Nord News - The Nordic Daily

“If the National Coalition or Finns Party wins, we’ll have a right-wing, blue-black government that’ll pursue harsh austerity policies,” she warned during an election debate hosted by MTV in March. It appears that the framing had an effect on voters, reveals a study published in June by Åbo Akademi University. The study found that nearly a third of those who had previously voted for the Green League or Left Alliance voted for the Social Democratic Party. Kimmo Grönlund , a professor of political science at Åbo Akademi University, views that Marin had a major impact on voter choices. “When we measured how popular different party leaders are, Marin came out on top by a clear margin among Finns. And that she so strongly pleaded in her campaign that the only way to prevent the formation of a right-wing government is to vote for candidates of the Social Democrats. These two things combined show that Marin’s role was big,” he stated to YLE on Saturday. The Gr...

BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the central parity rates of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, against 24 major currencies announced on Tuesday by the China Foreign Exchange Trade System: Currency Unit Central parity rate in yuan U.S. dollar 100 712.83 Euro 100 785.79 Japanese yen 100 5.0207 Hong Kong dollar 100 91.40 British pound 100 917.06 Australian dollar 100 480.16 New Zealand dollar 100 443.69 Singapore dollar 100 537.45 Swiss franc 100 819.65 Canadian dollar 100 541.89 Malaysian ringgit 63.128 100 Ruble 1,281.87 100 Rand 250.07 100 Korean won 17,871 100 UAE dirham 51.402 100 Saudi riyal 52.505 100 Hungarian forint 4,928.79 100 Polish zloty 56.051 100 Danish krone 94.79 100 Swedish krona 147.24 100 Norwegian krone 141.67 100 Turkish lira 377.14 100 Mexican peso 234.45 100 Thai baht 479.26 100 The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered b...

Dubai [UAE], August 1 (ANI/WAM): Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, led the UAE delegation in participating in the 18th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The session, which was held virtually, focused on the recurring crime of desecration and burning of copies of the Holy Quran in the Kingdoms of Sweden and Denmark. Al Marar delivered the UAE's statement, emphasising that reflecting the country's strong belief in the importance of respecting religious symbols and sanctities, the UAE strongly condemns any actions that contradict human and moral values, including the burning and desecration of copies of the Holy Quran. He urged all countries around the world to take necessary measures in order to prevent the reoccurrence of such offensive actions, which destabilise security, promote hatred, and fuel extremism. He stressed,"The failure of authorities in Sweden and Denmark to ad...

NEW YORK, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar strengthened on Monday, as the Japanese yen fell and the Japanese government bond yields increased. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, was up 0.22 percent to 101.8504 in late trading. The 10-year Japanese government bond traded at its highest yield since 2014 above 0.60 percent. The move came hot on the heels of Friday's Bank of Japan adjustment to yield curve control. The bank also announced an unscheduled bond-buying program on Monday, a plan for 5-10-year government bonds with a scale of 300 billion yen. In reaction to mixed economic reports, the Japanese yen continued to decline as the biggest underperformer on Monday. The U.S. dollar bought 142.2640 Japanese yen, much higher than 141.1080 Japanese yen of the previous session. On Monday, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index improved to 42.8 in July from 41.5 in June. Meanwhile, the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey released by t...

© Provided by Xinhua ECB President Christine Lagarde reiterated at a press conference last Thursday following the Governing Council meeting that the interest rate will be the bank's primary tool to bring down inflation, which the ECB says has remained "too high for too long." BRUSSELS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The eurozone's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.3 percent in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter, according to a flash estimate published on Monday by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU). Eurozone GDP had remained stable in the first quarter of the year compared to the previous one. The EU's GDP in the second quarter of 2023 remained stable compared to the previous quarter. It increased by 0.2 percent during the first quarter of the year. Countries that recorded the highest quarter-on-quarter GDP growth include Ireland with 3.3 percent and Lithuania with 2.8 percent. Negative quarter-on-quarter growt...

Ministerstwo Środowiska, Energii i Klimatu opublikowało projekt nowelizacji dotyczący polowań na ptaki i wykorzystywania produktów pochodzących od dzikich ptaków. Jest on dostępny do komentowania na portalu rządowym – TU. Proponowana nowelizacja ma na celu zakazanie nieautoryzowanej sprzedaży gęsi gęgawych i produktów z nich pochodzących. Zabroniony będzie również ich eksport. Krajowa sprzedaż gęsi będzie jednak nadal […] https://nord.news/2023/07/31/propozycja-zakazu-handlu-gesia-gegawa/?feed_id=40732

W ostatnich dniach erupcja w Litli-Hrútur uległa niewielkim zmianom. Zanieczyszczenie gazem wykryto tylko w Fagradalsfjall w pobliżu miejsca erupcji. „Od tego weekendu niewiele się zmieniło”– mówi Lovísa Mjöll Guðmundsdóttir, ekspert ds. zagrożeń naturalnych. „W kraterze jest nadal dużo magmy, a erupcja trwa”. „Ostatni pomiar przeprowadzony przez Uniwersytet Islandzki miał miejsce 24 lipca i potwierdzono powolny […] https://nord.news/2023/07/31/magma-w-kraterze-wciaz-wrze/?feed_id=40697

BRUSSELS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The eurozone's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.3 percent in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter, according to a flash estimate published on Monday by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU). Eurozone GDP had remained stable in the first quarter of the year compared to the previous one. The EU's GDP in the second quarter of 2023 remained stable compared to the previous quarter. It increased by 0.2 percent during the first quarter of the year. Countries that recorded the highest quarter-on-quarter GDP growth include Ireland with 3.3 percent and Lithuania with 2.8 percent. Negative quarter-on-quarter growth was registered in Sweden (minus 1.5 percent), Latvia (minus 0.6 percent), Austria (minus 0.4 percent) and Italy (minus 0.3 percent). Year-on-year, eurozone GDP increased by 0.6 percent in the second quarter of 2023, and the EU's GDP grew by 0.5 percent. Both the eurozone and the...

This summer, borrowing for the purchase of holiday homes dropped by nearly a third compared to last year, and below pre-pandemic levels. https://nord.news/2023/07/31/covid-era-boom-in-holiday-home-sales-over/?feed_id=40669

While the harvest is not yet in full swing across the country, some areas such as Central Finland are already filled with fruiting fungi. https://nord.news/2023/07/31/wild-mushroom-season-kicks-off-in-most-of-finland/?feed_id=40648

The wreck's tanks contain around 100,000 litres of light fuel oil. https://nord.news/2023/07/31/wreck-of-wwii-era-finnish-flagship-ilmarinen-to-be-examined-for-oil-recovery/?feed_id=40627

Plans to build a new entertainment centre at the former power plant site have been pushed back for at least a year due to complaints. https://nord.news/2023/07/31/suvilahti-construction-plans-postponed-flow-and-tuska-will-return-in-2024/?feed_id=40620

While the captions of the videos often include open racism, Chief Superintendent Kai Vepsäläinen also points out that spreading such videos is unfortunate for the victim. https://nord.news/2023/07/31/police-individuals-sharing-violent-videos-for-their-own-agendas/?feed_id=40613

Kl. 08.58–11.00 på Radiosportens sajt och i appen SR Play 09.00  Fotboll, VM gruppspel damer Japan–Spanien (Susanna Andrén och Johan Elmander) https://nord.news/2023/07/31/just-nu-japan-och-spanien-mots-i-gruppfinal/?feed_id=40606

The weather at the beginning of the week will also include strong winds, which create ideal conditions for tornadoes to form. https://nord.news/2023/07/31/finland-in-store-for-thunderstorms-and-possible-tornadoes/?feed_id=40592

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The following are the central parity rates of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, against 24 major currencies announced on Monday by the China Foreign Exchange Trade System: Currency Unit Central parity rate in yuan U.S. dollar 100 713.05 Euro 100 788.36 Japanese yen 100 5.0802 Hong Kong dollar 100 91.437 British pound 100 919.55 Australian dollar 100 476.40 New Zealand dollar 100 440.52 Singapore dollar 100 537.36 Swiss franc 100 822.28 Canadian dollar 100 540.08 Malaysian ringgit 63.696 100 Ruble 1,284.55 100 Rand 246.63 100 Korean won 17,838 100 UAE dirham 51.386 100 Saudi riyal 52.429 100 Hungarian forint 4,873.60 100 Polish zloty 55.948 100 Danish krone 94.47 100 Swedish krona 147.24 100 Norwegian krone 142.44 100 Turkish lira 376.295 100 Mexican peso 233.20 100 Thai baht 478.90 100 The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered...

Copenhagen [Denmark], July 31 (ANI): The Danish government will look for legal ways to enable officials to prevent the desecration of the Quran in front of foreign embassies in Denmark, the country's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has said, according to AL Jazeera. In a statement on Sunday, Rasmussen said,"The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on." The decision came after the Quran, holy book of Islam, was damaged and destroyed during rallies in recent weeks, placing Denmark and Sweden in the international limelight. "The Danish government will therefore explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security," Rasmussen added. A...

(Photo credit: Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK) Alex Cejka of Germany probably didn't go to bed Saturday night thinking he could shoot a 76 on Sunday and win The Senior Open Championship. But Cejka, the 54-hole leader, playing with rain falling and the winds gusting up to 40 mph, did just that to win the championship at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Bridgend, Wales -- his third career major title on the Champions Tour. As if five bogeys and a double bogey mixed among two birdies weren't enough drama for Cejka, he had to survive a two-hole, sudden death playoff against Padraig Harrington of Ireland to win. Cejka's tournament total of 5-over par 289 matched the highest of any PGA Tour Champions winner since Arnold Palmer at the 1981 U.S. Senior Open. Despite the dreadful conditions that deteriorated as the day wore on, two-time Open champion Harrington missed a putt for eagle and birdied the par-5 18th hole to finish with a 75 and force the playoff. ...

STOCKHOLM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Human lifespan is expected to increase to up to 120 years within decades thanks to technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and knowledge gained from the COVID-19 pandemic, Swedish Television (SVT) reported on Sunday. "Our prognosis is a lifespan between 100 and 120 years within 50 years or so, at least in developed countries," Ignat Kulkov, a researcher at Malardalen University (MDU), told SVT. Elderly people are also expected to be as healthy as those in their forties -- much thanks to rapid technological advancements, Kulkov explained about a study findings which was done with colleagues at universities in Finland, France and the United Kingdom and has been published in the scientific journal Futures. "More and more people will wear wearable devices to track their health status. These devices will be connected with doctors and hospitals," Kulkov said, adding that some of these sensors will be in the form of implan...

FUKUOKA, Japan, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Following is the final medal table of the World Aquatics Championships after the last day's competition on Sunday (tabulated under team, gold, silver, bronze and total): 1. China 20 8 12 40 2. Australia 15 9 6 30 3. United States 7 22 15 44 4. Japan 4 1 5 10 5. France 4 0 4 8 6. Germany 4 0 3 7 7. Spain 3 2 4 9 8. Italy 2 7 5 14 9. Britain 2 5 5 12 10. Canada 2 3 5 10 11. Hungary 2 2 0 4 12. Tunisia 2 1 0 3 13. Lithuania 2 0 0 2 Sweden 2 0 0 2 15. Netherlands 1 2 2 5 16. Austria 1 2 0 3 17. Romania 1 1 0 2 South Africa 1 1 0 2 19. Mexico 0 5 2 7 20. Ukraine 0 1 1 2 21. Colombia 0 1 0 1 Greece 0 1 0 1 Hong Kong, China 0 1 0 1 Poland 0 1 0 1 Portugal 0 1 0 1 26. Brazil 0 0 1 1 Kazakhstan 0 0 1 1 New Zealand 0 0 1 1 South Korea 0 0 1 1 Switzerland 0 0 1 1 https://nord.news/2023/07/30/final-medal-table-of-world-aquatics-championships/?feed_id=40536

FUKUOKA, Japan, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Following are the final results of the women's 50m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships here on Sunday: 1. Sarah Sjoestroem, Sweden, 23.62 seconds 2. Shayna Jack, Australia, 24.10 3. Zhang Yufei, China, 24.15 4. Abbey Weitzeil, United States, 24.32 5. Emma McKeon, Australia, 24.35 6. Cheng Yujie, China, 24.45 7. Michelle Coleman, Sweden, 24.46 8. Marrit Steenbergen, Netherlands, 24.61 https://nord.news/2023/07/30/final-results-of-womens-50m-freestyle-at-swimming-worlds/?feed_id=40529

Andrei Zorin is a cultural historian and chair of Russian at the University of Oxford. In a recent interview with Vazha Tavberidze of RFE/RL Georgian Service, Zorin discusses whether Russian President Vladimir Putin meets the criteria of a modern-day tsar, Russia's long legacy of authoritarian rulers, and how Putin's invasion of Ukraine may have been fueled by the Russian ruler's misguided mythical goal to 'unite' the Slavic peoples of Ukraine with Russia. For Ukraine, Zorin says, the battle against Russia is 'textbook national liberation.' RFE/RL: Let's begin with the phenomenon of the tsar and the Russian people's thirst for one. How much of it is a myth and how much of it is conventional historical wisdom? Andrei Zorin: The phenomenon and the role of the tsar is extremely important in Russian history. It is deeply rooted in the cultural mythology of Russia. At least for 500 years, maybe slightly more. But one thing to understand is that th...

The band's concerts have increased demand for hotel rooms a year ahead of the concert series. https://nord.news/2023/07/30/coldplay-concerts-double-hotel-room-prices-a-year-away/?feed_id=40515

Conventional auroras are caused by electrons in the solar wind, but the newly discovered phenomenon stems from protons, which are much heavier. https://nord.news/2023/07/30/finnish-stargazers-discover-completely-new-northern-lights-phenomenon/?feed_id=40480

Queensland [Australia], July 30 (ANI): In the Group stage match of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, France defeated Brazil 2-1 at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday. While Sweden thrashed Italy with a 5-0 win. Eugenie Le Sommer and Wendie Renard were the goal scorers for France and for Brazil Debora Cristiane de Oliveira bagged one goal. France and Brazil are in Group F along with Jamaica and Panama. France is on top of the group having four points and Brazil is in the third position with three points. In the first half, France dominated Brazil with their repetitive attacking play. In the 17th minute of the match, France's hard work paid off as Eugenie Le Sommer scored a beautiful header which sailed into Brazil's goal. France kept on the pressure and didn't allow Brazil to take many chances. The first half ended with France leading 1-0. In the second half, Brazil's game plan changed and they started taking more chances. ...

Norge–Filippinerna och Nya Zeeland–Schweiz drabbar samman när VM:s första grupp går i mål. Radiosporten rapporterar från båda matcherna – häng med! https://nord.news/2023/07/30/just-nu-norge-maste-vinna-tar-ledningen-med-ett-klassmal/?feed_id=40452

TEHRAN -- An Iranian criminal court said it plans to bring 104 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) to trial, the Mizan news agency affiliated to the Iranian judiciary reported Saturday. The trial of the 104 MKO members, including the group's leader Maryam Rajavi, will go in absentia, according to a public announcement issued by the Branch 1 of Tehran's Criminal Court in major Iranian newspapers. (Iran-MKO Members-Trial) - - - - ABU DHABI -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has imposed a four-month ban on rice exports and re-exports, the country's Ministry of Economy said Saturday. The ban, with effect from July 28, covers the free zones in the UAE and applies to all rice varieties, including brown rice, fully or partially milled rice, and broken rice, according to a statement released on the ministry's social media account. (UAE-Rice Exports Ban) - - - - RIYADH -- Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has voiced the kingdom's...

RIYADH, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has voiced the kingdom's rejection of all attempts to desecrate the Islamic holy book of the Quran and demanded immediate measures to stop such "extremist acts of violence" that offended Muslims. During a phone call that Faisal received from his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom on Friday, the Saudi top diplomat said that the burning of the Quran incited religious hatred and undermined inter-civilizational dialogue, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday. Billstrom expressed his country's denunciation and condemnation of the burning of the Quran. The Swedish top diplomat "expressed his deep sorrow" over some people's "flagrant exploitation" of the Swedish constitution, adding that Sweden is trying to put an end to all acts of violence against and desecration of religions and holy books, according to the report. Several instances of Quran desecration...

Już 76 osób zostało zatrzymanych w tym roku w związku z przemytem narkotyków. To prawie tyle samo co w całym ubiegłym roku. Szef policji w regionie Suðurnes twierdzi, że większość aresztowanych to osoby przewożące cudzy „towar”. Zmienił się także przedział wiekowy tych osób. Na funkcjonariuszy celnych i policyjnych na lotnisku Keflavík wywierana jest duża presja. […] https://nord.news/2023/07/29/przemyt-narkotykow-do-islandii/?feed_id=40403

Jyväskylä received nearly 100 millimetres of rain between Friday and Saturday. https://nord.news/2023/07/29/central-finland-receives-a-months-worth-of-rain-in-24-hours/?feed_id=40396

WELLINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Sweden showed their commanding ability in aerial duels as they scored thrice through corners to beat Italy 5-0 in the Women's World Cup here on Saturday, sealing a last-16 place with one round to spare. Sweden carved out a hard-fought win in the opening match as they turned around South Africa 2-1, while Italy beat Argentina 1-0 thanks to Cristiana Girelli's late winner. Italy were aggressive from the beginning as Sofia Cantore tested Zecira Musovic just under one minute into the game, before Lucia Di Guglielmo hit the side net, but Sweden managed to weather that early siege and built up their advantage soon. The No. 3 in FIFA's ranking broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Amanda Ilestedt headed a Jonna Andersson's corner into the net. Sweden quickly rode the momentum as they added another five minutes later when another Andersson's corner fell for Fridolina Rolfo to find the net. The bronze medalist of 2019 World ...

While Finland expelled nine embassy staff in June over espionage concerns, an exceptional number more have left Helsinki this summer according to a report by the Finnish News Agency STT. https://nord.news/2023/07/29/russian-embassy-staff-in-helsinki-flees-in-large-numbers-after-spy-expulsion/?feed_id=40354

Cheeks smeared with beet juice, huge black eyebrows and a kokoshnik - this image of the "Russian beauty" dominated Soviet fairytale movies. The image is both true and false, at the same time. The kokoshnik, a northern wedding headdress , became widespread only from the late 18th century in Moscow Russia, so the image of Russian women in kokoshniks in the pre-Petrine times is a myth. Besides, only peasant women would smear their cheeks with beet and berry juice. Noble women used more expensive, but no less colorful cosmetics. "Wedding procession in Moscow in the 17th century," by Andrey Ryabushkin, 1901 We know about Russian cosmetics in the 16th-17th centuries from the writings of foreigners, who were blown away by the beauty of Russian women - and, at the same time, by how much makeup they put on their faces. "The women's faces are so beautiful that they surpass many nations," Swedish diplomat Hans Moritz Ayrmann wrote of the Russians...

Dunedin [New Zealand], July 29 (ANI): Argentina and South Africa settled for a 2-2 draw whilst England defeated Denmark 1-0 in the ongoing FIFA Women's World Cup Group Stage matches on Friday. The match between Argentina and South Africa ended all square at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. For Argentina, Sophia Braun and Romina Nunez were the goalscorers and for South Africa, Linda Mothalo and Thembi Kgatlana were on the scoresheet. Argentina and South Africa are in Group G along with Sweden and Italy. In the first half of the match, South Africa dominated Argentina as they were attacking well and preventing Argentina to stabilise in the game. In the 30th minute of the match, South Africa's Linda Mothalo scored the opening goal as South Africa. The first half ended with South Africa in the driving seat. In the second half, South African women struck again. In the 66th minute of the match, Thembi Kgatlana scored the second goal for his side. ...