The Dispatch

EU approves Swedish support scheme for airlines

In what is being considered as the first major bailout of coronavirus-affected airlines, the European Commission has approved Sweden's 450 million euro support scheme for airlines, with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS),…

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Furloughed staff in Sweden retrain to help hospitals

Furloughed because of the coronavirus pandemic, airline and hotel employees in Sweden are retraining to work as hospital and nursing home assistants as the death toll nears 900 in the…

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“This is not what we had ordered” – Finland complains on Chinese-produced masks

Stories related to theft or abuse in the international distribution of medical supplies have been been fairly frequent in the recent rush to secure the necessary provision. Finland was the…

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Sweden registers ‘increase’ in daily rate of coronavirus deaths

Sweden on Tuesday reported another 114 coronavirus deaths, bringing the total to 591 in a country that has adopted a softer approach to containing the outbreak than some of its…

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Sweden’s pandemic strategy questioned as Stockholm death toll mounts

A spike in novel coronavirus infections and deaths in Stockholm has raised questions about Sweden’s decision to fight the outbreak without resorting to the lockdowns that have left much of…

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Scandinavians stranded in Peru arrive in Copenhagen

A relative welcome one of the Scandinavians who were stranded in Peru due to COVID-19 upon arrival at the Copenhagen Airport, in Copenhagen, Denmark, 03 April 2020. On board the…

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Three new deaths take Norway tally to 47

Three more people have died of coronavirus in Norway, taking the national death toll to 47, according to the VG newspaper's collation of local data. The number of people…

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Photo Story: Moral support in Finland

A banner at the Three Smiths Statue reads 'Stay Strong' in Helsinki, Finland. Finland has registered over 1,000 COVID-19 cases, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Via…

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Sweden announce cross-party agreed measures to cushion economic hit

The Swedish government recognising how the ongoing virus outbreak is having a major impact on the Swedish economy and many people have become, or risk becoming, unemployed announced a number of measures…

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Finland to extend containment measures until May

Finland will extend most of its measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak by one month until May 13 from April 13, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Monday. In recent weeks,…

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Finland blocks roads to Helsinki to curb coronavirus spread

Police and the Finnish army set up roadblocks on all routes that connect Helsinki with the rest of the country, while Finland’s parliament approved the plan at the last moment…

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Norwegian government working to extend foreign workers residence permit

The Norwegian government announced that it is working on an amendment to the Immigration Regulations to allow foreign workers already in Norway to receive a residence permit extension. This amendment…

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Swedish PM tells Swedes to take responsibility for those around you

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a rare live television address to the nation on Sunday evening called on all Swedes to play their part in stopping the spread of…

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Denmark offers companies $6bn in coronavirus cash hand-outs’

Denmark's finance ministry has announced plans to spend up to 40bn Danish kroner ($6bn) to help companies hit by the coronavirus crisis to cover their fixed costs until cash flow…

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Norway’s Prime Minister addresses youngsters about coronavirus

Last Monday, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg, together with two of her Cabinet Ministers, met up with a group of children to answer their questions related to CoVid-19 and the…

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Swedish Government launches €27 billion rescue plan for its economy

The Swedish government on Monday presented a package of measures worth more than 300 billion Swedish crowns ($30.94 billion) to support the economy in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.…

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Norway PM tells children: ‘It is OK to feel scared’ during coronavirus

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg told the country’s children on Monday it was OK to feel scared during the “special days” of the coronavirus outbreak. The Nordic country has invoked…

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Danish government will pay 75% of threatened private sector salaries

Denmark is planning to pay employees in the private sector 75% of their salary if there is no guarantee they can work because of the Coronavirus crisis. The decision comes…

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Norway to shut ports and airports from Monday

Norway is to shut its ports and airports from Monday in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, although exemptions will be made for Norwegians returning from abroad as…

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Denmark closes German border as COVID-19 safety measure

The closed checkpoint 'Padborg' from Germany to Denmark, near Flensburg, northern Germany, 14 March 2020. The Danish government is closing all Danish borders for tourists and foreigners traveling without a…

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Denmark shuts its borders for a month

Denmark announced on Friday it would shut its borders to most foreign visitors for a month from Saturday, in a move unprecedented in peacetime as part of efforts to halt…

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EU approves Danish compensation scheme for cancellations of large public events

The European Commission has found a DKK 91 million (€12 million) Danish aid scheme to compensate organisers for the damage suffered due to the cancellation of large events with more…

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Denmark in lockdown, shuts down schools and universities to fight coronavirus pandemic

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced that the country will close all kindergartens, schools and universities for two weeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus virus. All public…

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Coronavirus cases in Norway top 400

Norway has now confirmed 401 coronavirus cases in total. Just over 400 people had tested positive for the virus in Norway on Wednesday morning, according to Norwegian daily VG, which…

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No new citizens in Denmark as coronavirus halts Danish naturalizations

The government in Denmark has asked mayors to suspend naturalization ceremonies, which since a law passed in 2018 require a mandatory handshake. In Denmark, which has reported 23 cases, it…

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Photo Story: Cubs first outing in Aalborg

Two new polar bear cubs explore their enclosure with their mother Malik, for the first time, at Aalborg Zoo in Aalborg, Denmark, 04 March 2020 (issued 05 March 2020). …

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Iceland doesn’t exclude isolating island

The option to close Iceland due to the spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, is constantly being reassessed, in accordance with new risk assessments, mbl.is reports. A task group from…

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Denmark confirms first coronavirus case

Denmark has confirmed its first coronavirus infection in a man who returned from a ski holiday in northern Italy, the Danish health authority said on Thursday. The man was put…

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At Stockholm road safety summit, UN officials join global call to end ‘scourge’ of preventable deaths

Road traffic accidents take some 1.35 million lives every year and cost most countries three per cent of their gross domestic product, the top UN health official said on Wednesday…

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Finland to offer new fathers as much paid leave as mothers

Finland’s woman-led centre-left government plans to give new fathers the same amount of paid time off work as new mothers, nearly doubling paternity leave, it announced. Paid paternity leave will…

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Greta Thunberg seeks to trademark her name to stem misuse

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg said on Instagram she has applied to register her name and that of the Fridays For Future movement she founded in 2018, which has gone…

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Coronavirus case confirmed in Finland, cases in France increase to five

A new case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Finland, according to local media — the first in the Nordic region. France also confirmed Wednesday evening its fifth case of the virus.…

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Photo Story: Polar Night in Norway

A view of the city of Tromso, northern Norway, 14 January 2020 (issued 20 January 2020), during a Polar Night. In the picture one can see the Tromso Bridge…

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Drug gang violence in Sweden linked to 60% increase in bomb blasts

A surge in drug-linked gang violence in Sweden led to a 60% increase in bomb blasts in 2019, according to government statistics, as police work to rid the streets of…

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Photo Story: The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen vandalized

A graffiti reading ‘Free Hong Kong’ appears on The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Denmark, 13 January 2020. The mermaid overlooking the waters at the port of Copenhagen is particularly…

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Photo Story: Fears of climate change may go a long way back

A father and a son look at the Viking-era Rok runestone near the Lake Vattern and the town of Odeshog, Ostergotland, Sweden. The Rokstone, dated to the 9th century, is…

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Photo Story: Fire at Norway airport destroys over 300 cars

An exterior view of a partially collapsed section of the parking garage at Stavanger Airport after a fire, in Sola, Norway, 08 January 2020. Over 300 cars were destroyed in…

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Greta Thunberg changes Twitter name to ‘Sharon’ after game show error

Greta Thunberg has changed her name to Sharon on Twitter, in honour of a game show contestant who appeared to have no idea who she was. While appearing on BBC's…

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Photo Story: Greta Thunberg celebrates her 17th birthday attending Fridays For Future climate strike in Stockholm

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg celebrates her 17th birthday by attending the weekly 'Fridays For Future' climate strike outside the Swedish parliament Riksdagen in Stockholm, Sweden, 03 January 2020. …

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Photo Story: New Year’s Reception for diplomatic corps at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen

(L-R) Danish Queen Margrethe II, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary attend the New Year's Reception for the Diplomatic Corps at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark, 02 January 2020.…

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Norway princess’s ex-husband dies tragically aged 47

Ari Behn, the former son-in-law of Norway's king, has died aged 47, his spokesman has said. Behn, the author of several novels and plays, married Princess Martha Louise in 2002…

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Photo Story: Greta at ‘Fridays For Future’ protest in Stockholm

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg attends a climate strike arranged by the organisation 'Fridays For Future' outside the Swedish parliament Riksdagen in Stockholm, Sweden, 20 December 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/PONTUS LUNDAHL

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Finland offers Artificial Intelligence course as ‘Christmas gift’ to all EU citizens

Finland is offering a hi-tech Christmas gift to all European Union citizens - a free-of-charge online course in artificial intelligence, in their own language, officials said on Tuesday. The tech-savvy…

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Photo Story: Severe winter storm wreaks havoc across Iceland

A handout photo made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of a satellite image showing a winter storm hitting Iceland. Iceland's worst winter storm of the year…

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Police in Denmark foil terror plot

Police in Denmark have arrested 20 people in connection with suspected preparations for an Islamist terrorist attack. They said several raids were made throughout the country on Wednesday and that…

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40 million more people at risk of flooding as Greenland loses ice ‘seven times faster than in 1990s’

Greenland's ice is melting seven times faster than it was in the 1990s, and at much greater speeds than current predictions, according to a new study. It came as another…

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Finland’s Social Democrats name Marin to be youngest ever prime minister

Finland’s Social Democrats, who lead the five-party coalition government, picked 34-year-old transportation minister Sanna Marin to become the country’s youngest ever prime minister next week, taking over after the resignation…

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Photo Story: The International Horse Show in Stockholm

Lorenzo de Luca from Italy with the horse ‘Amarit d 'Amour’ in action during the jump competition at the Sweden International Horse Show in the Friends Arena in Stockholm- Solna,…

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Denmark says Greenland is a national security concern as ‘great powers’ circle

Denmark has made Greenland a top national security priority after Donald Trump expressed an interest in buying the territory. Mr Trump raised the possibility of purchasing the vast land mass…

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Maersk to lay off staff as part of cost cutting

Danish shipping group Maersk said on Thursday it would lay off staff at its main offices in Denmark and in other countries. The company said it did not know yet…

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EU sues Denmark over misuse of term ‘feta’ on Danish cheeses

The European Commission said on Wednesday it was suing Denmark for failing to prevent local companies from making and exporting outside the EU white cheese labelled as “feta”, breaching rules…

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Photo Story: Wind turbine transport on closed highway

A slow-moving wind turbine transport is on its way to the test centre in Oesterild from Hanstholm Harbour, West Coast of Jutland, Denmark, 25 November 2019. The transport consists of…

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Finnair cancels flights due to industrial action

Finland’s flag-carrier airline, Finnair, said it has been forced to cancel almost 300 flights amid a nationwide solidarity strike for postal workers. The carrier, whose home airport at Helsinki acts…

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Danish prosecutor charges Danske Bank for overcharging customers

Danske Bank said on Thursday it has been preliminary charged by the Danish prosecutor for overcharging customers for an investment product. Denmark’s financial watchdog reported Danske Bank to the police…

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NOK 245 billion in net revenue from the Norwegian petroleum industry in 2020

The Norwegian State’s net cash flow from the petroleum industry in 2020 is estimated to about NOK 245 billion. The fields on the Norwegian continental shelf cover around two per…

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Denmark gives go-ahead for Nord Stream 2 Russian pipeline segment

Denmark's Energy Agency announced on Wednesday that it had granted Nord Stream 2, owned by Russia's Gazprom, a permit to lay the pipeline across seabed southeast of Denmark's island of…

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Greta Thunberg turns down green award, says climate movement does not need any more awards

Greta Thunberg has turned down an environmental award and £40,000 in prize money because "bragging" and "beautiful words" will not cut carbon emissions. The Swedish campaigner revealed in an Instagram…

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