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Gathered mainly from international media sources December 2020 - March 2021 |
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| Coronavirus: Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf says coronavirus approach 'has failed' King Carl XVI Gustaf made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family. Sweden, which has never imposed a full lockdown, has seen nearly 350,000 cases and more than 7,800 deaths - a lot more than its Scandinavian neighbours. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he agreed with the king's remarks. "Of course the fact that so many have died can't be considered as anything other than a failure," Mr Lofven told reporters. Referring to the government's strategy, Mr Lofven added that "it's when we are through the pandemic that the real conclusions can be drawn". "The people of Sweden have suffered tremendously in difficult conditions. One thinks of all the family members who have happened to be unable to say goodbye to their deceased family members. I think it is a tough and traumatic experience not to be able to say a warm goodbye." When asked if he was afraid of being infected with Covid-19, the king - who is 74 - said: "Lately, it has felt more obvious, it has crept closer and closer. That's not what you want." Sweden has never imposed a nationwide lockdown or the wearing of masks, and bars and restaurants have remained open. However, earlier this week, schools across the Stockholm region were asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time as soon as possible. The measure was announced in response to rising Covid-19 cases. This came a week after a nationwide decision on 7 December to switch to remote learning for those over 16. And on Monday, new nationwide social-distancing recommendations for the Christmas period came into force, replacing similar region-specific guidelines. Swedes are advised to meet a maximum of eight people, gather outdoors if possible and avoid travelling by train or bus. A formal ban on public gatherings of more than eight people remains, affecting events such as concerts, sports matches and demonstrations. He told the BBC that this was, in the Swedish context, "the combination that we really believe is the best one". According to an official report released earlier this week, the strategy failed in its effort to protect the elderly in care homes - for which the government has admitted responsibility. Over 90% of Covid-related deaths have been among those aged 70 and over, and nearly half of all Covid deaths have been in care homes, the government says. Mr Tegnell said his agency (Sweden's Public Health Agency) was not responsible for directing the elderly care system, and added all stakeholders needed to help to improve the situation to make sure the elderly did not get infected. He said he thought Sweden had become better at protecting older people, and that no country had succeeded entirely in that area - even Germany was being hit hard right now, he told Swedish radio on Wednesday. Sweden has had more deaths than the rest of the Nordic countries combined. This has led to criticism from the country's neighbours, Norway, Denmark and Finland, that its less strict approach is putting their own measures at risk. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Lofven also said he felt many experts had underestimated the second wave. "I think most in the profession did not see such a wave incoming. There was instead talk of different clusters," he said in an interview with daily Aftonbladet. |
| Slovakia goes into 'complete' shutdown starting on Saturday, 19 December, until 10 January 2021. Exempt will be those going to work, shoppers for food, and those going to a post office, bank, doctors' surgery or a pharmacy. All other shops will have to remain shuttered. People will have to remain at home in self isolation. According to official estimates about 60% - 70% of the country's 5.5 million population will be innoculated against Covid-19. |
| According to a recent population census in the Austrian capital city of Vienna, 31 percent of the city's population are non Austrian. This is a rise of 4% on a similar census carried out in 2017 and a near doubling of a census in 2002 when the figure was 16.4%. Nearly half of the city's population, 45.9%, has a migratory background with both parents having been born in another country. Furthermore, 36.7% of those in the survey were born outside Austria. Only 0.8% of those applying for Austrian citizenship have actually got it, i.e. 8 out of 1,000 applicants. This is one of the lowest figures in the whole of the E.U. The implications of above figures are that in the 16 to 27 age group 30.1% cannot vote in elections and in the 27 to 40 age group 40% have no voting rights. Another interesting finding of the survey revealed that 52% of school children's mother tongue is not German. The migratory policies of the E.U. are changing the face of Europe. |
| France's President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for Covid-19, the French presidency has said. The 42-year-old took a test after symptoms appeared and will now isolate for seven days, a statement from the Elysée Palace said. Mr Macron "is still in charge" of running the country and will work remotely, said an official. France this week imposed an overnight curfew to help deal with soaring cases there. There have been two million confirmed cases in the country since the epidemic began, with more than 59,400 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. |
| The US is due to unseal charges against a Libyan man suspected of making the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988, US media say. They say US prosecutors will soon press for the extradition of Abu Agila Mohammad to stand trial in the US. He is currently being held in Libya, according to the Wall Street Journal. This has not been confirmed by the Libyan authorities. The terrorist attack killed 270 people over the Scottish town. Most of the victims on board the flight from London to New York were American citizens. Libyan national Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was the only man convicted over the bombing in 2001. Megrahi, who always proclaimed his innocence, unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction. But he was subsequently allowed to return home after it emerged that he had terminal cancer. He died in 2012. It says this will open a new chapter in one of the world's longest and most sprawling terrorism investigations. Meanwhile, the New York Times says Mr Masud's exact whereabouts are unknown. But it adds that he was jailed in Libya at one point for unrelated crimes. Mr Masud is alleged to have been a top bomb-maker for late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Neither the US justice department nor the Libyan authorities have publicly commented on the issue. |
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