Nord News - The Nordic Daily

LONDON - Most Europeans see Russia as an adversary after its invasion of Ukraine, according to a survey of more than 16,000 people in 11 EU member states. Europeans tend to have a more positive view of China, with a plurality seeing Beijing as a necessary partner. Russian "opponent" Two-thirds of Europeans now see Russia as an adversary since its invasion of Ukraine, according to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations, or ECFR, conducted in April. That is twice as much compared to 2021, the last time the survey was conducted. "Especially majorities in Denmark [74%] Poland [71%]Sweden [70%]Netherlands [66%]Germany [62%] and Spain [55%]think of Russia as an "adversary" to Europe - while only 37% in Italy and 17% in Bulgaria do, the ECFR report said. Future relationships Respondents were also asked about Europe's future relationship with Moscow. “About half of the respondents [48%] believe that their country's relationship with R...

BAGHDAD, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Iraqis gathered on Friday in the capital Baghdad to protest the burning of the Muslim holy book Koran in Sweden. The angry protesters, the majority of whom were supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, gathered in the Salhiyah district, where the Swedish embassy is located, just outside the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad. "Burning the Koran is considered an incitement to violence against those who believe in Islam," said a statement by al-Sadr read by his representative Mahmoud al-Jayashi at the rally. "Since you criminalize the burning of the gay flag, why don't you consider the burning of the Koran a capital crime?" al-Sadr asked the Swedish authorities in the statement. Earlier in the day, Iraqi forces tightened their security measures by cordoning off the Swedish embassy and closing all roads leading to the building with concrete barriers. The measures came after doze...

Christian Democrats party leader Ebba Busch speaks in Almedalen. Hear Ekot's political reporter Karin Runblom analyze the speech. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/ebba-busch-speaks-in-almedalen/?feed_id=35825

Commonly stolen goods are taxi drivers' personal belongings and work-related equipment, such as taxi meters. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/the-espoo-police-are-investigating-dozens-of-taxi-burglaries/?feed_id=35818

Vilhelm Junnila resigned as Minister of Economy on Friday. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/mot-junnilas-work-history-education-announcements-are-incorrect/?feed_id=35811

Wednesday's Koran burning in Stockholm caused great anger in the outside world and led to the storming of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Muqada Al-Sadr's spokesperson has urged not to enter the Swedish embassy again. Ekot's reporter Shaho Mwany talks about the new call. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/the-call-from-the-iraqi-leader-after-the-koran-burning-do-not-enter-the-swedish-embassy/?feed_id=35804

The purpose of the visit was to discuss the environmental damage caused by the Russian attack. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/heidi-hautala-joins-greta-thunberg-on-the-trip-to-kiev/?feed_id=35797

The authorities suspect, among other crimes, that the men planned to attack the Niinisalo reception center with explosives as part of the training. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/the-police-have-decided-to-investigate-the-suspected-far-right-terrorist-plan-to-attack-the-reception-center/?feed_id=35790

The former Nazi jokes of the minister of basic Finns caused a scandal that led to his downfall. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/after-a-week-long-dispute-junnila-leaves-the-far-right-links/?feed_id=35783

BRUSSELS - European Union leaders opened a second day of migration talks on Friday as Poland and Hungary continued to block progress after they were voted down earlier this month on a plan to share refugees arriving in Europe among the 27 member states. Some leaders said Poland and Hungary appeared to be fighting a battle that began years ago, when well over 1 million migrants, most of them refugees fleeing Syria, entered Europe in 2015, sparking one of the bloc's biggest crises. Others said the two simply must not be allowed to break EU rules. "My feeling was that there was a lot of bitterness around the migration debates from 2015," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told reporters at EU headquarters in Brussels. "If you just say no to everything and everyone else tries to compromise, it doesn't really work." Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said "Hungary was fully convinced" to have the issue removed entirely from the leader's...

The Left Party's party leader Nooshi Dadgostar gives a speech during the almedal week in Visby. Hear Ekot's live broadcast with analysis of the speech from Ekot's domestic political commentator Fredrik Furtenbach . https://nord.news/2023/06/30/right-now-nooshi-dadgostar-is-giving-a-speech-in-almedalen/?feed_id=35762

TRIPOLI, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Foreign Ministry on Thursday demanded action from Swedish authorities against protesters burning the Muslim holy book Koran in Stockholm, Sweden's capital. "The State of Libya condemns the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by an extremist outside the central mosque in Stockholm, Sweden, after the prayer of the Eid Al-Adha holiday," the ministry said in a statement. "Such actions clearly contradict international efforts to spread tolerance and moderation and condemn extremism," it says, and demands clear measures from Swedish authorities against those who commit such actions. On Wednesday, a person, reportedly an Iraqi immigrant living in Sweden, burned a copy of the Koran outside the central mosque in Stockholm. In similar incidents in January, Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, burned a copy of the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, and ...

Washington [US]June 30 (ANI): The World Bank press service said on Friday that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board approved a $1.5 billion loan to Ukraine, Russian news agency TASS reported. In addition, according to the statement, the funds "will help provide relief to households and mitigate the effects" of Russia's special military operation, TASS reported. The loan is guaranteed by the Government of Japan as part of the Advance Needed Credit Enhancement for Ukraine Trust Fund (ADVANCE Ukraine) initiative. Earlier this week, at least four people, including a child, were killed and several others injured on Tuesday night when a Russian missile hit a busy area in the center of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, CNN reported, citing local authorities. Shortly after the strikes, emergency services were on the scene and helped the injured. Last year, the World Bank on Monday approved a $723 million package of loans and grants to Ukraine, providin...

The EU will on Thursday discuss the repercussions of the Wagner Group's aborted rebellion in Russia as they look at further its aid to Ukraine in the wake of Moscow's invasion. NATO chief head Jens Stoltenberg is also set to meet with the bloc. Elsewhere, Ukraine held drills in Zaporizhzhia in preparation for radiation leaks from the nuclear plant. Follow our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2). This live blog is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage on the war in Ukraine, please click here. 12:50am: EU leaders back security commitments for Ukraine European Union leaders declared on Thursday they would make long-term commitments to bolster Ukraine's security as President Volodymyr Zelensky urged them to start work on a new round of sanctions against Russia. At a summit in Brussels, the leaders restated their condemnation of Russia's war against Ukraine and said the EU and its member countries "stand r...

The bank is being investigated for governance and information security concerns, HS reports. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/the-financial-supervisory-authority-that-investigates-s-banks-operations/?feed_id=35734

The protests are expected to continue on Friday. https://nord.news/2023/06/30/the-staff-of-the-finnish-embassy-in-baghdad-was-evacuated-when-demonstrators-attacked-the-swedish-embassy/?feed_id=35713

BEIRUT, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the burning of a copy of the Koran in Sweden. "This act, repeated for the second time, constitutes an attack on the sanctity of Muslims and a provocation to their sentiments," the National News Agency quoted the ministry as saying in a statement. Such an act, which goes against the values ​​of tolerance and coexistence between religions and civilizations, incites hatred and breeds violence, so it "cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression," it said. The ministry called for "putting a final end to these provocations and considering them as crimes punishable by law". Some Islamic groups, religious leaders and lawmakers in Lebanon also condemned the Koran burning in Sweden and accused the Swedish authorities of giving permission to the protesters. During a protest that the Swedish authorities allowed on Wednesday, an Iraqi man who...

Hear the full speech from Almedalen with the Center Party's party leader Muharrem Demirok. Cassandra Alm is the presenter and Ekot's political reporter Mats Eriksson analyzes the speech afterwards. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/the-center-partys-party-leader-muharrem-demirok-speaks-in-almedalen/?feed_id=35545

TEHRAN - Iran has repatriated four Iraqi prisoners under a 2011 prisoner extradition agreement between the two neighbors, the Iranian Students' News Agency reported on Thursday. The four prisoners were handed over to Iraqi authorities on Tuesday to serve the remainder of their prison terms in their home country, ISNA quoted Iranian Deputy Minister of Justice for Human Rights and International Affairs Askar Jalalian as saying. (Iran-Repatriation-Iraqi prisoners) - - - - COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's central bank revealed on Thursday that the country is presenting three options for domestic holders of locally issued dollar-denominated bonds. The first option for domestic holders of dollar-denominated bonds would mirror the treatment given to investors in the country's international government bonds, central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe told a news conference. (Sri Lanka-Domestic Debt-Central Bank) - - - - STOCKHOLM -- Less than a week after a...

Economy Minister Vilhelm Junnila survived the vote of confidence given due to his previous right-wing connections, but according to the prime minister, the government still intends to discuss the matter thoroughly. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/pm-orpo-the-government-will-discuss-the-junnila-issue-next-week/?feed_id=35517

In some cities, bus companies refused to refund money to customers who bought monthly tickets when there were disruptions in service. They have now been told to compensate affected customers. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/the-consumer-protection-organization-orders-ticket-refunds-after-the-bus-strike/?feed_id=35510

BANGKOK – A pressure group in Myanmar is calling on India to stop selling arms to their war-torn country's military and is asking its Western allies to join the call, singling out Sweden and the United States. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first state visit to the United States last week. Both countries are members of the Quad alliance, along with Australia and Japan, which is widely seen as working to counter China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The pressure group, Justice for Myanmar, says its research has found weapon parts made in India but of Swedish design being shipped to Myanmar, even after a 2021 military coup that overthrew the country's elected government. UN experts have accused Myanmar's military of crimes against humanity and war crimes as it battles a stubborn armed resistance, killing thousands of civilians and displacing more than 1.5 million people across the country. While the US, EU and others have imposed an ...

BAGHDAD, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned Swedish authorities for allowing the burning of the Muslim holy book Quran on the first day of Eid al-Adha, Islam's major religious holiday. "Iraq condemns and condemns the Swedish authorities' permission for an extremist to burn a copy of the Holy Quran in a way that seriously offends the religious sacred values," the ministry said in a statement. These events will inflame the emotions of Muslims around the world and constitute a "dangerous provocation" for them, the ministry added, appealing to the international community to take responsibility, put an end to such unacceptable acts, reject all forms of hatred and extremism and hold the perpetrators accountable. Iraq's powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr also called a demonstration in front of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and called on the government to expel the Swedish ambassador, according to the rep...

The purchase of 17 troop transport boats costs 25.5 million euros. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/the-defense-forces-are-acquiring-new-jorma-class-crew-landing-craft/?feed_id=35482

RABAT, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Morocco has recalled its ambassador from Sweden for consultations indefinitely following the burning of the Muslim holy book Koran in Stockholm, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. According to media reports, the Swedish government authorized a demonstration outside the Stockholm Mosque at Medborgarplatsen in the Swedish capital on Wednesday, the first day of Eid al-Adha, one of the most celebrated holidays in the Islamic calendar. During the demonstration, a person identified as Salwan Momika came in front of the mosque, threw the Quran on the ground, trampled on it, uttered insulting words against Islam and set fire to the book, media reports said. Morocco has also summoned Sweden's charge d'affaires in Rabat, who was informed of Morocco's "strongest condemnation of this crime and rejection of this unacceptable act," the statement said. "This offensive and irresponsible act disreg...

In the first payment round, more than 191,000 people will receive their tax refund. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/the-first-tax-refunds-will-be-paid-on-monday/?feed_id=35468

ISLAMABAD, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has strongly condemned the burning of the Muslim holy book Quran in Sweden on the first day of Eid al-Adha, the major religious holiday of Islam, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday. "Such deliberate incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest," the ministry said in a statement, adding that Pakistan's concerns over the incident had been conveyed to Sweden. The recurrence of such Islamophobic incidents in recent months in the West seriously calls into question the legal framework that allows such hate-driven acts, it added. "We reiterate that the right to freedom of speech and opinion does not provide a license to incite hatred and sabotage inter-religious harmony," the ministry said. In the Swedish capital Stockholm, a person identified as Salwan Momika burned the Koran in front of Stockholm's mosque on...

The fire department was still on the scene in Kera's one-story industrial building on Thursday morning. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/the-police-are-asking-for-eyewitnesses-after-the-fire-in-espoo/?feed_id=35454

"Climate change is likely to alter the number of mosquito species in the long term," the virology researcher said. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/new-mosquito-species-are-arriving-in-finland-which-are-known-to-carry-the-west-nile-virus-in-southern-europe/?feed_id=35433

Social Democrats party leader Magdalena Andersson speaks during the Almedal Week in Visby. Hear Ekot's live broadcast with analysis of the speech from Ekot's domestic political commentator Fredrik Furtenbach . https://nord.news/2023/06/29/right-now-magdalena-andersson-is-speaking-in-almedalen/?feed_id=35419

The party was also the most popular among the least educated. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/research-one-in-three-men-of-working-age-voted-for-perus-finns/?feed_id=35405

According to a new study, Finns are increasingly lonely despite the end of restrictions related to the pandemic. https://nord.news/2023/06/29/research-loneliness-increased-even-after-covid/?feed_id=35391

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday he has called a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland on July 6 to try to overcome Turkish objections to Sweden joining the military organisation. "The time is now to welcome Sweden as a full member of NATO," Stoltenberg told reporters as he announced the date for the meeting. Follow our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2). This live blog is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage on the war in Ukraine, please click here. 04:00am: Zelensky's 'leadership' honoured with top UK award Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been awarded a prestigious UK prize for his leadership and contribution to international relations, the Chatham House think-tank said on Thursday. The London-based research body said it had awarded Zelensky the 2023 Chatham House Prize, hailing his transformation from actor-turned novice politician to wa...