chief compliance officer at NSO Group, told Israeli television network i24 on Wednesday.
A source close to Macron played down the risk to him, saying Wednesday that the 43-year-old leader had several phones which were "regularly changed, updated and secured". 
Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, the source said that his security settings were "the tightest possible".
Other revelations this week have alleged that close French ally Morocco, also targeted several high-profile journalists in France.
Prosecutors in Paris have opened a probe following complaints from investigative website Mediapart and the satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine. 
Morocco has denied the claims, saying it "never acquired computer software to infiltrate communication devices".
The joint media investigation into Pegasus identified at least 180 journalists in 20 countries who were selected for potential targeting between 2016 to June 2021.
Pegasus can hack into mobile phones without a user knowing, enabling clients to read every message, track a user's location and tap into the phone's camera and microphone.

Evidence of an attempted hacking was found on the device of former environment minister and close Macron ally Francois de Rugy, with the attempt allegedly originating in Morocco

Journalists say that a phone number belonging to French President Emmanuel Macron was found on a list of potential targets for the Pegasus spyware

Macron calls national security meeting to discuss Pegasus spyware

At the beginning of next week, a hearing is scheduled in the Court of B&amp;H on the proposal of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H to extend the custody of the accused in the "Dženan Memić" case, Alisa and Zijad Mutap, police officers Hasan Dupovac and Josip Barić and Muamer Ožegović, an employee of the Crystal Hotel in Ilidža.
It is a motion of the Prosecution sent with the indictment.
We remind you that five of them were indicted two weeks ago, but the Court only confirmed the indictment yesterday, which is why the hearing was scheduled.
The accused are charged with organized crime in connection with the criminal offenses of unlawful mediation, aiding the perpetrator after the commission of a criminal offense, preventing evidence and giving false testimony.
In the meantime, everyone was released to defend themselves from freedom, but the decision of the Appellate Panel on the appeal of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H is still pending.
Specifically, the judge requested that two motions be filed to extend custody, which the Prosecution did. But the court rejected a motion to extend custody from the investigation.

According to the motion attached to the indictment, the custody of the accused may last up to two years, and the organizer, Zijad Mutap, up to three years.
The Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H charges the five with organized crime and preventing the discovery and proving the death of Dženan Memić, a young man who died on February 15th, 2016, after severe injuries. It is suspected that they joined a criminal group organized to cover up evidence of the manner in which Memić received life-threatening injuries in Velika Aleja on Ildža, on February 8 of the same year.
The Indictment alleges that Ramić, Mutap, Dupovac, Barić and Ožegović concealed and faked evidence, and that the accused Mutap allegedly had contacts with several persons, including the accused, and committed illegal acts with them personally and in agreement, ie together have committed illegal acts.
It is about unauthorized and without an order of the competent court seizure of evidence in the form of video surveillance footage, planting evidence, establishing acts that do not correspond to the facts, submitting fake evidence for expertise and obstructing and directing the investigation in the wrong direction.

The five of them were indicted two weeks ago, but the Court only yesterday confirmed the indictment stating a motion to extend custody

"Memić" case: Alisa and Zijad Mutap are accused, police officers Dupovac and Barić and Muamer Ožegović in courtroom again

A 22-year-old British citizen was arrested in Spain on Wednesday in connection with a July 2020 hack of Twitter, which compromised the accounts of high-profile politicians and celebrities, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.

It named the British man as Joseph O'Connor and said he was arrested on multiple charges, and also accused in a criminal complaint of computer intrusions related to takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat accounts, as well as cyberstalking a juvenile.
The July 2020 Twitter attack hijacked a variety of verified Twitter accounts, including then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The accounts of former President Barack Obama and TV reality star Kim Kardashian were also hit.
The alleged hacker used the accounts to solicit digital currency, prompting Twitter to take the extraordinary step of preventing some verified accounts from publishing messages for several hours until security to the accounts could be restored.

The July 2020 Twitter attack hijacked a variety of verified Twitter accounts, including then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Twitter accounts of former President Barack Obama and TV reality star Kim Kardashian were also hit

UK citizen arrested in Spain for role in 2020 Twitter hack

Pope Francis will deliver more than 10 addresses and visit five cities in four days during a September trip to Hungary and Slovakia - his first since major intestinal surgery - a schedule issued on Wednesday showed.

The schedule for the Sept. 12-15 trip is as gruelling as for past travels, indicating that he and his doctors are confident that he will be able to handle the load.
The 84-year-old Francis underwent surgery to remove part&nbsp;of his colon on July 4 and spent 11 days in hospital, his first hospitalisation since his election as pope in 2013.Most of the trip will be in Slovakia, where he will visit the capital Bratislava, as well as Kosice, Presov and Sastin.
Apart from the regular institutional meetings with the country's president, prime minister, parliamentarians and diplomats, he will also have a separate meeting with the Jewish community in Bratislava.
About 105,000 Slovak Jews were killed in the Holocaust, according to the Central Association of Jewish Communities. Today the community numbers around 3,000.
In Kosice, he also will meet with the Roma population in the city's Lunik IX district, one of the largest concentrations in the country.
Slovakia has a Roma population about 440,000-strong, with many living in settlements on the outskirts of towns, although most declare themselves as Slovaks or Hungarians.
Francis will say two open-air Masses in Slovakia, which is about 74% Catholic, including one service in the lengthy Byzantine rite.
The pope starts the trip with a six-hour stop in the Hungarian capital Budapest to close a Church congress before moving on to Slovakia.
The pope suffered from a severe case of symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition in which it narrows, causing pain, bloating, inflammation and difficulty in bowel movement.

Most of the trip will be in Slovakia, where he will visit the capital Bratislava, as well as Kosice, Presov and Sastin

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives at the San Damaso courtyard for the weekly general audience at the Vatican June 16, 2021.

US Embassy: Genocide in Srebrenica is not a matter of debate

SBB: Inzko’s move is a civilizational gesture that prevents the denial of genocide as its final stage

USA expressed support for the appointment of Schmidt as next High Representative

"Diploma" affair: SC MUP inspectors are seizing documentation from ISA again

High Representative Inzko pays respect to the memory of Hatidža Mehmedović

COVID fuels largest drop in US life expectancy since World War II

Australia reports 2 more deaths linked to AstraZeneca vaccine blood clots

China turns down 2nd phase of coronavirus origin tracing

COVID-19 confirmed in 39 people in B&H, with no deaths

No session today for Election Law Working Group because of lack of quorum

NATO chief warns hate 'still present' 10 years after 2011 Norway attacks

Merkel worried by Germany's 'exponential' virus growth

Macron calls national security meeting to discuss Pegasus spyware

"Memić" case: Alisa and Zijad Mutap are accused, police officers Dupovac and Barić and Muamer Ožegović in courtroom again

UK citizen arrested in Spain for role in 2020 Twitter hack

Pope's September trip schedule shows no post-surgery slowdown

News

US Embassy: Genocide in Srebrenica is not a matter of debate

SBB: Inzko’s move is a civilizational gesture that prevents the denial of genocide as its final stage

USA expressed support for the appointment of Schmidt as next High Representative

"Diploma" affair: SC MUP inspectors are seizing documentation from ISA again

High Representative Inzko pays respect to the memory of Hatidža Mehmedović

COVID fuels largest drop in US life expectancy since World War II

Australia reports 2 more deaths linked to AstraZeneca vaccine blood clots

China turns down 2nd phase of coronavirus origin tracing

COVID-19 confirmed in 39 people in B&H, with no deaths

No session today for Election Law Working Group because of lack of quorum

NATO chief warns hate 'still present' 10 years after 2011 Norway attacks

Merkel worried by Germany's 'exponential' virus growth

Macron calls national security meeting to discuss Pegasus spyware

"Memić" case: Alisa and Zijad Mutap are accused, police officers Dupovac and Barić and Muamer Ožegović in courtroom again

UK citizen arrested in Spain for role in 2020 Twitter hack

Pope's September trip schedule shows no post-surgery slowdown