Nord News - The Nordic Daily

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the central rates of the Chinese currency renminbi, or yuan, against 24 major currencies announced on Thursday by the China Foreign Exchange Trading System: Currency unit Central parity rate in yuan US Dollar 100,709.65 Euro 100,758.87 Japanese Yen 100 5.1047 Hong Kong Dollar 100 90.624 British Pounds 100,883.26 Australian Dollar 100,461.80 New Zealand Dollar 100,427.55 Singapore Dollar 100,525.20 Swiss francs 100,779.75 Canadian dollars 100,523.16 Malaysian Ringgit 64,965,100 Rubles 1,146.13 100 rubles Rand 277.86 100 Korean Won 18,620,100 UAE dirham 51.753 100 Saudi Riyal 52,855 100 Hungarian forint 4,882.49,100 Polish zlotys 59,639,100 Danish kroner 98.12 100 Swedish kronor 152.77 100 Norwegian kroner 155.96 100 Turkish lira 293.116 100 Mexican peso 249.07 100 Thai baht 488.29,100 The central rate of the y...

Now is the time for NATO members to finalize Sweden's accession to the alliance, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Sweden and other Scandinavian countries yesterday, quoted by Reuters. At a press conference in the northern Swedish city, Lule Blinken noted that Sweden has taken remarkable steps in response to security concerns raised by NATO member Turkey and has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to the alliance. "We think the time is now and there is no reason not to move forward," the foreign minister said. He rejected the suggestion that Turkey's agreement for Sweden to join the alliance could be linked to the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, although Joe Biden hinted at such a link. Earlier in the day, Turkey called on Sweden to prosecute those responsible for projecting the flag of a banned group onto the Swedish parliament building on the day Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a runoff in the presidential electio...

The city is still committed to investing in tourism and events and aligns its city strategy and paves the way for a more sustainable, smarter, more vibrant and functional tourism and event city. A summer of new experiences and renewal in Helsinki This year, Helsinki will reveal new and fascinating tourist attractions alongside its beloved classics. These include the renovated Hakaniemi market hall, Amos Anderson's home museum in Hemi and the future Cultural Barracks. In addition, the Helsinki Biennale with its fascinating works of art once again enchants Vallisaari and expands its reach around the city. Other highlights are the U Nation electronic dance music festival at Kansalaistor at the end of June and the beginning of July, and the hop-on hop-off bus connection from Mellunmäki metro station to Sipoonkorvi National Park. "Kaivopuisto will also host events, such as the performances of the musical Mamma Mia in July. The summer of culture will be...

STOCKHOLM (AP) - It's summer in the air, not cigarette smoke, in Sweden's outdoor bars and restaurants. As the World Health Organization marks "World No Tobacco Day" on Wednesday, Sweden, which has the lowest smoking rate in the EU, is close to declaring itself "smoke-free" - defined as fewer than 5% of the population smoking daily. Many experts give credit to decades of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation, while others point to the prevalence of "snus", a smokeless tobacco product banned elsewhere in the EU but marketed in Sweden as an alternative to cigarettes. The Courthouse News podcast Sidebar tackles the stories you need to know from the legal world. Join our hosts as they take you in and out of courtrooms in the United States and beyond. Whatever the reason, the 5% milestone is now within reach. Only 6.4% of Swedes over 15 were daily smokers in 2019, the lowest in the EU and well below the averag...

Vantaa, the hometown of the Cha Cha Cha star, is planning a large mural in honor of the rapper's Eurovision. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/its-crazy-its-a-mural-finnish-urban-plan-kaarijas-tribute/?feed_id=31177

The investigating authorities believe that the child may have been taken out of the country. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/the-police-in-varsinais-finland-are-investigating-a-suspected-child-abduction/?feed_id=31163

The Norwegian company plans to continue offering its logistics services to other Finnish companies. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/the-online-store-oda-will-stop-its-operations-in-finland-after-one-year/?feed_id=31149

- We will have to wait for a significant increase in prices until next year, Nordea's economist Juho Kostiainen said. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/nordea-the-housing-market-will-recover-in-the-coming-months/?feed_id=31142

A temporary footbridge gave way earlier this month, injuring 24 people, most of whom were eighth grade teenagers on their way to school. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/hs-the-collapsed-espoo-bridge-was-not-assembled-according-to-the-manufacturers-instructions/?feed_id=31128

The organization Hivpoint says that the number of drug users suffering from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has increased significantly in the last three years. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/helsinkis-intravenous-drug-users-are-in-the-grip-of-the-hiv-epidemic-the-support-center-says/?feed_id=31121

A passenger on the plane at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport first claimed there was a bomb on board, but later said the threat was a "joke". https://nord.news/2023/05/31/the-swedish-police-evacuated-the-flight-to-finland-after-this-joke-bomb-threat/?feed_id=31114

It's been 22 years since Kristinn Kristmundsson, nicknamed "Kiddi Vídeofly", set up a Coke vending machine on the road from Egilsstaðir to Borgarfjörður in East Iceland. There is now a newer soda and candy vending machine that tourists and other visitors can use to explore the area. Since the vending machine, located in a small house, is out of the way, […] https://nord.news/2023/05/31/the-smallest-store-in-the-world/?feed_id=31107

According to the agency, efforts to reduce logging and giving up natural gas contributed to the decrease in emissions. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/statistics-finland-emissions-decreased-by-4-in-2022/?feed_id=31100

The deal also includes the purchase of Handelsbanken's asset management and investment services operations, according to S-Pank. https://nord.news/2023/05/31/s-pankki-buys-handelsbankens-private-customer-operations-in-finland/?feed_id=31093

Ukraine denied involvement in unprecedented drone attacks in Moscow on Tuesday that caused minor damage to buildings but no casualties. The Kremlin maintains the drones were Ukraine's response to Russian strikes on its territory. A pre-dawn attack on Kyiv killed at least one person and injured four after falling debris hit an apartment building. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2). This live page is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. 05:40am: Ukraine shelling of Luhansk village kills four, injures 16 - Moscow-installed administration Four people were killed and 16 injured as a result of Ukraine's shelling of the Karpaty village in the Luhansk region, the Moscow-installed local coordination centre said on Wednesday. The centre said on its Telegram messaging channel the shelling hit a poultry farm. Reuters was not able to independently verify the report. Mosco...

Washington - Aiming to secure support for Sweden's bid to join NATO, US President Joe Biden signaled a transactional approach in his engagement with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The recently re-elected Turkish leader has been one of the most consistent but complicated members of the transatlantic military alliance. Biden spoke with Erdogan on Monday to congratulate him on winning his third presidential term and said the two had discussed the issue of Sweden's NATO membership and Turkey's request to overhaul and expand its fleet of US-made F-16 fighter jets. Embed share Ankara could get F16s but US-Turkey ties remain uneasy Embed share Code has been copied to your clipboard. width px height px Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The URL has been copied to your clipboard No media source available at this time 0:00 0:01:50 0:00 He still wants to work on something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted an agreement with Sweden,...

PARIS, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Last year's Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud made a triumphant return to Paris as the Norwegian secured his place in the second round of the major for the sixth consecutive season. He triumphed over Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday. The fourth seed delivered 28 winners against 17 from his no. 155-ranked opponents, securing victory in two hours and seven minutes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. "It was challenging. Returning to the venue for one of the best tournaments of my life, feeling the pressure to defend last year's performance, I was sometimes a bit nervous," admitted Ruud, who faced Rafael Nadal in the last 12 months ago. The 24-year-old is aiming for his first Grand Slam title after reaching two consecutive finals last year, including another at the US Open where he was overtaken by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. Ruud celebrated his 10th tour-level trophy win in Estoril in Ap...

NEW YORK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar weakened on Tuesday as traders awaited the debt ceiling vote in Congress. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, fell 0.10 percent to 104.1665 in late trade. Although some progress was made on a deal, some Republicans said they would resist the deal in the Republican-dominated House. In addition to the debt negotiations, the market has again focused on inflation. The U.S. consumer confidence index in May fell to 102.3 from 103.7 in April, but higher than the consensus forecast of 100, according to data from The Conference Board on Tuesday. "Consumer confidence fell in May as consumers' view of current conditions became slightly less positive while their expectations remained gloomy," said Ataman Ozyildirim, senior director of economics at The Conference Board. The report showed that Americans' inflation expectations remain high but steady at 6.1 percent on a...

Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, the 172nd-ranked player in the world, pulled off a stunning upset of world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday in Paris. Seyboth Wild rallied from a set down to oust Medvedev in four hours and 15 minutes -- 7-5 (5), 6-8 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. "It was pretty tough. I started cramping in the second set. I tried my best and tried to play my best tennis and it worked," said Seyboth Wild. "I'm really happy with the way I played." Medvedev blasted 14 aces but suffered 15 double faults among 48 unforced errors. He had 45 winners to 69 for Seyboth Wild, who had 77 unforced errors of their own. "When I went on the court I just wanted to get to the net as much as possible and use my forehand against his and it worked out pretty well," Seyboth Wild said. Seyboth Wild played in only the second Grand Slam main draw of his career. "I've always dreamed of playing on ...

Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, the 172nd-ranked player in the world, pulled off a stunning upset of world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday in Paris. Seyboth Wild rallied from a set down to oust Medvedev in four hours and 15 minutes -- 7-5 (5), 6-8 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. "It was pretty tough. I started cramping in the second set. I tried my best and tried to play my best tennis and it worked," said Seyboth Wild. "I'm really happy with the way I played." Medvedev blasted 14 aces but suffered 15 double faults among 48 unforced errors. He had 45 winners to 69 for Seyboth Wild, who had 77 unforced errors of their own. "When I went on the court I just wanted to get to the net as much as possible and use my forehand against his and it worked out pretty well," Seyboth Wild said. Wild was playing in just the second Grand Slam main draw of his career. "I've always dreamed of playing on thi...

Blinken and Kristersson hold a press conference in Luleå. The US and Sweden meet to agree on future trade. The Swedish NATO application is also to be discussed Hear our correspondents on the spot. https://nord.news/2023/05/30/blinken-and-kristersson-hold-a-press-conference/?feed_id=30995

The labor dispute, which is mainly about salary issues, also causes the employees of private care facilities for the elderly to join the strike. https://nord.news/2023/05/30/the-strike-of-private-daycare-workers-starts-on-wednesday/?feed_id=30988

In these discussions, there have been relatively few leaks of the political content agreed upon by party negotiators, says political journalist Unto Hämäläinen. https://nord.news/2023/05/30/a-veteran-political-journalist-criticizes-the-secrecy-in-the-government-formation-negotiations/?feed_id=30981

According to the Harassment Barometer, women from minority backgrounds experienced more harassment than other groups last year. https://nord.news/2023/05/30/research-the-majority-of-finns-say-they-have-experienced-different-types-of-workplace-bullying/?feed_id=30967

If the plans proceed, three hydrogen production plants would be built in Kokkola, Kristiinankaupunki and Porvoo, which would create approximately 1,000 direct and more than 3,000 indirect jobs. https://nord.news/2023/05/30/us-based-plug-power-is-planning-a-billion-euro-hydrogen-plant-investment-in-finland/?feed_id=30939

In March this year, the Norwegian government passed a law that requires future students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland to pay school fees. This came as a surprise to everyone, knowing that Norway was popular for free education for all. We have asked the International Office and the Student Assembly at Volda University to get more information about how the fees will affect the university. The Student Parliament told us the decision came as a surprise to all sectors, and some programs at some universities may close. "No, the university or college was not consulted on this topic. The announcement came as a surprise to the sector, its staff and students. There was no advance warning, as the coalition parties that make up the government have stated in their political manifestos that free education would continue. said the student parliament. According to those at the University College in Volda, " MMP (master's in media literacy) and NIS (Norwegian language c...

In addition, total kilometers decreased slightly compared to the previous year. However, emissions from district heat production increased by around five percent, even though emissions decreased by nine percent per unit of energy produced. The increase in emissions was due to a 15 percent increase in energy consumption in the industry. Electricity consumption also increased by eight percent, which led to an increase in electricity production using fossil fuels. As a result, the specific emission factor of electricity production rose slightly compared to the previous year. Santtu Karhinen , a specialist researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute, said that the year 2020 was exceptional due to the global pandemic, which affected the functioning of society and led to warmer weather. In contrast, 2021 was significantly colder, and society began to recover from the initial shock of the pandemic. Waste treatment emissions decreased by 5.4 percent compar...

PARIS, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Wang Xinyu secured her first French Open main draw win as the world No. 80 beat 31st seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 7-6(5) to advance into the second round of the women's singles on Tuesday. The 21-year-old, who has already reached the same stage twice at the Australian Open, had lost four straight first-round matches on clay this season. "I'm happy with my win today. Honestly, I've been progressing on clay this season and trying to find my way on this surface. It was a big inspiration for me to win the match," Wang said in his post. match press conference. Bouzkova was clinical in the second set, racing to a 4-1 lead thanks to two breaks in the first and fifth games. But Wang kept her composure to fight back and grabbed a key break as her Czech opponent served for the set at 5-4. "I didn't think too much in the second set when I was 4-1 down because I was clear on how to play...