Monday Morning News & Notes
Severe weather rocks Europe. More donations flow from the Nordics to Ukraine.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🇪🇸
Climate change driven severe weather raged across Europe last week. The flash floods in Spain have claimed over 200 lives, many of them drowned in their cars or in ground-floor homes. To add more misery, the Spanish weather service issued a red weather alert on Sunday afternoon, warning of another possible deluge of rain as storm system again rolls over the hardest-hit region in and around Valencia.
In areas around Valencia, more than 400 millimetres of rain fell in a matter of an hour or two. That is roughly the amount of rain the region usually sees in an entire year.
Plenty of criticism and anger is being aimed at emergency services for not providing any advance warning of the deadly deluge. The first emergency alert was sent out after 8:00 p.m. when flood waters had already caught people unaware.
Climate Researcher Eigil Kaas says this is a prime example of why authorities need to be much better at anticipating severe weather and taking steps to mitigate its impacts in order to save lives.
“The torrential rain that triggered the floods was in all probability amplified by warmer weather due to man-made climate change.”
Scientists continue to warn that as the planet continues to heat up severe weather events like this will become more frequent and much more severe. European meteorologists think the warming Mediterranean waters have increased evaporation, which is playing a key role in massive rainfall events.
Senior State Meteorologist, and a member of the Spanish Meteorological Association, Ernesto Rodriguez Camino:
"Events of this type, which used to occur many decades apart, are now becoming more frequent, and their destructive capacity is greater.”
🇳🇴
The severe weather wasn’t just in Southern Europe; Norway was hit by a brutal storm that triggered floods and landslides. Over 40 roads were closed or washed out, and one town was literally cut off when flood waters took out a bridge. The storm brought torrential rain along with wind gusts hitting 30 meters a second in places. To top it off, up to 30 centimetres of snow also fell in parts of the country. There were some evacuations, including at least one hotel in Hardanger, when flood waters surged into the ground floor.
Unlike Spain, Norwegian authorities had issued lots of warnings and advised people to stay at home before the storm struck.
Norwegian Meteorological Institute Climate Researcher Hans Olav Hygen:
“The forecast was extreme, right up to a Norwegian rainfall record for one day. Unfortunately, it turned out that the forecast was quite correct with major local damage and problems such as Odda being completely isolated.”
🇩🇰
It could take between five and eight months to repair sections of roads that were washed away or heavily damaged in last month’s flooding. According to Esbjerg Kommune, the repair timeline is dictated by the process, which requires the damage to be carefully assessed, then detailed repair plans have to be formulated, and only then can work go to tender to find a suitable contractor.
Last month, Esbjerg suffered significant flooding damages when a massive cloudburst resulted in a record-breaking amount of rain, which in turn triggered floods.
🇳🇴
It was a very warm October in Norway, with temperatures sitting at 1.7 degrees above normal for the month. According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, October was warm and wet with unusually warm temperatures in far northern Svalbard. The region is nine degrees warmer now since they began tracking temperatures at the weather station in 2000. The institute says because of the warming, the Arctic sea ice “is in bad condition.”
Usually the big winter freeze begins in the Arctic every October; however, so far this year it remains almost missing in action.
Climate Researcher Signe Aaboe:
“The extent of sea ice for October around Svalbard and in the Barents Sea is now at a record low.”
10 months into the year, and NMI says that Norway has so far recorded the second hottest year on record since they began keeping track back in 1901.
🇪🇺/ 🇨🇳
The EU Commission has enabled tariffs of up to 35.3% on electric vehicles imported into Europe from China. The tariff regime became official as of last Thursday as Europe tries desperately to stop the bleeding among beleaguered European car makers.
EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis reiterates that the EU had no choice as Chinese electric car manufacturers receive “unreasonable” state support from Beijing, which is distorting the global EV market.
“The EU is and will be the global champion of open, fair, and rules-based trade. We welcome competition, also within the electric car sector. But it must be based on justice and equal conditions.”
🇩🇰
Of the 14,409 new cars that were registered in Denmark in October, over 60% were electric vehicles, according to Dansk eMobilitet.
Association Director Mads Rørvig:
“Electric cars continue to gain better and better traction in Danish car sales, and we are delighted that we are currently in a situation where we can celebrate new records month after month.”
Rørvig says almost half of all newly registered cars sold far this year have been electric.
🇩🇪
Volkswagen is in trouble. As profits plummet, Germany’s car-making giant is looking at closing factories and making other cuts, putting potentially tens of thousands of jobs at risk. Company officials apparently informed several hundred employees of the bad news at Volkwagon’s headquarters in Wolfsburg last week. Up to three factories are facing closure.
Volkswagen, one of Germany’s largest companies and an iconic car brand, has never closed a factory in its native Germany in the entire history of the company. The VW brand is also intrinsically tied to German identity and the country’s sense of global status as an industrial superpower.
Volkswagen is facing declining demand both within Europe and in China, the world’s largest car market. In China, European carmakers are being grossly outcompeted by Chinese car manufacturers, helped by massive state financial supports. VW has also bet heavily on electric cars, but its EV sales have almost come to a complete standstill.
🇸🇪
In Sweden, the green energy transition has collided with the security situation in the Baltic Sea due to the threat posed by Russia. The Swedish military says that plans to build thousands of offshore wind turbines in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish coast present a serious security concern. The Head of Sweden’s Defense Staff, Lieutenant Carl-Johan Edström, says that the big wind turbines play havoc with the military’s early warning surveillance systems both above and below the water. Edström says the wind farms would make detecting Russian submarines more difficult while also causing a delay of a minute or more in detecting, for example, an incoming cruise missile.
“The biggest problem with wind turbines is that they affect our sensors in a very negative way. It is not something we can accept with today's threat picture and the responsibility we have towards Sweden as a nation.”
Sweden’s national broadcaster SVT has seen an assessment from the Ministry of Defense warning that offshore wind turbines are undesirable from a military perspective in a section of the Baltic stretching from Åland in Sweden’s north all the way down the coast to Öresund in the south.
“When it comes to the Baltic Sea area in particular, we see great difficulties in having a coexistence between large wind farms and a maintained military capability to defend Sweden.”
Like the other Nordic nations, Sweden is leaning heavily on offshore wind energy to supply the country with clean green electricity. The Swedish government has the final say on whether to approve offshore wind farm projects.
🌎 🇩🇰
Despite the meeting going into overtime, participants at the COP16 summit in Colombia are going home without reaching a deal to fund a global nature protection initiative.
Denmark’s Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke told reporters that he is disappointed with the outcome.
“The really big deal didn't work out, and it came down to the financing. Denmark was one of the 12 countries that had financing, but there was too little will to meet about the financing mechanisms.”
There were some 23,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries, and the debate over how to pay to protect and restore global biodiversity pitted the world’s poorer countries against its most wealthy.
The plan to preserve and restore biodiversity on a global scale was agreed to at the last summit hosted by Canada two years ago. Since then, there has been very little walk to meet the talk. Two years later, more than 85% of the countries that reached the agreement in Canada have not submitted the mandated action plans to reach the goal.
🇩🇰
Denmark is pledging 100 million Danish kroner (about $20 million Cdn) to help support biodiversity projects in developing countries. The funds will be donated to the Global Diversity Fund, which was established by United Nations member states in 2022. The fund is designed to help reach global nature and biodiversity goals, which include a promise to protect 30% of the world’s nature and restore 30% of the damaged and destroyed maritime and land habitats.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
"The world is in a biodiversity crisis, and the number of animal and plant species that are threatened is increasing with unprecedented speed. We must not accept that development, but do what we can to slow it down. With our contribution, we especially support the populations of the world's poor countries in managing nature in their local communities. They must benefit from clean water, fertile land, and economic opportunities; without this happening at the expense of the nature around them.”
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Fredensborg Kommune says it has reached its goal of a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the municipality’s many kitchens. The kitchens in daycare facilities, municipal buildings, and senior care homes have focused on reducing the use of red meat while increasing vegetables in meals in order to reduce emissions. The municipality has also reduced CO2 emissions on its food purchases by 11.2%.
Mayor Thomas Lykke Pedersen:
"Our climate goals are ambitious and require a lot of effort and creativity in the kitchens, so that all age groups get involved in the reorganization and the new recipes. But there is no doubt that we are on the right track, and we can be really proud of that.”
In senior care homes, residents are offered vegetarian meals while transitioning to less climate damaging types of meat like pork and chicken. For kids, meals have long focused on more climate-friendly alternatives.
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Almost half of a huge treasure trove of money set aside by the Danish government earmarked to fund research projects will go to environmental initiatives. The government has set aside 5.5 billion Danish kroner in its research reserve. Of that, about 2.3 billion kroner will go to green research initiatives. Among the initiatives being funded this year are 500 million kroner for "strengthened development and implementation" of climate technologies focused on agriculture. 370 million kroner will get pumped into Denmark’s Innovation Fund for distribution for research into critical and digital technologies. Another 170 million kroner is earmarked to strengthen Denmark's participation in the European Space Organization (ESA).
🇸🇪
Green spaces are disappearing from Sweden’s largest cities and towns, according to an investigation by Swedish Radio News. They found that most urban areas of the country have less green space now than they did just five years ago, with at least 1,300 hectares vanishing. The investigation found that all 1,300 hectares were taken from economically disadvantaged areas, while wealthier neighbourhoods have the same amount of green space now as they did five years ago.
Malmö in southern Sweden had the lowest proportion of green space than any other town or city in the country with a population of 50,000 or more. 300 hectares of green space have disappeared in the city in the last five years.
Environmental studies have found that parks and other nature areas in urban areas help fight climate change by providing shade when it’s hot while also soaking up more water in a downpour, mitigating against flooding. They also provide tangible mental health benefits to city residents.
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Sweden’s plastic bag tax came to an end last week. The tax was introduced in May of 2020 in an effort to meet UE mandates to reduce the use of plastic bags and encourage shoppers to use more climate-friendly options. In ending the tax, the government said that plastic bag use was now so minimal the tax was essentially pointless. Now consumer behaviour will decide if the status quo remains unchanged or if the use of plastic bags begins to increase again.
🇫🇮
Wind turbines in Finland cranked out a record amount of power last week. The turbines produced 6,448 megawatts of electricity in a single hour one evening. That is roughly equivalent to four times the output of Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant. Over the course of the night, the wind turbines were producing enough electricity per hour to cover half the country’s entire power production.
The wind turbines were cranking out so much electricity that both hydroelectric and nuclear power plants minimized production. It also meant that power lines were running at full capacity, exporting electricity to neighbouring Estonia and Sweden. The surplus also drove down electricity prices.
🇫🇷
Beginning today, car use will be severely restricted in a 5.5-square-kilometre section in the heart of Paris. With the exception of local vehicle traffic from people living in the area, public transit vehicles, emergency vehicles, and drivers with a disability, all other traffic is essentially a no-go in the area between the Place de la Concorde, the Seine, the Opera, and the Place de la République.
The initiative, a campaign promise from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, is designed to reduce pollution and create more public space.
🦠Outbreaks🦠
🇪🇺
Low vaccination uptake across the EU has the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control worried. The agency says just two countries had uptake over 75% for the influenza vaccine last season, while the median coverage for a COVID booster dose among vulnerable seniors in Europe was a paltry 14%.
ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner:
“Vaccination is one of the most effective measures we have to protect the most vulnerable in society from severe disease, hospitalization, and death. With so few countries reaching adequate levels of protection for target groups, it is essential to increase vaccination uptake as we enter the winter season.”
The ECDC is warning that a combination of influenza, RS virus, COVID, and other respiratory viruses will put a significant strain on EU hospitals this winter. The cocktail of viruses floating around will also disproportionately impact those most vulnerable, it warns. The agency is also urging front-line healthcare workers to make sure they are also vaccinated.
For everyone else, the ECDC is reminding people to protect themselves as best they can by coughing into their elbow, washing their hands frequently, staying home if you are sick, and masking up in crowded indoor spaces.
🇩🇰
The number of confirmed coronavirus infections ticked upward slightly in the latest weekly statistics while infection-related hospitalization decreased. The Statens Serum Institute says COVID admissions are “at a medium level, which is to be expected for this time of year.”
COVID activity as measured by wastewater surveillance fell slightly.
On the vaccination front, the fall inoculation campaign is humming along with a 48% uptake for COVID booster doses among those eligible. Uptake was 49% for the flu shot. For vulnerable seniors in care 64% have had both vaccines so far.
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Denmark’s strict lockdowns, COVID restrictions, and massive amounts of testing likely prevented the healthcare system from being completely overwhelmed. That is according to a new study from the Statens Serum Institute and the University of Copenhagen that has been published in the scientific journal Nature. Researchers, focusing on the first six months of 2021, used an individual population level model factoring in COVID restrictions, vaccination roll out and uptake, seasonal influences, and both PCR and antigen testing.
They concluded that without mass testing, infection-related hospitalizations would have increased by 150%. Denmark was a world leader in COVID testing, administering enough tests in the first six months of 2021 alone to cover almost ten times the country’s population. Researchers also found that Denmark’s strict COVID lockdowns also reduced coronavirus-related hospital admissions by another 50%. The study also found that without these measures, lockdown conditions would have had to remain in place 21 days longer than they otherwise did.
“In future epidemics, mass testing and local lockdowns can likely prevent overwhelming healthcare systems in phases of high transmission and hospitalization risks.”
The study can be found in full HERE.
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Danish blackbirds are being hit hard by the deadly usutu virus, which has impacted over 100,000 birds, according to DOF Birdlife. The organization says the virus was detected back in September when testing was done on a dead blackbird.
Biologist Knud Flensted:
“Since late summer, we have received and collected well over 1,000 reports from citizens and authorities who have seen sick or dead blackbirds.”
The Statens Serum Institute says it has detected the virus in dead blackbirds found in at least 24 municipalities around the country. The virus is spread via mosquito bites.
Humans can sometimes be infected by the usutu virus, but most won’t experience any symptoms. On rare occasions, people can suffer a fever, rash, and yellowing of the eyes. In some severe cases, there is a risk of a high fever, tremors, and meningitis. There is no treatment or medicine. The best protection is to avoid mosquito bites.
🇸🇪
In Sweden, COVID hospitalizations (379) have increased (+72) while the number of severely infected people requiring intensive care (3) has dipped slightly (-2).
🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺
Ukraine is launching a new mobilization with some 160,000 soldiers to be called up to serve in the country’s army. But experts say the country’s army needs to mobilize at least 500,000 new troops. Ukraine remains locked in a brutal war of attrition and desperately needs more manpower in its fight against Russia.
The mobilization decision comes in the wake of Russian advancements in the eastern Donetsk region and as North Korean troops arrive to reinforce the Russian ranks.
🇺🇸/ 🇰🇵🇷🇺
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that there are North Korean troops in Russia. Blinken says information from U.S. intelligence agencies says the North Korean troops are in the Kursk region, which is the chunk of Russia that Ukraine invaded and has continued to hold since the beginning of August.
At a UN Security Council meeting last week, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood asked the Russian representative if he still maintains there are no North Korean soldiers in Russia. The Russian representative did not respond.
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The Pentagon has now also confirmed that North Korean troops are on the ground in Russia to undergo training and to help the Russian side in the war in Ukraine. The Pentagon says 10,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, with some already being transitioned close to the Ukrainian border.
🇺🇦🇩🇰🇳🇴🇫🇮🇸🇪🇮🇸
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy was very frustrated after meeting with Nordic leaders at the Nordic Council meeting in Iceland last week. Zelenskyy did not get the response he was looking for over the arrival of thousands of North Korean soldiers to shore up Russian troops. He told reporters that he was tired of western leaders expressing fears of escalation by potentially crossing any so-called red lines with military aid for his country. He says Russia is the one that continues to escalate matters, especially with recent reinforcements from North Korea.
It wasn’t just a a lack of response to the troops from North Korea; Zelenskyy’s continued push for long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia has still not received a green light from western leaders.
🇰🇷🇺🇦/ 🇰🇵🇷🇺
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. South Korea is now opening the door to donating weapons, equipment, and technology to Ukraine. South Korea to this point has been hesitant to support Ukraine with military or any other donation in order to avoid increasing tensions with Moscow and North Korea. With North Korea supplying massive amounts of ammunition and now thousands of soldiers to help Russian forces and Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly aligning himself solidly with Kim Jong Un, South Korea has a decision to make.
If it chooses to go all in and join western allies in supporting Ukraine, it could be a game changer, according to an analysis from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
“While European and U.S. allies have limited capacity for armament production critically needed in a protracted ground battle such as in Ukraine, South Korea’s world-class companies have continued to develop, perfect, and produce exactly the weaponry needed in an ongoing industrial war. Now, South Korean companies are world leaders in producing military vehicles, ammunition, automated artillery, and other defense equipment that Ukraine desperately needs.”
While we wait to see what South Korea does, some 200 North Korean veterans who fled to South Korea are volunteering to help Ukraine carry out "psychological warfare" against North Koreans fighting on the Russian side.
Open Cyber University Professor Ahn Chan-il spoke to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
“We are all military veterans who understand North Korea's military culture and psychological condition better than anyone else.”
The ex-soldiers are prepared to carry out psychological warfare through loudspeakers, pamphlets, and as translators in Ukraine, much like what is being used today by South Korea against its northern adversary.
🇺🇦
Ukraine is seriously angry at Google. The internet giant has updated its maps and, in doing so, revealed the positions of Ukrainian weapons systems, according to the head of the Ukrainian anti-disinformation agency, Andriy Kovalenko. He says they have been desperately trying to reach Google to get the maps taken down. Kovalenko says Russians on Teelgram are already busy sharing the map images. Google says it has seen the public reaction and is trying to find a solution.
🇸🇪🇺🇦
Sweden is adopting the Danish model for military donations to Ukraine. It is allocating €63 million in support for Ukraine. Of that, €20 million will be transferred to Denmark, where it will be used to build out Ukraine’s own defense industry. In this way, instead of directly donating weapons, they can be manufactured within Ukraine or procured directly by Ukraine from the European defense sector.
The additional €43 million in donations will be used on a number of other initiatives to support Ukraine. This includes the Air Force, Maritime, Demining, and IT coalitions, which will help improve Ukrainian air defenses, procure missiles, train Ukrainian soldiers in marine warfare, acquire communication equipment, and work on cyber security to help Ukraine fight the online war.
Last week, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson had a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Iceland.
🇳🇴🇺🇦
Norway is donating 1.3 billion Norwegian kroner (about $163.8 million Cdn) to boost Ukraine’s Air Force. The funding will flow through the U.S. JUMPSTART program to help Ukraine procure weapons for donated F-16 fighter jets and for the long-term maintenance of the aircraft.
Norway has promised to donate six F-16 jets to Ukraine by 2025. It has also contributed funding and personnel to the F-16 training program for Ukrainian pilots in Denmark.
Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram:
“That Ukraine has quickly become capable of receiving and operating F-16s is impressive, yet the work isn’t finished, even though the first fighter jets are now in place. A functional Air Force requires not only aircraft but also weapons and regular maintenance. Funding is needed for the operation and upkeep of the donated jets. Both pilots and ground crew must be trained and educated, as we have supported in Denmark, and a comprehensive support system must be established. Norway will contribute to this.”
Not done there, Norway is also donating another 50 million kroner (about $6.3 million Cdn) to improve the Ukrainian navy and coastal defenses. Norway, along with the UK, is leading the Ukraine Maritime Capability Coalition. They are helping train Ukrainian marines, improving training facilities, and contributing equipment donations.
“This year, we are donating around 130 inflatable boats, with initial deliveries already made. Some of these boats come from the Armed Forces, while others are sourced from the civilian market. We are also supplying equipment to accompany the boats, including gear for the soldiers.”
Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram was in Odessa last week, meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart to discuss how Norway can help build out Ukraine’s defense industry. Norway has already transferred defense technology to Ukrainian ammunition producers so that they can crank out more advanced artillery shells.
🇳🇴/ 🇷🇺
Norway is bolstering security in its territorial waters and at its many ports. The new regulations, which come into force on January 1, 2025, tighten regulations on any foreign vessel entering Norwegian waters.
Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram:
“The new port of call regulations will help to strengthen the Norwegian authorities' situational awareness and ability to control foreign vessels, which may pose a potential threat to Norwegian maritime security.”
The new regulations mean that vessels headed for Norwegian ports are required to register before hand using an online portal. This applies to any boat over 15 meters in length and all unmanned and autonomous vessels.
“The security policy situation has changed. We have also seen continuous technological development and an increase in the use of unmanned and autonomous vessels.”
The new rules also introduce sanctions for any breach of the new regulations.
“Breaches of the landing provisions should be punishable. At the same time, it is important that we prevent violations by ensuring that the Norwegian Armed Forces have the authority to search any foreign vessel and the right to reject foreign vessels.”
Norway has also recently tightened border security on its land border with Russia in the country’s far north and poured huge sums of money into defense spending. The Ministry of Defense says this is all part of an ongoing effort to increase preparedness. Last June, Norway’s military head, General Eirik Kristoffersen, warned that NATO has only two or three years to prepare before Russia has regained its ability to launch an attack on the alliance.
🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺
Finland’s Coast Guard is warning that Russian GPS jamming in the Baltic poses a very real danger for marine traffic. The coast guard says that there have been constant disruptions to the GPS system since April. It suspects that Russia has employed GPS jammers as a possible defensive strategy to protect critical infrastructure, like oil depots, from Ukrainian drones. Russian oil depots have been targeted by Ukraine on multiple occasions using attack drones. The Finnish Coast Guard says on several occasions the GPS jamming has resulted in ships going off course, and they have had to intervene to prevent them from running aground.
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Finland has seized property owned by the Russian state, including the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Helsinki as well as other properties around the country. Finnish media reported that the seizure was the result of a court-ordered compensation to Ukrainian state-owned gas firm Naftogaz. The International Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, sided with Naftogaz in a court battle over losses it incurred due to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. In April of last year, the court ordered Russia to pay Naftogaz more than five billion euros in damages. Since the ruling, Russia has refused to pay, and the Ukrainian gas company has been lobbying European nations to confiscate Russian property within their borders to cover the compensation monies due.
Naftogaz CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov:
“Since Russia refuses to pay the amounts owed under the award, we will continue to leverage all available mechanisms to ensure recovery of these funds in target jurisdictions hosting Russian assets.”
The Kremlin says it will file a legal objection to the property seizures in Finland, saying it will use all legal mechanisms it has available to defend its interests.
🇩🇰🇺🇸
Denmark will buy up to 203 missiles for its new F-35 fighter jets from the United States, according to the Danish Ministry of Defense. The arms deal must still be approved by Congress. The missiles Denmark is interested in are the new air-to-air AMRAAM 120D. According to the Defense Ministry, once the missiles are acquired, it will bring the Danish F-35s to “full operational status per NATO's requirements.”
🇭🇺/ 🇺🇸🇺🇦
Hungarian President Victor Orbán says if Donald Trump wins Tuesday’s Presidential election he will celebrate with a bottle of champagne. Orbán is convinced a Trump win will force Europe to abandon its support for Ukraine and back whatever plan Trump has to end the war, which likely will benefit Russia and its interests.
Odds & Ends
🇩🇰
Aarhus wants to become a Christmas mecca on par with the German cities of Flensburg and Lübeck, which hosts the largest Christmas market in Northern Europe. Aarhus city council is aiming for the stars with its plans to go all in on Christmas.
Council Member Gert Bjerregaard says it needs to be a city-wide effort with everyone buying in.
“Aarhus must think big, and we must have an ambition where we look beyond our borders. And it can give retailers a big boost.”
The council will circle back to the idea at its next meeting tomorrow night.
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More details are finally emerging about the bomb threat that caused the evacuation of Billund Airport last April. A 37-year-old Russian man is facing a number of charges related to having explosives with intent to use them, attempted theft of a particularly serious nature, and disruption of critical infrastructure. The details finally came out in a court hearing late last week. Up until now, the man’s citizenship and the charges he was facing have been hidden behind a shroud of secrecy.
In the hearing, it was also revealed the explosive involved was TATP. It is a favourite of terrorists because it can be made from some fairly common chemicals but is also extremely unstable. That is why the explosive earned the nickname, in Arabic, “Mother of Satan.”
The man’s lawyer says he is admitting to being guilty to some but not all of the charges but wouldn’t provide any more details. The man is also vehemently denying any connection to the Russian government or any intelligence agency. He claims to have fled Russia and that he fears for his life because he did so. He has also applied for asylum in Finland, raising the question of whether he might have entered Europe by possibly crossing into Finland illegally before the border was sealed.
The judge in the case ordered that he remain in custody until at least November 28.
On Saturday April 20, Billund Airport was evacuated and completely shut down to all passenger and air traffic for about nine hours due to the bomb threat.
🇫🇮🇨🇦
As Finland struggles with a record low birth rate and what to do about it, a radical new suggestion is being made, to just accept it. The government is currently looking at incentives, including cash, for women under 30 to have their first child. The record low birth rate, 1.26 children per woman, could have serious ramifications for the public pension system and other public services in the future.
Researcher Tarmo Valkonen says the idea of a low birth rate needs to be accepted, and instead of trying to compel women to have children, the government needs to look at other options. He says the Canadian system is one example. In Canada, the pension system is designed with automatic changes when population statistics alter. Valkonen says Finland needs to follow Canada’s lead and either increase pension contributions or reduce payments.
🇩🇰🇪🇺/ 🇭🇺
Europe’s dictator within problem continues to fester. Denmark has joined a chorus of criticism from other EU countries over Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s decision to visit Georgia in the aftermath of a highly suspect election. A number of politicians from Denmark and other countries, including Denmark’s Europe Minister Marie Bjerre, have issued an open letter condemning Orbán’s visit. They say, among other things, that the election process in Georgia is incompatible with the democratic standards of the European Union.
“Respecting the rule of law and holding free and independent elections are the core of any development for Georgia's path towards the EU. We distance ourselves from Prime Minister Orban's premature visit to Georgia. He does not speak on behalf of the EU.”
Other than Denmark, Germany, Poland, France, and the Netherlands have also signed the letter. A number of independent observers have raised the alarm over voter intimidation, manipulation, and other irregularities in the vote.
🇫🇷
On November 1, France reintroduced border controls with all neighbouring countries due to the threat of terrorism and over concerns about irregular migration. That means border controls are in place for anyone crossing into France from Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. Border controls will remain in place until at least April 30.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier:
“The French people expect an effective policy for controlling immigration. The government has just notified the European Commission of the extension of internal border controls, in place since 2015. At the Italian border, the border force has been tested. It is a model that has proven effective. We will generalize it across all land borders of France.”
France isn’t alone. Germany has also recently reintroduced border controls with all of its neighbouring countries.