https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/denmark-considers-border-controls-with-sweden-after-wave-of-violence/

The Nordics

Denmark considers border controls with Sweden after wave of violence

Published 9 August 2024

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: World Economic Forum/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Peter Hummelgaard at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard (S) says he is “not ruling out anything” to stop violent crime “imported” from Sweden.

Recently, several cases have come to light where teenagers with Swedish citizenship have committed crimes in Denmark. One solution now being considered is to introduce border controls in the hope of curbing crime.

– If the police assess that the situation requires the use of completely new tools for a shorter or longer period of time because of the situation, then I think we should definitely be open to that, the minister told Danish TV2.

The statement comes after a man and a woman – both 24 years old – were arrested by Swedish police on suspicion of being behind a kiosk bombing in Copenhagen. The two were extradited by Copenhagen police.

It was unclear Wednesday morning whether the two were Swedish citizens, but the arrest is the fourth in a short time in which criminals from Sweden have traveled to Denmark to commit acts of violence – the other three cases involve shootings.

– All these incidents reflect the fact that there are currently conflicts going on in criminal circles on the other side of Öresund, where it is quite obvious that Sweden can use completely different methods than what we have seen so far in Denmark, due to a more sophisticated criminal culture on the other side of the strait, Hummelgaard continues, calling the wave of violence a “huge challenge”.

Danish police sent to Sweden

This includes the arrest of a 17-year-old Swedish citizen for shooting and wounding an 18-year-old with a semi-automatic pistol in Frederiksberg, and the arrest of a 16-year-old Swedish citizen for attempted murder in connection with another shooting in Copenhagen last week.

On the same day, another 17-year-old Swedish citizen was arrested after a shooting in Kolding. According to Danish TV2, there have been 11 other cases of Swedish citizens involved in serious violence in Denmark in less than a year.

The Minister of Justice also promises to intensify cooperation with the Swedish police and to place a Danish police officer permanently in Sweden to “ensure even more permanent and effective intelligence cooperation”.

It should also be noted that there are currently border controls when entering Sweden from Denmark – but not in the opposite direction.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/suspicious-object-found-in-mall-of-scandinavia/

Sweden

Suspicious object found in Mall of Scandinavia

Published today 10:43

– By

Montage. Photo: iStock/Trygve Finkelsen, AleWi/CC BY-SA 4.0

According to reports, the dangerous object was some kind of thermos bomb.

A suspicious object was discovered inside the Westfield Mall of Scandinavia on Sunday evening. The police have initiated a preliminary investigation into preparations for public destruction and violations of the law on flammable and explosive goods.

A security guard discovered the object at 21.30 on Sunday evening in the shopping center, located in Solna north of Stockholm. Shortly after midnight, the National Bomb Squad arrived and assessed that the object was live. No danger to the public remains, and the object has now been removed from the site.

– I can not go into what kind of object it was, but it is no longer in the mall but has been taken care of by the bomb squad, says Daniel Wikdahl, press spokesman at the police to the tax-funded SVT.

The police have initiated a preliminary investigation into preparations for public destruction and violations of the law on flammable and explosive goods. Among other things, surveillance cameras from the shopping center will be reviewed.

According to the tabloid Aftonbladet, the dangerous object was some kind of thermos bomb.

emilfjellstedt@proton.me

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-soldiers-could-be-sent-to-ukraine/

Sweden

Swedish soldiers could be sent to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published today 10:21

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: Antonia Sehlstedt/The Swedish Armed Forces

Swedish conscripts during training.

There are many indications that Swedish peacekeeping troops may be sent to Ukraine after the end of the war.

– Our government is not ruling anything out, says Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard (M).

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the country is prepared to send so-called peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached. This has raised questions about whether other European countries, including Sweden, might follow suit.

Speaking on the Swedish state radio program P1 Morgon, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) said that it is not inconceivable that Sweden would also participate in such an operation.

– We are not there yet. First and foremost, a just and lasting peace must be negotiated that respects international law, respects Ukraine and, above all, ensures that Russia cannot withdraw and build new forces and attack Ukraine or another country in a few years’ time, she explained.

– Once we have that in place, then we have to ensure that that peace can be kept, and our government is not ruling anything out, the Minister continued.

Similar message from the Minister of Defense

According to the Associated Press, several European countries, led by the UK and France, have been discussing since last year a joint strategy to establish a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. The plan would be activated in the event of a peace agreement, with the stated purpose of monitoring security and preventing further escalation in the region.

The issue of Swedish participation has been debated in the past, with Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) declaring in December that he “does not exclude the possibility” of Sweden sending soldiers to the country after the war ends.

At the same time, however, he emphasized that there was currently no concrete proposal for such an operation or what it would look like in practice.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/loneliness-increasing-among-finnish-youth/

Finland

Loneliness increasing among Finnish youth

Published yesterday 8:23

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: iStock/globalmoments

Two thirds of young people in Finland experience loneliness on a regular basis, according to the Finnish Red Cross Loneliness Barometer. The proportion has increased since last year.

According to the Finnish Red Cross, young people and young adults are at high risk of loneliness, isolation and exclusion. The situation has also deteriorated further.

In Finland, 59% of young people aged 16 to 24 say that they sometimes feel lonely. One in four has lived with loneliness for over five years. In addition, 66% say they feel lonely a few times a month or more often, up from 47% last year.

– One in five 16-24 year olds say they have experienced loneliness for at least five years. This is a long time in a young person’s life. We know that prolonged loneliness in young people can lead to learning difficulties and also increase the risk of radicalization and violence. There is an urgent need to find common solutions to reduce young people’s loneliness, says Maaret Alaranta, Social Welfare Coordinator at the Finnish Red Cross, in a press release.

Mental health problems

Financial worries are the fourth most common reason for loneliness, according to the barometer. Younger people and those with lower incomes are more likely to experience loneliness. Many also cite poor relationship experiences and feeling different or left out as key causes. A third say that loneliness has led to mental health problems, while mental illness itself also contributes to increased loneliness.

– Mental health problems are often a contributing factor to loneliness, in addition to loneliness itself causing mental health problems. Mental health problems as an explanation for loneliness are more prominent in the responses of adolescents, young adults and foreign language speakers, says Kirsti Kuusterä, Director of the Finnish Red Cross Welfare and Health Unit.

According to the Red Cross, reducing loneliness requires action at all levels of society. For example, municipalities should include strategies against loneliness in their welfare plans and give the issue more attention.

– It is known that loneliness causes a number of diseases and it is in everyone’s interest that it is finally seen as a health threat that affects the entire population, says Alaranta.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/tv4s-orebro-mass-shooting-coverage-sparks-backlash-from-experts/

Sweden

TV4’s Örebro mass shooting coverage sparks backlash from experts

Disinformation in the media

Published 14 February 2025

– By Editorial Staff

Montage. Photo: Holger.Ellgaard/CC BY-SA 4.0, facsimile/TV4

Following TV4’s reporting on the mass shooting in Örebro, where the channel claimed, on unclear grounds, that the perpetrator had uttered the phrase “you should get out of Europe”, ten experienced sound engineers are now questioning the channel’s methods in an open letter.

The information provided by the state-owned Telia TV4, which was allegedly based on an “expert analysis” of an audio recording, was widely circulated and used to imply a racist motive behind the Örebro attack.

Critical voices questioned TV4’s reporting early on, pointing out that there was a lack of transparency about how the claim was arrived at. Now, ten experienced sound engineers have also published an open letter in the magazine Kvartal, criticizing the channel’s conclusions and general journalistic credibility.

The ten sound engineers, with extensive experience in sound analysis, recording and editing, state that it is impossible to determine with certainty what is being said in the audio clip in question and criticize the channel for giving the impression that there is a clear conclusion when this is not the case.

“No one in our profession would be able to establish that”, they clarify.

“Not up to scratch”

They emphasize that TV4’s handling of the material cannot be considered anything other than a serious case of false journalism.

“It is dishonest to claim that this is the case. Instead, many of us in our forum have been disturbed by the fact that our professional knowledge and professional honor seem to be used as an alibi for frivolous and irresponsible click journalism”.

They are calling for the channel to report exactly how it went about the analysis that TV4 News says it did.

“We do not think that TV4’s defense is up to scratch and we do not believe that the publication can withstand further scrutiny. If TV4 wants to be transparent, they should make available exactly in what format they have taken part of the original audio and make a file without further compression or processing available for independent review”, it concludes.

For its part, the state broadcaster SVT has linked the criticism of TV4 as an expression of Islamist propaganda, associating criticism of the channel’s reporting on the Örebro killings with a Salafist social media account.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Polaris of Enlightenment

Polaris of Enlightenment