Brcko district in BiH declared free of landmines
SARAJEVO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Brcko District in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been officially declared free of landmines and explosive remnants of war, local authorities announced on Wednesday.
Established in 1999 through international arbitration following the Dayton Agreement, the Brcko District operates as a self-governing administrative unit under the joint sovereignty of BiH's two entities. Designed as a multiethnic model of coexistence, the District holds both strategic and symbolic importance in BiH's post-war governance framework.
At a ceremony held in Brcko, Mayor Sinisa Milic announced that the District is the first major region in BiH to achieve full mine clearance.
Milic said the newly cleared land will now be repurposed for agriculture, recreation, and economic development. Notably, a former military base in the area is being converted into a free economic zone.
Enis Horozovic, director of the BiH Mine Action Center, noted that Brcko had a total of 60.8 square km of mine-contaminated land following the war. Since 1996, various clearance operations have taken place, with 12.88 square km demined in the latest project phase.
In April, Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a new Mine Action Strategy (2025-2027), reaffirming its commitment to achieving a mine-free future for all regions of the country.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
38 minutes ago
- The Star
U.S. companies delay impact reports with DEI, ESG under attack
NEW YORK, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Nike has joined a growing list of companies that includes JPMorgan Chase & Co., Constellation Brands Inc. and Akamai Technologies Inc. that are either canceling or delaying publication of their so-called sustainability or corporate impact reports for shareholders. "While companies aren't legally obliged to disclose such information, most S&P 500 members did so in 2024," noted Bloomberg News about the change on Friday. For more than a decade, this is usually the time period when companies tout the steps they're taking to lower carbon emissions and improve the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) of their businesses, said the report. "Opposition to these reports first surfaced about three years ago when GOP lawmakers and activists began pressing companies to scale back such efforts. And some companies have reacted by taking steps such as scrubbing ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI-related words from public documents," it said. The election of President Donald Trump has further empowered the anti-DEI movement. During his first week in the White House, he signed executive orders ending federal diversity programs and restricting gender definition to two sexes, male and female, it added.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
China seeks improved ties with Canada amid rising trade tensions
BEIJING: China called on Friday for steps to improve bilateral ties with Canada, saying there were no deepseated conflicts of interest, following a spike in trade tensions with many of Beijing's Western trade partners this year. China is willing to work with Canada to put ties on a healthy and stable path and find solutions to address each other's concerns through enhanced dialogue, Premier Li Qiang told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a phone call on Friday, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. 'There is no fundamental conflict of interests between the two countries,' Li said. Li's talks with Carney followed a highly-anticipated phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, which Trump said led to 'a very positive conclusion' and offered hope the trade war between the world's two largest economies might start to de-escalate. As the effects of trade frictions start to make their way into the already soft Chinese economy, Beijing has stepped up engagement with other countries to alleviate friction despite earlier retaliation. In March, Beijing announced tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products in retaliation for Ottawa's levies on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminium products introduced in October. Beijing has also launched an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola that is set to conclude in September. Canola, also known as rapeseed, was one of Canada's top exports to China, the world's No. 1 agricultural importer, prior to Beijing's investigation. 'The two governments should listen to and respond to the people's calls and do more to deepen the friendly cooperation and enhance mutual understanding and trust,' Li told Carney. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, trailing far behind the United States. Canada exported $47 billion worth of goods to the world's second-largest economy in 2024, according to Chinese customs data. Beijing is also willing to work with Canada to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, Li added. Beijing's olive branch to Ottawa also comes ahead of a Group of Seven summit of leaders in Canada in mid-June. At the G7 summit in Italy last year, G7 leaders were critical of China, saying they would take steps to shield their economies from China's 'unfair' practices.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
China urges better ties with Canada amid trade tensions
BEIJING: China called on Friday for steps to improve bilateral ties with Canada, saying there were no deepseated conflicts of interest, following a spike in trade tensions with many of Beijing's Western trade partners this year. China is willing to work with Canada to put ties on a healthy and stable path and find solutions to address each other's concerns through enhanced dialogue, Premier Li Qiang told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a phone call on Friday, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. 'There is no fundamental conflict of interests between the two countries,' Li said. Li's talks with Carney followed a highly-anticipated phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, which Trump said led to 'a very positive conclusion' and offered hope the trade war between the world's two largest economies might start to de-escalate. As the effects of trade frictions start to make their way into the already soft Chinese economy, Beijing has stepped up engagement with other countries to alleviate friction despite earlier retaliation. In March, Beijing announced tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products in retaliation for Ottawa's levies on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminium products introduced in October. Beijing has also launched an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola that is set to conclude in September. Canola, also known as rapeseed, was one of Canada's top exports to China, the world's No. 1 agricultural importer, prior to Beijing's investigation. 'The two governments should listen to and respond to the people's calls and do more to deepen the friendly cooperation and enhance mutual understanding and trust,' Li told Carney. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, trailing far behind the United States. Canada exported $47 billion worth of goods to the world's second-largest economy in 2024, according to Chinese customs data. Beijing is also willing to work with Canada to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, Li added. Beijing's olive branch to Ottawa also comes ahead of a Group of Seven summit of leaders in Canada in mid-June. At the G7 summit in Italy last year, G7 leaders were critical of China, saying they would take steps to shield their economies from China's 'unfair' practices.
