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Incoming Trump border czar fires back at state and local officials who may look to obstruct the new administration's efforts to deport illegal immigrants and secure the border. A Brazilian citizen living in the United States illegally, and wanted in his home country for drug trafficking , was arrested by federal authorities in a Massachusetts sanctuary city near Boston . The unidentified suspect was taken into custody on Tuesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Somerville, which will be voting next week on a resolution to reaffirm its sanctuary status and would even provide taxpayer-funded legal services to illegal immigrants, while its police department commits to not cooperating with ICE in the detention of illegal migrants. The Brazilian crossed into the U.S. through El Paso, Texas, in 2022 and was released into the country despite facing charges back home for drug trafficking. ‘SANCTUARY’ CITY MAYOR VOWS SHE WILL DEFY TRUMP'S MASS DEPORTATION PUSH: ‘CAUSING WIDESPREAD FEAR’ A Brazilian illegal immigrant wanted in his home country for drug trafficking was arrested in Massachusetts, authorities said. (ICE) "This noncitizen is accused of serious crimes in Brazil," said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. "Public safety is ERO Boston’s primary mission, and our officers are committed to removing potentially dangerous noncitizens from our streets." He was ordered deported in January, followed by a failed appeal, and a federal immigration judge gave him a final order of removal in June. Also arrested in Massachusetts was a Dominican national who entered the U.S. illegally in July 2021. Belardis Tapia Gonzalez is charged with child molestation/sexual assault in Rhode Island. He was arrested just outside Boston in the city of Lynn on Monday. A Salvadoran MS-13 gang member who entered the U.S. as a gotaway was convicted of assault in the state. ICE placed a detainer on him with Northampton District Court, but he was released into the community without federal immigration authorities being notified. TRUMP CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR MAJOR STEP IN MASS DEPORTATION PUSH TO ‘REVERSE THE BIDEN INVASION’ Belardis Tapia Gonzalez was arrested in Lynn, Mass., on Monday, according to ICE. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) He was eventually arrested in Northhampton. State Democrats Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu have been heavily criticized following opposition to President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promise to conduct mass deportations of illegal immigrants once he returns to the Oval Office in January. Healey vowed that her state police will "absolutely not" cooperate with the expected mass deportation effort by the incoming Trump administration, warning that she will use "every tool in the toolbox" to "protect" residents in the blue state. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, Healey's office said, "As part of immigration enforcement, the Governor believes individuals who commit violent crimes like those alleged here should be deported." Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu have said they won't comply with President-elect Trump's immigration enforcement efforts when he returns to the White House in January. (Getty Images) Wu also took a stance against Trump during an interview on Sunday, saying her city will not cooperate with the incoming administration's looming mass deportation operation despite the region seeing a number of illegal immigrants with criminal charges getting released back onto the streets. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On Thursday, the MassGOP slammed Healey and Wu for putting politics over public safety amid the arrests of criminal illegal immigrants. "It’s appalling and disgusting that the Governor of Massachusetts and the Mayor of Boston, the largest city in our state, are prioritizing appeasing the most radical elements of their political base over the safety of Massachusetts residents," MassGOP chairwoman Amy Carnevale said in a news release. "Parents across the Commonwealth are horrified that individuals charged with such serious crimes are allowed to roam free because local authorities refuse to work with ICE to remove these criminals from our streets." Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and Bill Melugin contributed to this report. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com .

Why did NORAD start tracking Santa Claus? It started with a wrong numberImmigrants are increasingly choosing to stay in Quebec, according to a new report from Statistics Canada, but the same isn't true in the Atlantic region, which continues to lose newcomers to the rest of the country. Out of all the immigrants admitted into Quebec in 2021, almost 94 per cent of them were still in the province one year later — a jump of 8.8 percentage points compared with the 2018 cohort of newcomers. The largest increase of newcomers choosing to stay in Quebec was in the economic category, the StatCan report said. Catherine Xhardez, assistant professor of political science at Université de Montréal, said the StatCan report is welcome news for Quebec because unlike in the rest of the country, the provincial government controls its economic immigration stream. "It's also a question of competition. You want the best and brightest to stay because if you invest in them, if you select them, you do not want them to go to Ontario," said Xhardez, who also directs ERIQA, a research group that studies immigration to Quebec. Quebec pauses key immigration programs for permanent residents Quebec suspends foreign recruitment missions until mid-2025 Decades ago, when the Quebec unemployment rate was much higher than the current 5.7 per cent, immigrants were leaving the province at a much higher rate, Xhardez pointed out, saying job opportunities and social programs are key to keeping newcomers. "It really depends on living conditions and opportunities for migrants. That is the biggest factor for people moving from one province to another province," she said. With the latest data already a few years old, Xhardez admits that changes in Quebec's political climate — the government regularly blames immigration for threatening the French language — and the province's recent decision to freeze several immigration programs may impact future immigration trends. Such actions may have the effect of driving immigrants away, she said, especially considering other provinces also target francophones. Lowest retention rates in Atlantic Canada Quebec isn't the only province to have high immigrant retention rates. Ontario leads the country — 94.6 per cent of newcomers admitted to the province in 2021 were still there one year later. In British Columbia it was 91.7 per cent and in Alberta is was 89.5 per cent. However, Atlantic Canada offers a stark contrast. The four provinces recorded decreases in one-year retention rates for immigrants admitted in 2020 compared with 2021. Newfoundland and Labrador recorded a 14.1 percentage point drop, Nova Scotia saw a 11.7 percentage point decrease, the drop in Prince Edward Island was 8.9 percentage points, and in New Brunswick it was 2.2 percentage points. "Immigrants who left their intended Atlantic provinces were increasingly likely to settle in Ontario," the report said. Meanwhile, the statistics agency also looked at five-year retention rates, analyzing how many immigrants admitted in the country between 2013 to 2017 were still in their intended provinces five years later. "Among immigrants admitted from 2013 to 2017, those who intended to live in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec were the most likely to reside in the same province five years after their admission," the report said. Five-year retention rates were highest in Ontario at 93.5 per cent, B.C. at 87.5 per cent, Alberta at 87.3 per cent and Quebec with 79.7 per cent. P.E.I. immigrant retention improves, but still Canada's worst by far Sask. sees drop in percentage of immigrants who choose to stay long-term Once again, the retention rates in Atlantic Canada were among the lowest in the country. In Nova Scotia, 61.7 per cent of immigrants admitted in 2013 were still in the province five years later, rising to 62.1 per cent for the cohort of newcomers who came in 2017. In New Brunswick, 51.7 per cent of immigrants admitted in 2017 were in the province five years later, a rise of 3.9 percentage points compared with the cohort who came in 2013. For the cohort of immigrants who arrived in 2017, 45.6 per cent of them were still in Newfoundland and Labrador five years later; 25.7 of them were still in Prince Edward Island. Lack of meaningful jobs, support to blame Those figures come as no surprise to Tony Fang, economics professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who said "lack of meaningful employment or perceived lack of it" was primarily to blame. "That's the number one reason why they don't stay in the region," he said in an interview Monday. "The second is family ties. The third reason is a lack of community support," he said, explaining that close-knit communities in the region can be difficult for newcomers, making them sometimes feel like outsiders. Newcomers can more easily find their cultural communities and families in big cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Fang said, adding that the region would do well to accept larger numbers of immigrants at once, as Newfoundland and Labrador did with Ukrainian and Syrian refugees. And while immigration may be outpacing housing and social services in the country, he said the Atlantic region desperately needs newcomers to boost its economic development. "We have the oldest population. We have the most severe labour demographic deficits. We have more severe skilled labour shortages, so immigration certainly has more positive impact for Atlantic Canada," Fang said.Trump names billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain

Traditionally, the holidays are for spending time with family and friends, perhaps with a varying degree of religious rituals or practices. There's also pressure not to miss certain family celebrations, but there will be times you can't make it – whether by choice or circumstance. So, if you're spending the holidays alone this year, you're actually not alone in wondering if it's OK to be alone. You hold the ticket to your happiness, even if you're spending the holidays (or any special day of the year) in a less conventional way—all by yourself. There's no correct formula for how to spend the holidays, experts say, and keeping that in mind is key when you're not going to be around your loved ones. Spending the holidays alone can feel lonely or empty, but it doesn't have to be that way. Loneliness is an issue during the winter holidays for many students and other clients, according to Diana Winston, director of UCLA Mindful , the mindfulness education center at UCLA Health. Not having people to spend the days with, "can compound any existing loneliness and worsen it during the holiday times," Winston said. New York psychologist Dr. Bryant Williams agreed, noting that being alone during the holidays "accentuates existing problems." Both experts suggest taking action to strengthen your mindset and fill your days with activities that you know nurture you. Go on a hike, take a walk in a park, visit the beach or engage in nature in a way that suits your lifestyle and location. Get out into "whatever nature you have available to you," Winston said, highlighting the importance of seizing opportunities to be outdoors. The benefits of simply being outside and surrounding yourself with nature are plenty, and why not rack up those benefits when you're spending the day or week alone? In the practice of forest bathing, one spends time in nature through activities like a walk or sitting and enjoying the environment, Dr. Leana Wen previously told CNN. "Forest therapy" can lower anxiety, improve mood and reduce blood pressure, studies show . You can simply take a walk, and make the most of that walk. A higher daily step count is linked to fewer depressive symptoms, according to a recent study in the journal JAMA Network Open. And it's not an impossible number—even 7,000 steps can lead to better mental health, said clinical psychologist Dr. Karmel Choi, who previously spoke to CNN. You don't have to miss out on all the fun just because you can't be there to celebrate in person. Williams recommended people take action to reach out to people with a phone or video call. Do something "similar to what people did during the pandemic, when people were so isolated," he said. "People, because they weren't spending time with each other in person, started spending a lot of time on Zoom." Social experiences are important to health, so carving out time for this can improve your well-being. More specifically, reach out to loved ones who make you feel good about yourself since positive social interactions are linked to better coping and lower stress, research shows. If your schedule and circumstances allow for catching up in-person, aim for a spontaneous coffee meetup with a friend or accept your colleague's invitation to join their festivities. None of the plans have to be grand, orchestrated celebrations. The point is to connect with someone at some point during the holidays if possible. Volunteering, such as at a children's hospital or at a nursing home, can be beneficial for those spending this season alone. You can also find opportunities to serve meals at a soup kitchen or food bank in your community. Some locations could use the help to hand out food at a holiday meal pick-up center. "There's all sorts of structured activities that people can engage in when they're spending time with other people, even strangers, and they're doing something thoughtful and nice for them," Williams said. That kind of an activity can impact one's brain in a positive way. "If someone takes action, they get outside of themselves, then they're thinking about other people," Williams said. "People generally feel better when that happens." You might be missing only your grandma's mac-and-cheese or wishing you were baking pies for many to enjoy. It's common for holidays to evoke images of people gathering around a shared meal. If you're alone, try to cook something special, order takeout or order something delicious at a restaurant, Winston said. If you're going to be out of town on a work trip, research the best nearby restaurants to your liking and splurge on a nice dinner. If you're choosing to be a homebody this year, be as lazy or as complex as you'd like with the meal—if it nurtures you. Rituals and fun family routines around the holidays are an important part of celebrating and maybe what you are missing most this time of year. "Can they perform some ritual that punctuates the day and makes it feel special in some way?" Williams said. Taking a hot bath, getting a massage or playing a sport can be nurturing to some people, Winston said. Light the menorah, hang up a stocking on your fireplace, or do the New Year's Eve countdown for yourself. You can observe the days however you'd like without disagreements with others, judgment or the pressure of expectations. Having a sense of accomplishment, such as by working on a home project, during this solitary time can also be one way to get through the holidays, Winston said. "People can be creative about their use of their time," she said. Seasonal chores like raking leaves or shoveling snow, decorating your house or decluttering your closets can also count as functional exercise without hitting the gym. Another more introspective activity is to take advantage of the solitude to plan for the new year or review the past year. "Especially for (the) new year, people love to reflect on the previous year," Williams said. "And doing that in an intentional, structured way and even outlining the ways they want the new year to be different or even citing specific goals for the new year." Spend the holiday creating new traditions, like creating a vision board or reviewing the highs and lows of your year in a journal. Winston suggests coupling actions with a strong mental approach—a mindfulness perspective— to help one with loneliness feelings. "Paying attention to our present moment experiences with openness, curiosity and a willingness to be with that experience" is mindfulness, according to Winston. "It's really about learning to live in the present moment, not lost in the past or the future." Understandably, the willpower to focus only on the now and block out the other noise can be challenging, and fully accepting that present reality is key. When things look and feel different and when one is in a transition period, clinical psychologist Dr. Adam Brown previously told CNN that there is no requirement to have the holidays look or feel the same as they had in the past. "Be compassionate with yourself and do the best that you can and know that this is a particular moment in the year," Winston said. "There's nothing wrong with you and you will get through it." It's also helpful to remember that not all those who are spending their holidays surrounded by people are having a good time. "We have a lot of input, demands and stress in general that is elevated during the holidays, so it is extra important to be attentive to your need for alone time," Sophie Lazarus, a clinical psychologist in the department of psychiatry and behavioral health at Ohio State University told CNN earlier this month. Due to some last-minute logistical challenges last month, I was unable to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Even though I knew I would be able to fly home the next day, I was still bummed to miss my family traditions. To make the best of the situation, I did as many of my favorite things as I could: I walked around my neighborhood, read news magazines and sat for hours in a bustling coffee shop to write. To cap it off, I went to a special Thanksgiving dinner by myself at a local restaurant. I missed time with my family, but I would say I still had an experts-approved day. I highly recommend turning your day alone into a gratifying one, and even if you're not going to be alone, try to carve out time for yourself in the midst of social obligations to help keep you grounded and serene.Postman Workspaces Leak 30000 API Keys and Sensitive Tokens

Amanda Hernández | (TNS) Stateline.org CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice. Related Articles Nation | Teamsters boss reveals how VP Harris lost the party, and his vote Nation | Bill Clinton is out of the hospital after being treated for the flu Nation | NORAD’s Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids Nation | More teens turning down pot, booze not nicotine pouches Nation | Christmas Eve air travel off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounded all flights The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities. Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years. “There is this sense of brazenness that people have — they can just walk in and steal stuff. ... That hurts the consumer, and it hurts the company,” said Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an interview. “That’s just the world we live in,” he said. “We need to get people to realize that you have to obey the law.” At least eight states — Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New York and Vermont — passed a total of 14 bills in 2024 aimed at tackling retail theft, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The measures range from redefining retail crimes and adjusting penalties to allowing cross-county aggregation of theft charges and protecting retail workers. Major retailers have responded to rising theft since 2020 by locking up merchandise, upgrading security cameras, hiring private security firms and even closing stores. Still, the report indicates that shoplifting remains a stubborn problem. In Chicago, the rate of reported shoplifting incidents remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023 — but surged by 46% from January to October 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. Shoplifting in Los Angeles was 87% higher in 2023 than in 2019. Police reports of shoplifting from January to October 2024 were lower than in 2023. Los Angeles adopted a new crime reporting system in March 2024, which has likely led to an undercount, according to the report. In New York, shoplifting rose 48% from 2021 to 2022, then dipped slightly last year. Still, the shoplifting rate was 55% higher in 2023 than in 2019. This year, the shoplifting rate increased by 3% from January to September compared with the same period last year. While shoplifting rates tend to rise in November and December, which coincides with in-person holiday shopping, data from the Council on Criminal Justice’s sample of 23 U.S. cities shows higher rates in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023. Researchers found it surprising that rates went up despite retailers doing more to fight shoplifting. Experts say the spike might reflect improved reporting efforts rather than a spike in theft. “As retailers have been paying more attention to shoplifting, we would not expect the numbers to increase,” said Ernesto Lopez, the report’s author and a senior research specialist with the council. “It makes it a challenge to understand the trends of shoplifting.” In downtown Chicago on a recent early afternoon, potential shoppers shuffled through the streets and nearby malls, browsing for gifts ahead of the holidays. Edward Johnson, a guard at The Shops at North Bridge, said that malls have become quieter in the dozen or so years he has worked in mall security, with the rise of online retailers. As for shoplifters, Johnson said there isn’t a single type of person to look out for — they can come from any background. “I think good-hearted people see something they can’t afford and figure nothing is lost if they take something from the store,” Johnson said as he patrolled the mall, keeping an eye out for lost or suspicious items. Between 2018 and 2023, most shoplifting in Chicago was reported in the downtown area, as well as in the Old Town, River North and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, according to a separate analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice. Newly sworn-in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke this month lowered the threshold for charging retail theft as a felony in the county, which includes Chicago, from $1,000 to $300, aligning it with state law. “It sends a signal that she’s taking it seriously,” Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told Stateline. Nationally, retailers are worried about organized theft. The National Retail Federation’s latest report attributed 36% of the $112.1 billion in lost merchandise in 2022 to “external theft,” which includes organized retail crime. Organized retail crime typically involves coordinated efforts by groups to steal items with the intent to resell them for a profit. Commonly targeted goods include high-demand items such as baby formula, laundry detergent and electronics. The same report found that retailers’ fear of violence associated with theft also is on the rise, with more retailers taking a “hands-off approach.” More than 41% of respondents to the organization’s 2023 survey, up from 38% in 2022, reported that no employee is authorized to try and stop a shoplifter. (The federation’s reporting has come under criticism. It retracted a claim last year that attributed nearly half of lost merchandise in 2021 to organized retail crime; such theft accounted for only about 5%. The group announced this fall it will no longer publish its reports on lost merchandise.) Policy experts say shoplifting and organized retail theft can significantly harm critical industries, drive up costs for consumers and reduce sales tax revenue for states. Those worries have driven recent state-level action to boost penalties for shoplifting. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills into law in August aimed at addressing retail theft. These measures make repeated theft convictions a felony, allow aggregation of crimes across multiple counties to be charged as a single felony, and permit police to arrest suspects for retail theft even if the crime wasn’t witnessed directly by an officer. In September, Newsom signed an additional bill that imposes steeper felony penalties for large-scale theft offenses. California voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in November that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes. Under the new law, people who are convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. “With these changes in the law, really it comes down to making sure that law enforcement is showing up to our stores in a timely manner, and that the prosecutors and the [district attorneys] are prosecuting,” Rachel Michelin, the president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told Stateline. “That’s the only way we’re going to deter retail theft in our communities.” In New Jersey, a bipartisan bill making its way through the legislature would increase penalties for leading a shoplifting ring and allow extended sentences for repeat offenders. “This bill is going after a formally organized band of criminals that deliver such destruction to a critical business in our community. We have to act. We have to create a deterrence,” Democratic Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said in an interview with Stateline. The legislation would allow extended sentences for people convicted of shoplifting three times within 10 years or within 10 years of their release from prison, and would increase penalties to 10 to 20 years in prison for leading a retail crime ring. The bill also would allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods over the course of a year to charge serial shoplifters with more serious offenses. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for assaults committed against retail workers, and would require retailers to train employees on detecting gift card scams. Maryland legislators considered a similar bill during this year’s legislative session that would have defined organized retail theft and made it a felony. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said the group plans to propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that would target gift card fraud. Better, more thorough reporting from retailers is essential to truly understanding shoplifting trends and its full impact, in part because some retail-related crimes, such as gift card fraud, are frequently underreported, according to Lopez, of the Council on Criminal Justice. Measuring crime across jurisdictions is notoriously difficult , and the council does not track organized retail theft specifically because law enforcement typically doesn’t identify it as such at the time of arrest — if an arrest even occurs — requiring further investigation, Lopez said. The council’s latest report found conflicting trends in the FBI’s national crime reporting systems. The FBI’s older system, the Summary Reporting System, known as SRS, suggests that reported shoplifting hadn’t gone up through 2023, remaining on par with 2019 levels. In contrast, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, shows a 93% increase in shoplifting over the same period. The discrepancy may stem from the type of law enforcement agencies that have adopted the latter system, Lopez said. Some of those communities may have higher levels of shoplifting or other types of property crime, which could be what is driving the spike, Lopez said. Despite the discrepancies and varying levels of shoplifting across the country, Lopez said, it’s important for retailers to report these incidents, as doing so could help allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. “All law enforcement agencies have limited resources, and having the most accurate information allows for not just better policy, but also better implementation — better use of strategic resources,” Lopez said. Stateline staff writer Robbie Sequeira contributed to this report. ©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another record

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive rock bottom illustrated in one wild statPakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday, claiming that the ruling party lacked the authority to make unilateral decisions on important issues. “The PML-N thinks it can decide without seeking input from others. It does not have a two-thirds majority to make unilateral decisions,” he said at a press conference in Larkana. Imran an excuse, real target is Pakistan’s nuclear programme, says Bilawal “Metro projects are the end goal of the PML-N’s politics,” he stated. He went on to say that everyone has a basic right to water and criticised the government for taking canal water away in a “unilateral” manner. In addition to announcing intentions to hold rallies, the PPP Chiarman encouraged the PML-N to reach a consensus in order to rule successfully. Bilawal conveyed the hope that their grievances would be given careful consideration. He emphasised the necessity for communication to resolve the provinces’ complaints and urged the government to consult the PPP and other parties while making decisions. The administration has “not fulfilled” its promises to the PPP, Bilawal noted.

BJP president JP Nadda has accused the Congress of engaging in 'cheap politics' surrounding the funeral arrangements for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. According to Nadda, the government had allocated a specific spot for Singh's memorial and informed his family, countering Congress claims. The controversy arose after Congress alleged an insult to Singh by organizing his cremation at Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated memorial site. Rahul Gandhi denounced it as a significant insult to Singh, the first Sikh Prime Minister of India. Nadda criticized Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for politicizing the issue, stating that the Congress had not properly respected Singh during his lifetime and was now using his legacy for political gains. (With inputs from agencies.)SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina's foreign minister has lauded Türkiye’s critical role as a mediator in the Balkans, emphasizing its strong regional ties and growing global influence. Speaking to Anadolu on Thursday, Elmedin Konakovic described Türkiye as a key player on the world stage: "Türkiye is an important and major political factor in the world. In the Balkans, it can often serve as a serious mediator because it maintains relationships with other countries. I have great respect for this.” He also expressed admiration for Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his expertise: "I value him greatly. I consult him on certain issues. He is extremely serious and one of the best foreign ministers I know." Future prospects Konakovic highlighted the potential for enhanced economic cooperation with Türkiye, pointing to efforts to strengthen bilateral ties. He noted that while an agreement allowing travel between the two countries using national ID cards had been reached, its implementation was delayed due to Bosnia's complex governmental system, a legacy of the 1995 Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian War. On visa regulations, Konakovic stressed that Bosnia would not impose visa requirements on Turkish citizens, despite the European Union’s expectation that Bosnia align with EU accession requirements by implementing visa policies for six countries, including Türkiye. ‘Bosnian Serb politicians are advancing Russian interests’ On regional challenges, Konakovic criticized Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, calling him "a major problem in the region" for refusing to acknowledge the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, despite international court rulings. "He constantly talks about respect for international law," Konakovic added, voicing disappointment over Vucic’s stance. Konakovic also accused Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska — one of Bosnia’s two constituent entities, known for its separatist rhetoric — of advancing Russian interests in the region, accusing Dodik of operating under Russian control. ‘World continues to be a bystander to horrific crimes committed by Israel’ Turning to global conflicts, Konakovic drew a parallel between Bosnia’s 1990s war — which many in the international community ignored — and the ongoing situation in Gaza, saying: "The world continues to (merely) witness the horrific crimes committed by Israel." He confirmed that 49 Bosnian citizens and their families had so far been evacuated from besieged Gaza, with seven still remaining there. On developments in Syria, Konakovic said Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to monitor the situation closely, adding that the fall of the Assad regime was celebrated in Bosnia and other countries. Following the interview, Talha Ozturk, Anadolu's Bosnia-Croatia-Serbia-Montenegro news editor, presented Konakovic with the agency's book The Evidence, which documents Israel’s war crimes in Gaza through photographs.Texans get visit from longtime foe Derrick Henry when the Ravens visit on Christmas Day