The number of people seeking asylum in Germany in 2020 fell by 30 percent compared with the previous year, official data showed Sunday, as closed borders and coronavirus lockdowns slowed arrivals.
Germany's interior ministry recorded just over 76,000 first-time asylum applications last year, 31.5 percent fewer than in 2019.
Most of the requests came from nationals from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey, it said in a statement.
A further 26,520 asylum applications were made for children under the age of one who were born in Germany to non-nationals, bringing the total number of applications to 102,581.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said the drop in asylum seekers could partly be attributed to the pandemic, which disrupted international travel and saw some countries resort to border closures, especially during the first wave of cases in the spring.
But Seehofer, a hardline conservative, also pointed out that the number of asylum seekers in Germany has been falling steadily over the past four years, which he said "showed that our measures to steer migration are working".
Just over 37,800 people were newly recognised as refugees in Germany last year.
Germany saw a huge influx of migrants five years ago after Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country's doors to those fleeing conflict at the height of Europe's migrant crisis.
In 2015, Germany saw more than 400,000 first-time asylum applications, followed by over 700,000 requests the following year.
The new arrivals deeply polarised the country and fuelled the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which rails against immigration and Islam.
The German government has responded by toughening its migration policies and stepping up deportations of rejected asylum seekers or refugees convicted of violent crimes.
A decision to lift a general ban on deportations to war-ravaged Syria from 2021 has been heavily criticised by rights groups however, even if the government says it will only be applied to those deemed a security risk.
The refugee rights group Pro Asyl told DPA news agency on Sunday that Germany's low asylum seeker figures were a result of "Europe's rigorous border closures".
Many migrants were currently "stuck in misery" in winter temperatures in Bosnia after their camp burnt down, it added, "even tough the current asylum figures show: Germany has room".

Most of the requests came from nationals from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey

Germany saw a huge influx of migrants five years ago after Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country's doors to those fleeing conflict at the height of Europe's migrant crisis

Germany sees sharp drop in asylum requests in 2020

Prof. dr. Sebija Izetbegović, general director of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo, told Hayat TV that the institution she heads is ready for vaccination.
Lists of vaccination teams and staff have already been prepared, as well as lists of staff to be vaccinated.

- In order to consume all doses of the vaccines in the prescribed time, we will work with a much larger number of people, much faster. Teams have also been prepared that will take care of people in case there are any unwanted reactions - said Izetbegović.
She points out that they are ready to help in the vaccination of citizens, although that is not in the description of the obligations of UCCS.
- This is a very important immunization so that everyone can return to normal life as soon as possible. That is why UCCS wants to help both the population and the Institute of Public Health. All employees with medical profession of the UCCS will be organized so that regular work and patients do not suffer, and to help vaccinate the population - said Izetbegović.

She adds that they will be engaged as much as they need because the health of the population comes first.
- We are taught to work 24 hours, and we used to work 48 hours. This means that we are ready for all variants to carry out immunization of the population as efficiently and quickly as possible. Of course, we will be prepared for possible exceptional events in case of possible allergic reactions that have been described. All employees who approach the vaccination will need to have written consent, and we have prepared that. We have established the lists. There will be more registered. The employees spoke briefly about possible allergic reactions, and everyone knows which diagnoses and health conditions are not suitable for the application of the vaccine - said the general director of UCCS for Hayat.

Lists of vaccination teams and staff have already been prepared, as well as lists of staff to be vaccinated

Sebija Izetbegović on UCCS preparations for vaccination: We will work with a much larger number of people

The Alliance for a Better Future of B&amp;H (SBB) is surprised by the reckless and extremely bad actions of the new Prime Minister of Montenegro, Zdravko Krivokapić, which, by congratulating, we emphasize, the unconstitutional holiday of a B&amp;H entity, he simultaneously showed great ignorance of historical and legal facts, disrespect for the institutions and legal order of our country, and obvious intention to contribute to external destabilization and violation of the sovereignty and international subjectivity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- SBB asks the Embassy of Montenegro in Bosnia and Herzegovina to urgently comment on this unequivocally wrong action of Prime Minister Krivokapić, and to explain to the Bosnian public whether the denial of the constitutional order, the Constitution and the Constitutional Court of B&amp;H is an official position of the Government of Montenegro or a reckless move which deserves an official apology - it was announced.

SBB asks the Embassy of Montenegro in Bosnia and Herzegovina to urgently comment on this unequivocally wrong action of Prime Minister Krivokapić

SBB: A reckless move that deserves an official apology

SBB: The Prime Minister of Montenegro made a mistake and sent a bad message

The member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, assessed the congratulations sent by the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Zdravko Krivokapić, on the occasion of marking the unconstitutional day of the RS entity as an expression of deep disrespect for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&amp;H.
- Non-compliance with the decisions of the Constitutional Court of B&amp;H is the ultimate expression of disrespect for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I expect the Government of Montenegro to distance itself as soon as possible from the action of the Prime Minister of Montenegro, which is directly aimed against the sovereignty of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The coalition partners of Prime Minister Krivokapić are also obliged to apologize to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina for glorifying the date, which in the collective consciousness of B&amp;H citizens is nothing but a date that symbolizes the beginning of the Greater Serbia aggression against B&amp;H and the beginning of the genocidal project.

Coalition partners of Prime Minister Krivokapić are also obliged to apologize to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Komšić said

Komšić: Disrespect for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H

Komšić: Government of Montenegro and Abazović must distance themselves from disrespecting the state of BiH and glorifying the day of the beginning of genocide

The president of the Alliance for a Better Future, Fahrudin Radončić, posted on his Instagram profile.
You can read his full post below:
- An issue of strategic national interest for the general health of citizens is the historical necessity for the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of B&amp;H Zoran Tegeltija to organize a meeting with the entity prime ministers Fadil Novalić and Radovan Višković within the deadline. Such meetings (photographs prove it), and with less important topics than the acute emergency procurement of millions of vaccines, have already been held as a good and effective practice.

Let me remind you, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, an average of 40-50 people die from COVID – 19 every day.
When that number is multiplied by several months of evident delay in mass vaccination compared to other countries, a horrible figure of at least 1,000 or many more, unnecessarily deceased people is obtained.
These people will die because of irresponsible, lazy and immoral government.

The story of the recent arrival of "smaller quantities of vaccines" is a classic spin to try to calm down and deceive overburdened doctors and medical workers, but also citizens who are dissatisfied and endangered by bad government.
That is why urgent action is needed.
In B&amp;H now, in various budgets, there is enough money to procure vaccines. But, obviously, there is no responsibility in the Council of Ministers of B&amp;H - Radončić wrote.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ3eMW5hZd0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ3eMW5hZd0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ3eMW5hZd0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Fahrudin Radončić (@radoncicfahrudin)</a></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

The story of the recent arrival of "smaller quantities of vaccines" is a classic spin to try to calm down and deceive overburdened doctors and medical workers, but also dissatisfied and vulnerable citizens

Radončić: People die because of irresponsible, lazy and immoral government

Radončić: You are guilty that more than 1,000 people will die unnecessarily

Pope Francis urged Americans on Sunday to shun violence, seek reconciliation and protect democratic values, following the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol building by supporters of President Donald Trump that left five people dead.-I repeat that violence is self-destructive, always. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost- the pope said in his Sunday address.
It was the second time in as many days that the pope, who visited the United States in 2015 when Barrack Obama was president, spoke out on the violence in the Washington, D.C.
Dozens of people have been charged following the storming of the Capitol on Wednesday, with the FBI asking the public to help identify participants, given the proliferation of images of the riots on the internet. The five people who died included a police officer.
-I appeal to the authorities of the country and to the entire population to maintain a lofty sense of responsibility in order to calm things down, promote national reconciliation and protect democratic values that are rooted in American society- Francis said.
He said he wanted to send “an affectionate greeting” to all Americans whose country had been “shaken by the recent siege on Congress”.
Francis also said he was praying for those who died and that all Americans would “keep alive a culture of encounter, a culture of caring, as the master way to build together the common good”.
In advance excerpts on Saturday of a television interview to be aired on Sunday night, Francis said it was important to understand what had gone wrong and to learn from it.
-(Fringe) groups that are not well inserted into society sooner or later will commit this sort of violence- he said in the television interview.
Francis has had a rocky relationship with Trump, who visited the Vatican in 2017, disagreeing with him on a spate of issues, including immigration and climate change.

"I repeat that violence is self-destructive, always. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost"

U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Francis meet at the Vatican, May 24, 2017.

Pope urges U.S. to protect democracy, shun violence after mob attack

Belgium’s death toll from coronavirus infections, one of the highest per capita in the world, has breached the 20,000 mark, according to official data published on Sunday.
The country, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, has played down comparisons that show it to be one of the world’s worst hit by the pandemic, but virologists point to some missteps and systemic problems. A country divided by language, Belgium gives regions substantial autonomy and has nine health ministers.
Public health institute Sciensano said 20,038 people have died in Belgium, according to the official count as of Sunday. An average of 58 people in Belgium died from COVID-19 each day in the seven days to Jan. 6, a decrease of 15% from the previous seven-day period.
Belgium is the second-highest in the world for deaths in proportion to its overall population, behind the tiny city state of San Marino, according to a tracker by Johns Hopkins University updated on Saturday.
Belgium’s government imposed tighter restrictions in October to rein in a surge in infections, including a night curfew, mandatory working from home and the closure of bars and restaurants, but cases have started to tick up again in recent days.
The government said on Friday it would not tighten restrictions for now, but would review these at its next meeting on Jan. 22 when it should be clearer how the festive season and the reopening of schools has affected the caseload.

Government imposed tighter restrictions in October to rein in a surge in infections

Belgium is the second-highest in the world for deaths in proportion to its overall population, behind the tiny city state of San Marino

Belgium's coronavirus deaths hit 20,000, still among world's highest per capita

After the worst snowstorm in decades, Spanish officials were racing Sunday to clear the roads of snow before a cold snap transforms them into icy death traps.
Storm Filomena killed three people during its passage through Spain and kept emergency services workers and army snow ploughs busy through Saturday freeing 2,500 drivers trapped in their vehicles.
The storm also brought heavy rains before moving through eastern Spain into southern France.
Spain's weather forecasters AEMET predicted heavy frost overnight Sunday to Monday in large parts of Spain. In mountainous areas temperatures would drop below -10 celsius (14 Fahrenheit), conditions that could last until Thursday, the agency added.
-Our aim is to make the most of every minute before Monday when the drop in temperature happens- to clear the roads, Madrid’s mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said late Saturday.
-From then, until the end of the week, it’s going to be very difficult to get about- he told Sexta television.
The capital Madrid and the surrounding region was one of the areas worst hit by the snow, with levels of snowfall not seen since 1971.
The army also had to clear the snow from Madrid airport, one of the regions worst hit by the snowstorm, which had forced the cancellation of flights from late Friday. They are not due to be reopened until Sunday afternoon at the earliest.
They also had to clear access to the city's hospitals, still struggling to cope with the country's coronavirus crisis.
The storm, through Friday and Saturday, left much of the country under dozens of centimetres of snow, an amount rarely experienced in Spain, blocking many major roads.
More than 700 major routes were still impassible Sunday morning said the government, with rail travel to and from Madrid also cancelled, at least until Sunday afternoon.
The authorities in the capital have closed the city's schools, colleges and universities at least until Wednesday.
As well as the Madrid region, the exceptional conditions hit another four regions -- Aragon, Valencia, Castilla La Mancha and Catalonia -- hard Saturday.

The storm also brought heavy rains before moving through eastern Spain into southern France

Madrid blanketed in snow as deadly storms cause chaos across Spain

Spain races to clear snow before cold snap freezes roads

The president of SBB, Fahrudin Radončić, posted on his Facebook profile.
You can read his full post below: 
-Today's interview with Azem Vlasi, a well-known Kosovo politician and lawyer, in "Dnevni avaz", reminded B&amp;H public again about him, as a very important figure in the Yugoslav outcome. And, one of the first great political victims of Milošević's criminal regime.
Let me remind you that the "Balkan butcher" put him in a very strict one-year prison. In addition to the unprecedented harangue, he is accused of Albanian separatism, breaking up Yugoslavia, organizing thousands of Kosovo miners, who had closed themselves in deep pits demanding his release, and other serious alleged crimes.

In the cult Zagreb weekly magazine "Danas" that was then printed in circulations of up to 300,000 copies, I managed to publish an interview with him on March 27th, 1990. And that, from a strictly guarded prison.
It was a world exclusive.
After that, as expected, because journalistic freedoms were not at the level of today, I was taken to the police to confess to them how I managed to get into his cell, who let me in, who was the organizer, etc.
Of course, like many colleagues in similar situations, I said nothing.
However, after 30 years, I can uncover the secret of how that famous interview came about.
Rajko Danilović, one of Belgrade's most famous lawyers and an excellent intellectual who defended many political prisoners in the former Yugoslavia, was also Vlasi's lawyer.
I agreed with him that he, hiding from the guards submits my questions hidden in the lawyer's documents and that Azem would write his answers by hand in the following days.
And, again through Danilović, return the answers to me. With the help of Nadira Vlasi, Azem's wife and a very famous journalist of the then "Vjesnik", the answers reached me and I took them, in their apartment, in Priština.
The interview was sent by fax immediately from Priština to the "Danas" editorial office. All the world media reported it!
This was perceived as a severe disgrace to Milošević's security forces, a disgrace for the Counterintelligence Service, the police and the guard services.
In addition, the Chetnik media declared me a traitor, and a separatist promoter and accomplice.
Criminal charges were also filed for my help in breaking up Yugoslavia!?
Those traumas were left behind, and I continued to write against Milošević's policies. Vlasi became a lawyer.

Yet, as is often the case in life, 25 years after his arrest, Azem found himself in a position to publicly defend me and provide moral support.
As a lawyer, on January 26th, 2016., he directly called my trial in Sarajevo an inadmissible political indictment and gave several other elaborations in the same sense.
That is why politicians and journalists of my generation - who were shamefully silent at the time or even supported Milošević - who stupidly try to falsify my pre-war, war and post-war past in their yellow portals seem sad to me today.

<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/FahrudinRadoncic/posts/5196637917013784" data-width="500" data-show-text="true"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/FahrudinRadoncic/posts/5196637917013784" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">NAKON 30 GODINA, MOGU OTKRITI TAJNU VEZANU ZA AZEMA Današnji intervju Azema Vlasija, poznatog kosovskog političara i...Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FahrudinRadoncic/">Fahrudin Radončić</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FahrudinRadoncic/posts/5196637917013784">Saturday, January 9, 2021</a></blockquote></div>

The interview with Azem Vlasi, which was done through a lawyer, was perceived as a serious disgrace for Milošević's security forces, a disgrace for the Counterintelligence Service, the police and the guard services

Radončić and the Vlasi: Political victims

Radončić: After 30 years, I can reveal a secret connection to Azem

Nine people were arrested Saturday in Denmark at demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions imposed to curb the surge of the virus, according to local sources.
The protests were organized by a social media movement, Men in Black, in Copenhagen and Aalborg, the fourth largest city.
Demonstrators shouted slogans against Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and claimed the restrictions are exaggerated, unnecessary and not related to the coronavirus but for public control.
Protesters wanted to regain their freedom, which is restricted by the pandemic. They shouted, "We have had enough, freedom for people."
Police intervened after protesters threw fireworks and empty bottles at officers.
Four people were arrested in Copenhagen and five in Aalborg.
Denmark has a rule that limits a maximum of five people to congregate but demonstrations cannot be prohibited due to a "freedom of assembly" article in the Constitution.
Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed more than 1.9 million lives in 191 countries and regions.
More than 89 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries nearing 49.7 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.
The US, India, and Brazil remain the worst-hit countries for infections.

‘We have had enough, freedom for people’ shouted at Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen

Four people were arrested in Copenhagen and five in Aalborg

9 arrested at coronavirus protests in Denmark

“Bye bye family. We’re heading home for now,” Ratih Windania posted on Instagram from Jakarta’s airport with pictures of three laughing children and two emojis blowing kisses.The message was sent just before they boarded a plane from the Indonesian capital on Saturday that crashed into the sea minutes after take-off, carrying 62 passengers and crew.
-Pray for us- her brother Irfansyah Riyanto posted on Instagram with a picture of the family.
Indonesian authorities said they had recovered pieces of wreckage and body parts on Sunday from the waters north of the capital where Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ 182 disappeared in rainy weather.
Like dozens of other desperate relatives, Irfansyah rushed to Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta airport late on Saturday. On Sunday, he was still hoping for good news about his sister and four other family members on the flight, including his parents.
-We feel powerless, we can only wait and hope to have any information soon- Irfansyah told reporters.
Irfansyah said his relatives had originally been due to take an earlier flight operated by Sriwijaya’s unit NAM Air and he was unclear why that was changed.
His sister and her two children had been at the end of a three-week holiday and were taking the 740 km (460 mile) trip home to Pontianak on the island of West Kalimantan.
-I was the one who drove them to the airport, helped with the check-ins and the luggage ... I feel like I still can’t believe this and it happened too fast- Irfansyah said.
The flight disappeared from radar screens minutes after the plane took off and reached an altitude of 10,900 feet.

Indonesian authorities said they had tracked signals likely from the plane’s black boxes on Sunday. Police asked families to provide information to help identify any bodies retrieved such as dental records and DNA samples.
At the police hospital, the brother of co-pilot Diego Mamahit said he had been asked for a blood sample.
-I believe my younger brother survived, these are just for the police procedure- Chris Mamahit said. -Diego is a good man, we still believe Diego survived.-
On his LinkedIn profile, Mahamit had written -I really love to fly.-
He and pilot Afwan, who goes by only one name, had nearly two decades of commercial flying experience between them. Afwan had previously been an air force pilot.
-We the family still hope for good news- a family member of Afwan, a devout Muslim, told Detik.com.
President Joko Widodo offered sympathy on Sunday.
-We are making our best efforts to find and rescue the victims and we all pray that they can be found- he said.
Panca Widiya Nursanti, a middle-school teacher in Pontianak, had been returning after a vacation in her home town of Tegal in Central Java. In Pontianak, her husband Rafiq Yusuf Al Idrus recounted the last contact he had with her.
-I was joking by saying that when she arrived in Pontianak we would eat satay together- he said.
-She contacted me via Whatsapp at 2.05 p.m with laughter. She was already boarding the plane and she said the weather conditions were not good. I said pray a lot, please.-

Indonesian authorities said they had recovered pieces of wreckage and body parts on Sunday from the waters north of the capital where Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ 182 disappeared in rainy weather

Sri Lungdiyanti, 41, family member of a Sriwijaya Air passenger reacts after the Flight SJ182 Boeing 737-500, crashed after taking off, in Tegal, Central Java Province, Indonesia, January 10, 2021.

Still hoping: Indonesians await news of relatives on missing plane

Amazon will suspend Parler, the tech giant confirmed Saturday, sending the social media network offline after it was banned by Apple and Google for allowing "threats of violence" in the wake of a deadly riot at the US Capitol.
The Parler social network has become a haven for conservatives who say they have been censored by other social media platforms.
It had soared in popularity in recent months, becoming the No. 1 free app on Apple's App Store on Saturday after the much larger Twitter decided to permanently ban US President Trump from its platform for his role in inciting violence at the Capitol.
Messages of support for the Wednesday's rioters along with calls for new demonstrations had flourished on the platform, leading Google to remove it from its app store on Friday, followed by Apple on Saturday.
Amazon then moved to wipe it from its cloud hosting Amazon Web Services, pushing it offline entirely.
In a letter to Parler first published by Buzzfeed, Amazon said the network was not acting quickly enough against violent content on the platform.
-We've seen a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms of service- the letter, the contents of which were confirmed to AFP by Amazon, said. 
Given the riot at the Capitol this week, the letter continued, there was a "serious risk that this type of content will further incite violence."
It will suspend the account just before midnight Pacific Standard Time on Sunday (0759 GMT Monday). 
As the group hosts Parler's data on its cloud service, this should prevent it from functioning, at least temporarily.&nbsp;

The founder of Parler, John Matz, confirmed on his profile that there was a possibility the network would be unavailable "for up to a week" as it searches for a new host. 
-We will try our best to move to a new provider right now- he said. 
Amazon's decision has much more far-reaching impact than the moves by Google and Apple. 
They had made it more complicated to download the Parler app, but users could still access it if it was already downloaded or if they were using an internet browser.
-We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity- Apple said in a statement Saturday.
-Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues.-
Google pulled Parler from its app store for allowing "egregious content" that could incite deadly violence like that seen at the Capitol.
Angry Trump supporters swarmed the building on Wednesday as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden's November 3 election win, leaving five people -- including a policeman -- dead.
Other mainstream social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitch have also suspended Trump following the attack on the Capitol.
Matze has said the platform has "many options" for moving ahead.
Parler started in 2018 and was initially a home for the extreme right, but now it attracts more traditional conservative voices including Republican lawmakers.

Other mainstream social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitch have also suspended Trump

Parler has become a haven for Trump supporters in recent weeks

Amazon pushes Parler offline after Capitol attack

Two former Algerian prime ministers went on trial again Saturday on appeal for corruption, the official APS news agency said, after the supreme court annulled their earlier convictions.
Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal both served under former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
APS said they were involved in a corruption scandal and accused of covert financing of Bouteflika's final re-election bid.
The new proceedings in the capital Algiers come after the supreme court in November accepted a defence appeal.
Several former ministers and other well-known figures are also on trial over the same affair, APS said.
The trial of Ouyahia and Sellal in December 2019 was the first in a series of high-profile corruption cases launched after Bouteflika resigned earlier that year.
It was also the first time since Algeria's independence from France in 1962 that former prime ministers had been put on trial.
Ouyahia was prime minister four times between 1995 and 2019, and had been sentenced to 15 years behind bars.
Sellal, who served from 2012 to 2017 and managed four of Bouteflika's election campaigns, was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
Their sentences were confirmed on appeal in March.
The pair were sentenced to further jail time in separate cases last year.
Bouteflika, who was Algeria's longest-serving president, was forced to resign in April 2019 after losing the backing of the army amid enormous street protests against his decision to seek a fifth term.
Following his departure, authorities launched a string of investigations against high-ranking former officials and business figures, several of whom have been convicted.
Some see the trials as little more than score-settling between rival clans among the ruling elite, however, rather than a genuine reform effort.&nbsp;

Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal both served under former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika

The trial of Ouyahia and Sellal in December 2019 was the first in a series of high-profile corruption cases launched after Bouteflika resigned earlier that year

Former Algeria premiers back on trial for corruption

Four people died in Spain as Storm Filomena caused travel chaos across the country, blanketing Madrid in the heaviest snowfall in decades and forcing authorities to mobilise troops to rescue trapped motorists.Rescue services reached 1,500 people trapped in cars, while skiers glided down Gran Via, normally one of the busiest streets in the capital. Other Madrid residents used the freak blizzard to snowboard down the road or pelt each other with snowballs.
A man and woman who were traveling in a car drowned after a river burst its banks near Malaga, southern Spain, and two homeless people froze to death, one in Madrid and the other in the eastern city of Calatayud, authorities said.
Responding to the events, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia tweeted: “The royal family would like to express their sorrow for victims of the storm ... and ask for extreme caution against the risks of accumulation of ice and snow.”
Interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska urged Spaniards to avoid all but essential travel. “We are facing the most intense storm in the last 50 years,” he said.
More than 650 roads were blocked by snow, said Grande-Marlaska, leaving some drivers stuck in their cars from Friday night until Saturday.
Patricia Manzanares, trapped in her car on the M-40 motorway in Madrid since 7 p.m. on Friday, told RTVE television: “I have been stuck here without water or any other help”.
Aena, which controls the country’s airports, said Madrid’s Barajas airport, which was closed on Friday night, would remain shut for the rest of Saturday. It said at least 50 flights to Madrid, Malaga, Tenerife and Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, were canceled.
The State Meteorological Agency said it was the heaviest snowfall in Madrid since 1971, while José Miguel Viñas, a meteorologist from Spanish National Radio, said that between 25 cm and 50 cm (10-20 inches) had fallen in the capital, which he said made it the largest snowfall since 1963.
Atletico Madrid’s game against Athletic Bilbao, scheduled to kick off at 1515 GMT on Saturday, was postponed, La Liga said in a statement.

Rescue services reached 1,500 people trapped in cars

More than 650 roads were blocked by snow, leaving some drivers stuck in their cars from Friday night until Saturday

Four die in Spanish storm, troops deployed to help motorists stranded by snow

The existence of January 9th - Day of the Republic of Srpska is not in question and the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic have not changed anything in that regard, B&amp;H Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik told RTRS on the occasion of marking the unconstitutional day of RS.

- Our emotion in that regard remains very strong, powerful and definite, and in that regard we will adapt to the conditions and celebrate Day of the Republic of Srpska through some new form. The basic relations are the same for us - RS Day is January 9th for us, it cannot be changed by the inquisitorial decisions of international judges or some self-proclaimed High Representative or anyone else - Dodik said.
He pointed out that January 9th will definitely remain the day of the Serbian people, freedom and statehood.
- We fought for freedom to have a state, we do not run away from it and we will not hide. Generations have created Day of the Republic of Srpska and it is important that it remains for future generations, not to irritate others, but because it belongs to us, this is ours, we have been fighting for this for hundreds of years - he stated.
Dodik said that Serbs in this area had been fighting for the state together with Serbia since the time of the Turkish occupation until January 9th, 1992.
- They did not fight for some B&amp;H. We are not fighting for B&amp;H even today, it is an imposed framework for us in which we still suffer. We have not received anything good from B&amp;H, there is not a single element that could prove to be a benefit in these 20 or more years - he believes.

<h2>They call for various interventions</h2>

Dodik said that RS is unquestionable and that any calls for constitutional changes will not destroy it.
- There are no such changes. We are against the new High Representative, he is not welcome here, whoever he is. The High Representative has shown that he is anti-Serb, because he acted like that... The new representative comes as a Muslim subject who should devastate RS and the Serbian people and its identity, to create a quasi-Muslim state that they cannot create themselves, so they call for various interventions - Dodik points out.

We are against the new High Representative, he is not welcome here, whoever he is, said Milorad Dodik, Chairman of the Presidency of B&H

Dodik: The new High Representative is coming as a Muslim subject

Today, in a smaller B&amp;H entity is celebrated the unconstitutional Day of Republic of Srpska.
It was declared unconstitutional by the B&amp;H Constitutional Court in 2016. This date is associated with the terrible suffering of the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Convicted war criminal Radovan Karadžić had announced war in the former Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina months earlier. Before the Parliament of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 17th, 1991., he said what would happen if B&amp;H took the path taken by Slovenia and Croatia.
- The road you lead Bosnia and Herzegovina is the same highway of hell and suffering that Slovenia and Croatia took. Do not think that you will not take Bosnia and Herzegovina to hell, and the Muslim people maybe to extinction, because the Muslim people cannot defend themselves if there is a war here - Karadžić said a little less than 30 years ago.

Alija Izetbegović answered on that.

- I did not intend to speak now, however, it is good, I need to speak immediately after Mr. Karadžić's presentation. Namely, his presentation, his way of presenting, his messages may explain in the best way why we may not want to remain Yugoslavia anymore. That's what I'm saying here tonight. His way, his messages may explain why others will not stay in that Yugoslavia. Nobody wants the kind of Yugoslavia that Mr. Karadžić wants anymore. Nobody will, except maybe the Serbian people. In the eyes of the Yugoslav peoples, Slovenians, Croats, Macedonians, Albanians, Hungarians, Muslims, such Yugoslavia was simply hated in the eyes of Europe and the world, the way Karadžić does it. However, Karadžić is only an expression of one way of thinking and approaching. What is being done today does not serve the Serbian people, neither this way nor the way out. And these threats that are being expressed. The Muslim people will not disappear. I am telling that to Mr. Karadžić - Izetbegović said at the time.

Do not think that you will not take Bosnia and Herzegovina to hell, and the Muslim people to extinction, Karadžić said in 1991.

Karadžić: He threatened that the Muslim people would disappear

Germany sees sharp drop in asylum requests in 2020

Sebija Izetbegović on UCCS preparations for vaccination: We will work with a much larger number of people

SBB: The Prime Minister of Montenegro made a mistake and sent a bad message

Komšić: Government of Montenegro and Abazović must distance themselves from disrespecting the state of BiH and glorifying the day of the beginning of genocide

Radončić: You are guilty that more than 1,000 people will die unnecessarily

Pope urges U.S. to protect democracy, shun violence after mob attack

Belgium's coronavirus deaths hit 20,000, still among world's highest per capita

Spain races to clear snow before cold snap freezes roads

Radončić: After 30 years, I can reveal a secret connection to Azem

9 arrested at coronavirus protests in Denmark

Still hoping: Indonesians await news of relatives on missing plane

Amazon pushes Parler offline after Capitol attack

Former Algeria premiers back on trial for corruption

Four die in Spanish storm, troops deployed to help motorists stranded by snow

Dodik: The new High Representative is coming as a Muslim subject

How war criminal Radovan Karadžić announced the founding of Republic of Srpska

News

Germany sees sharp drop in asylum requests in 2020

Sebija Izetbegović on UCCS preparations for vaccination: We will work with a much larger number of people

SBB: The Prime Minister of Montenegro made a mistake and sent a bad message

Komšić: Government of Montenegro and Abazović must distance themselves from disrespecting the state of BiH and glorifying the day of the beginning of genocide

Radončić: You are guilty that more than 1,000 people will die unnecessarily

Pope urges U.S. to protect democracy, shun violence after mob attack

Belgium's coronavirus deaths hit 20,000, still among world's highest per capita

Spain races to clear snow before cold snap freezes roads

Radončić: After 30 years, I can reveal a secret connection to Azem

9 arrested at coronavirus protests in Denmark

Still hoping: Indonesians await news of relatives on missing plane

Amazon pushes Parler offline after Capitol attack

Former Algeria premiers back on trial for corruption

Four die in Spanish storm, troops deployed to help motorists stranded by snow

Dodik: The new High Representative is coming as a Muslim subject

How war criminal Radovan Karadžić announced the founding of Republic of Srpska