The Dispatch

Denmark accuses China, Russia and Iran of espionage threat

Denmark warned of a rising espionage threat from Russia, China, Iran and others, including in the Arctic region where global powers are jostling for resources and sea routes. The Danish…

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Norway will start COVID vaccination for children aged 5-11, government says

OSLO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Norway will offer COVID-19 vaccines to all children aged 5 years and above, the government said on Friday. It had previously only offered vaccines to…

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Norway eases COVID rules

The Norwegian government will partly reverse a ban on serving alcohol in bars and restaurants, one of several policy changes as it seeks to relax COVID-19 restrictions, the prime minister…

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UPDATED: Swedish PM Andersson tests positive-19 as country sets new record of COVID cases

STOCKHOLM, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Swedish Social Democratic Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has tested positive for COVID-19, her spokesperson told news agency TT, as a growing wave of infections swept…

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Sweden boosts patrols on Gotland amid NATO-Russia tensions

STOCKHOLM, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Sweden's military said on Thursday it was ramping up its visible activities on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland due to increased tensions between NATO…

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Finland cuts quarantine length to five days

HELSINKI, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Finland cut the length of its COVID quarantine from 10 days to five for most cases, its public health authority said on Thursday. It will…

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Sweden cuts recommended gap between second and third COVID shot

Sweden will cut the recommended time interval between the second and third COVID vaccine shot to five months from six, the health agency said. The decision will affect people between…

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Denmark to offer fourth coronavirus jab while easing curbs

Denmark will offer a fourth coronavirus vaccination to the most vulnerable citizens as it faces record infections from the Omicron variant, the country's health minister said. The move comes as…

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Sweden to support households hit by high electricity prices

STOCKHOLM, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Sweden will compensate those households which have been worst hit by a surge in electricity prices, Finance Minister Mikael Damberg said on Wednesday, with the…

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Finland hit by surging coronavirus infections

Surging coronavirus infections are forcing local authorities in Finland to stray from the government's COVID-19 strategy based on mass testing, tracking and isolation. Helsinki and neighbouring cities recommend that people…

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Norway to further raise household electricity subsidy

OSLO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Norway's minority government plans to further increase its subsidy for household electricity bills amid a spike in winter season power prices, the energy ministry said.…

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Sweden takes more COVID measures as Omicron squeezes healthcare

STOCKHOLM, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Sweden will introduce more measures to stem the rising number of COVID cases and an increased pressure on the healthcare system, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson…

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Swedish crown princess contracts COVID-19 amid surging infections

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the Royal Court said, adding that the heir to the throne was fully vaccinated. Earlier this…

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Electric cars take two-thirds of Norway car market, led by Tesla

The sale of electric cars in Norway rose last year by 48%, ensuring that almost two out of every three new automobiles were battery powered and making Texas-based Tesla Inc…

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Sweden sets new daily COVID record, but severe cases contained

Daily coronavirus cases in Sweden soared to a record high, with the easily transmissible Omicron variant dominating, though numbers in intensive care remain well below previous pandemic peaks, the country's…

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UPDATED: Sweden sets new daily record for COVID-19 cases, king and queen sick with COVID-19

STOCKHOLM, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Sweden set a new daily record for COVID-19 cases, registering 17,320 cases on Jan. 4, health agency data showed on Wednesday. The daily infection figures…

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Swedish manufacturing PMI dips in December – Silf/Swedbank

STOCKHOLM, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Activity in Sweden's manufacturing sector inched lower in December with the purchasing managers index slipping to 62.1 points from a downwardly revised 63.1 points in…

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Omicron evades immunity better than Delta, Danish study finds

COPENHAGEN, Jan 3 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant is better at circumventing vaccinated peoples' immunity than the Delta variant, according to a Danish study published last week, helping explain…

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Ryanair cuts 28 Danish routes in January 2022

Ryanair will cancel 28 of its 59 Danish routes in January, according to Danish aviation website Check In. The budget airline had already cancelled one third of its January flights…

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IKEA to increase prices by average of 9% due to increased supply chain costs

STOCKHOLM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The world's biggest furniture brand IKEA is raising prices by an average of 9% as it faces increasing costs in transport and raw materials, the…

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‘Significant increase’ in protection vs Omicron from mRNA boosters, study says

Getting a third dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech's or Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine offers a "significant increase" in protection against the Omicron variant in elderly people, according to a Danish study published…

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Denmark to rent jail cells in Kosovo to ease prison overcrowding

Kosovo has agreed to rent 300 prison cells to Denmark to ease overcrowding in the Scandinavian country's jails. Denmark will pay an annual fee of €15m (£12.8m) for an initial…

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Danish ship involved in collision off Sweden has started to sink and leak oil

A Danish ship involved in a collision off the Swedish coast that left one crew member dead and another missing has started to take on water and may soon sink,…

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Sweden to extend vaccine pass rules to Nordic travellers

STOCKHOLM, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Sweden will require visitors from other Nordic nations to have a vaccine pass to cross the border as it gradually tightens restrictions amid rising cases…

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UPDATED: Denmark approves treatment with Merck’s COVID-19 tablet molnupiravir

Denmark on Thursday approved Merck & Co Inc's molnupiravir antiviral pill for COVID-19 patients at risk of serious illness, including the elderly. The treatment is still under review by the…

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Swedish prosecutor to release one of suspects held over Baltic Sea ship collision

STOCKHOLM, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A Swedish prosecutor said on Wednesday that one of the crew members held over a ship collision in the Baltic Sea, which killed at least…

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Crew member found dead after Danish, British boats collide in Baltic

One of two Danish crew members missing from a capsized barge has been found dead in the hull after an overnight collision on Monday with a British cargo vessel in…

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Norway in partial lockdown as Omicron ‘changes the rules’, PM says

Norway will further tighten restrictions and speed up vaccination in a bid to limit an expected surge of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday.…

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UPDATED: Norway to tighten COVID restrictions

OSLO, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Norway will further tighten restrictions this week in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told news agency NTB…

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UPDATED: Two crew missing after Danish and British boats collide in icy Baltic

STOCKHOLM/COPENHAGEN, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Two Danish crew members of a capsized barge were missing in the freezing Baltic Sea on Monday after an overnight collision with a British vessel…

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Four employees arrested over leaks from Danish intelligence services

COPENHAGEN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Four current and former employees at Denmark's two intelligence services have been arrested for leaking "highly classified" information, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service said…

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Denmark reintroduces some COVID-19 restrictions

Denmark will again impose restrictions aimed at curbing the rapid spread of COVID-19 including the new Omicron variant, the country’s prime minister said. The new restrictions include closing primary schools…

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Photo story: 50 cm of snow in Norway

A man shovels snow off his car after 50 centimetres of snow have fallen in the past 24 hours, in Tvedestrand, Norway. Via EPA-EFE/Tor Erik Schroeder

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Denmark sees ‘society-wide infection’ with Omicron variant, health minister isolates in Brussels after testing positive

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The new Omicron coronavirus variant has spread across Denmark, health authorities said after registering large outbreaks of the variant in the east and west of the country. Denmark…

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Finland’s PM under fire for clubbing after Covid contact

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised for going clubbing after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case. Sanna Marin went on a night out in Helsinki on Saturday,…

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Sweden to reintroduce many COVID-19 measures as cases rise

Sweden will reintroduce a raft of measures to curb rising COVID-19 infections, urging renewed social distancing and the use of masks in public transportation, the government said. "We see an…

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Denmark tightens fiscal policy with 2022 budget deal

COPENHAGEN, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Denmark's Social Democratic government on Monday reached a budget agreement for 2022 with supporting parties, which it said was fiscally tighter than previously announced in…

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Omicron outbreak at Norway Christmas party is biggest outside S. Africa

At least 13 people in Oslo have been infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus following a corporate Christmas party described as a "super spreader event", and their numbers…

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Outbreak of Omicron virus variant confirmed in Oslo

OSLO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - An outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in Oslo, Norwegian media reported on Thursday, citing a statement by the Oslo municipality. One…

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Denmark reports record daily COVID-19 infection numbers, Passengers from Doha or Dubai must take mandatory COVID-19 test

Denmark reported a record number of new daily coronavirus infections on Wednesday, data from the country's Serum Institute showed. The Nordic country, which has already confirmed some cases of the…

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Danish concert-goer confirmed infected with Omicron variant

COPENHAGEN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A person infected with the new Omicron coronavirus variant participated in a large concert on Saturday, the Danish Patient Safety Authority said on Wednesday. The…

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Sweden expands traveler COVID-19 testing over Omicron worries

The Swedish health agency recommended that all travellers above the age of 6 entering Sweden from outside the Nordic region take a COVID-19 test within seven days due to the…

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UPDATED: Norway detects its first 2 cases of Omicron variant, municipality says

Norway has identified its first two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, the west coast municipality of Oeygarden said on Wednesday. The two people who were infected had been…

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Denmark registers Omicron variant in two travelers from South Africa

COPENHAGEN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Denmark has registered two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in travelers from South Africa, the country’s infectious disease authority said in a statement…

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Danish frigate uses lethal force against pirates in Gulf of Guinea

COPENHAGEN, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A Danish frigate has killed four pirates in waters south of Nigeria in an operation aimed at ensuring safe shipping in the Gulf of Guinea,…

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New Swedish PM resigns on first day in job, hopes for swift return

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden's first female prime minister, Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, resigned on Wednesday after less than 12 hours in the top job after the Green Party quit their two-party…

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Sweden says it will extend COVID-19 boosters to all adults

STOCKHOLM, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Sweden will begin gradually rolling out COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to all adult Swedes following the surge in cases elsewhere in Europe, government and health…

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UPDATED: Sweden picks first female PM, crisis over budget vote looms

STOCKHOLM, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson became Sweden's first female prime minister on Wednesday, and immediately faced a crisis over a budget vote that her government…

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Swedish parliament to vote on Social Democrat leader Andersson as new PM on Wednesday

STOCKHOLM, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Sweden's parliament will vote on Wednesday on approving Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson as prime minister, the Riksdag speaker said on Monday, amid lingering uncertainty…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: : Oslo Norway

Drone photo of the Christmas market 'Christmas in Winterland' in Spikersuppa in Oslo city centre, Norway. The Norwegian Parliament, Stortinget, is seen in the upper center of the image. Photo…

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Sweden to introduce COVID vaccine passes for indoors events

The Swedish government plans to introduce a requirement for COVID-19 vaccine passes at indoor events where more than 100 people attend, a step recommended by health officials warning of a…

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Denmark’s ruling party loses ground in local polls amid mink cull probe

Denmark's ruling Social Democratic Party, popular for its early lockdowns in the coronavirus pandemic, lost support in Tuesday's municipal elections, results show, as it faces a probe into its handling…

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Norway suspects bird flu found at second farm

Norway reported on Tuesday a suspected outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu at a second farm, just days after the country's first confirmed case led to a cull of some 7,000 poultry. The…

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Sweden again charts novel COVID path with no-test stance for the vaccinated

Sweden has seen a sharp decline in COVID-19 testing this month, just as much of Europe contends with surging infection rates, after its health agency said vaccinated Swedes no longer…

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Norway plans third vaccine dose for all adults, “corona passes”

OSLO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Norway will offer a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to everyone aged 18 and older and will give municipalities the option of using digital "corona passes"…

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Denmark proposes corona pass mandate for workers

COPENHAGEN, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Denmark on Friday proposed to fast-track legislation allowing workplaces to mandate a digital "corona pass" for employees in its latest measure to curb a third…

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Denmark to impose COVID-19 isolation for travellers from Singapore

SINGAPORE, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Denmark will impose self-isolation requirements on travellers from Singapore, its embassy in the city-state said on Thursday, following a surge in COVID-19 infections. Singapore was…

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