RUSSIA Strikes SBU HQ, Officials Hit. KIEV Shocked Hits Back Rylsk. EU Aims To Derail TRUMP
lördag 21 december 2024
TOP NEWS
The future of the EU
Kristersson met Meloni at snowy summit
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) has today met several European leaders in Finnish Lapland. The “north-south” summit was attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was also present.
The leaders discussed, among other things, European defense, Ukraine and migration issues, writes the Italian news agency Ansa.
“Europe needs to take greater responsibility for our own security,” writes Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in a statement with a picture from a snowy Finland.
Kristersson met Meloni at snowy summit
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) has today met several European leaders in Finnish Lapland. The “north-south” summit was attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was also present.
The leaders discussed, among other things, European defense, Ukraine and migration issues, writes the Italian news agency Ansa.
“Europe needs to take greater responsibility for our own security,” writes Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in a statement with a picture from a snowy Finland.
Political situation in Italy
Salvini acquitted of stopping migrant boat in 2019
Italy's deputy prime minister, far-right politician Matteo Salvini, has been acquitted in court after stopping a Spanish rescue boat with 147 migrants from docking at the island of Lampedusa, writes AP.
The incident occurred in 2019 when Salvini was interior minister. He has always maintained his innocence of the charges.
- Protecting our country's borders from smugglers is not a crime, Salvini said after the court's decision on Friday.
New elections in Iceland
Iceland has a new coalition government
A new coalition government led by Kristrún Frostadóttir and her party, the Social Democratic Alliance, has been formed in Iceland, reports AFP.
The party, which won the largest number of votes with 20.8 percent in the new elections on December 1, will govern together with the Liberal Reform Party and the People's Party.
“These three parties have received a very strong mandate,” says 36-year-old Frostadóttir, who will become one of Iceland’s youngest prime ministers.
High inflation and interest rates will be the new government’s first priority.
The new election was called after Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, who belongs to the Independence Party, dissolved his coalition in mid-October after a row over migration and asylum policy.
Political situation in Albania
Albania bans Tiktok for a year after murder case
Albania is shutting down Tiktok in the country for a year after the murder of a 14-year-old boy raised concerns about the impact of social media on young people, reports The Guardian.
The boy was stabbed to death by a classmate in November, which was preceded by a row on social media. Clips were also spread on Tiktok in which other young people praised the murder.
Prime Minister Edi Rama blames social media, and Tiktok in particular, for fueling violence among young people.
– The problem is not our children, but us and our society [...] Tiktok and the others are taking our children hostage, he says.
Roof collapse in Serbia
Serbia's Vucic on demands for resignation: "I don't care"
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will not give in to the protests and demands for resignation after the deadly roof collapse.
– Let me be completely honest: I don't actually care. They can do whatever they want, he says according to AFP.
Vucic adds that his lesson from politics is not to give in to "pressure and harangues".
It was on November 1 that a roof collapsed at a train station in the city of Novi Sad, killing 15 people. Since then, student- and teacher-led demonstrations have been taking place in the country, with accusations of corruption and a lack of oversight within the government.
Serbia's Vucic on demands for resignation: "I don't care"
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will not give in to the protests and demands for resignation after the deadly roof collapse.
– Let me be completely honest: I don't actually care. They can do whatever they want, he says according to AFP.
Vucic adds that his lesson from politics is not to give in to "pressure and harangues".
It was on November 1 that a roof collapsed at a train station in the city of Novi Sad, killing 15 people. Since then, student- and teacher-led demonstrations have been taking place in the country, with accusations of corruption and a lack of oversight within the government.
Christmas attack in Magdeburg
Five confirmed dead and over 200 injured at Christmas market
Five people have been confirmed dead and over 200 injured after Friday night's attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. This was stated by the Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, according to several media outlets. One of the dead is a small child.
According to police reports in German media, over 41 people are seriously injured.
It was at 7 p.m. on Friday that 50-year-old Taleb al-Abdulmohsen from Saudi Arabia drove his black rental SUV straight into the city's Christmas market for unknown reasons, German media reports.
According to surveillance images and witness accounts, the perpetrator drove at great speed straight through the crowd among the market stalls. He continued to mow down people over a 400-meter stretch until the police were able to arrest him when he tried to turn the car around.
Witnesses describe the following scenes as "war-like", with the ground littered with dead and injured. A huge rescue team quickly arrived and treated people at the scene.
After the police found a suspected explosive device in the car, the entire inner city was cordoned off.
Five people have been confirmed dead and over 200 injured after Friday night's attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. This was stated by the Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, according to several media outlets. One of the dead is a small child.
According to police reports in German media, over 41 people are seriously injured.
It was at 7 p.m. on Friday that 50-year-old Taleb al-Abdulmohsen from Saudi Arabia drove his black rental SUV straight into the city's Christmas market for unknown reasons, German media reports.
According to surveillance images and witness accounts, the perpetrator drove at great speed straight through the crowd among the market stalls. He continued to mow down people over a 400-meter stretch until the police were able to arrest him when he tried to turn the car around.
Witnesses describe the following scenes as "war-like", with the ground littered with dead and injured. A huge rescue team quickly arrived and treated people at the scene.
After the police found a suspected explosive device in the car, the entire inner city was cordoned off.
Possible motive: Dissatisfaction with how Saudi refugees are treated
Saudi psychiatrist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen will be arrested on suspicion of five murders and 205 attempted murders, prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens announced according to several media outlets.
– It seems that the background to the act may have been his dissatisfaction with how Saudi refugees are treated in Germany, he says.
al-Abdulmohsen has portrayed himself as a political refugee, atheist and strong critic of Islam. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser describes him as Islamophobic. He has expressed support for the far-right AfD party.
Terrorism researcher Hans Jakob Schindler describes his ideology as “very strange”: Hostility towards Islam and Saudi Arabia, and a belief that Germany is trying to Islamize Europe, according to Sky News.
According to German media, he was convicted in 2013 of disorderly conduct and unlawful threats. The day before the crimes, he had a scheduled trial for abusing the German emergency number with invalid calls.
A nine-year-old child and four adults were killed in the attack.
Entered via emergency vehicle entrances
According to German authorities, the perpetrator in Magdeburg is believed to have used emergency exits intended for evacuation and emergency vehicles to enter the market.
The attack has sparked a heated debate about the safety of Christmas markets, especially in light of similar vehicle attacks on Christmas markets that have occurred in Europe.
Ronni Krug of the Magdeburg city council defends the security arrangements at the Christmas market, saying that they were based on well-tested guidelines developed together with the authorities, according to Spiegel.
– On the one hand, visitors must be safe. On the other hand, they must be able to leave the place quickly and safely in an emergency, and that is what these corridors were for, he says.
Saudi psychiatrist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen will be arrested on suspicion of five murders and 205 attempted murders, prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens announced according to several media outlets.
– It seems that the background to the act may have been his dissatisfaction with how Saudi refugees are treated in Germany, he says.
al-Abdulmohsen has portrayed himself as a political refugee, atheist and strong critic of Islam. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser describes him as Islamophobic. He has expressed support for the far-right AfD party.
Terrorism researcher Hans Jakob Schindler describes his ideology as “very strange”: Hostility towards Islam and Saudi Arabia, and a belief that Germany is trying to Islamize Europe, according to Sky News.
According to German media, he was convicted in 2013 of disorderly conduct and unlawful threats. The day before the crimes, he had a scheduled trial for abusing the German emergency number with invalid calls.
A nine-year-old child and four adults were killed in the attack.
Entered via emergency vehicle entrances
According to German authorities, the perpetrator in Magdeburg is believed to have used emergency exits intended for evacuation and emergency vehicles to enter the market.
The attack has sparked a heated debate about the safety of Christmas markets, especially in light of similar vehicle attacks on Christmas markets that have occurred in Europe.
Ronni Krug of the Magdeburg city council defends the security arrangements at the Christmas market, saying that they were based on well-tested guidelines developed together with the authorities, according to Spiegel.
– On the one hand, visitors must be safe. On the other hand, they must be able to leave the place quickly and safely in an emergency, and that is what these corridors were for, he says.
Nine-year-old André killed: “My little teddy bear”
Nine-year-old André was one of the victims of the attack in Magdeburg. This is what his mother Desirée wrote in a post on Facebook, which has been shared around 120,000 times.
“Let my little teddy bear fly over the world once again... Why, I don’t understand [...] Now you are with grandma and grandpa in heaven,” she writes.
So far, five people – André and four adults – have been confirmed dead in the attack. Dozens of people have life-threatening injuries, and the death toll is feared to rise.
The suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, will be detained for five murders and 205 attempted murders, according to the prosecutor.
Nine-year-old André was one of the victims of the attack in Magdeburg. This is what his mother Desirée wrote in a post on Facebook, which has been shared around 120,000 times.
“Let my little teddy bear fly over the world once again... Why, I don’t understand [...] Now you are with grandma and grandpa in heaven,” she writes.
So far, five people – André and four adults – have been confirmed dead in the attack. Dozens of people have life-threatening injuries, and the death toll is feared to rise.
The suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, will be detained for five murders and 205 attempted murders, according to the prosecutor.
Reactions to the Magdeburg attack
Right-wing extremists demonstrate outside the memorial ceremony
While a memorial ceremony is taking place in the cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, with a number of leading politicians in attendance, the far-right is holding a demonstration outside. This is reported by the German Spiegel.
Several hundred people are chanting slogans and carrying banners with messages such as repatriation. Among other things, a prominent neo-Nazi is calling for the deportation of “guilty politicians”.
The motive of the suspected perpetrator, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, is not yet fully clear, but prosecutors suspect that his dissatisfaction with Germany’s handling of Saudi refugees is behind it.
al-Abdulmohsen is an anti-Muslim activist who has helped atheist Saudi Arabs seek asylum in the West. On social media, he has expressed support for the far-right AfD party, and conspiracy theories that the German state is trying to Islamize Europe.
Biden condemns – Orbán blames immigration
US President Joe Biden expresses his condolences after the attack in Magdeburg, CNN reports.
“No society – and no family – should have to endure something so dark and hateful, especially in the days before a holiday of joy and peace,” he writes in a statement, and offers all the help the US can provide.
Hungary’s right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blames the attack on the EU’s migration policy, and says that the union “wants Magdeburg to happen in Hungary too,” according to the AP.
While a memorial ceremony is taking place in the cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, with a number of leading politicians in attendance, the far-right is holding a demonstration outside. This is reported by the German Spiegel.
Several hundred people are chanting slogans and carrying banners with messages such as repatriation. Among other things, a prominent neo-Nazi is calling for the deportation of “guilty politicians”.
The motive of the suspected perpetrator, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, is not yet fully clear, but prosecutors suspect that his dissatisfaction with Germany’s handling of Saudi refugees is behind it.
al-Abdulmohsen is an anti-Muslim activist who has helped atheist Saudi Arabs seek asylum in the West. On social media, he has expressed support for the far-right AfD party, and conspiracy theories that the German state is trying to Islamize Europe.
Biden condemns – Orbán blames immigration
US President Joe Biden expresses his condolences after the attack in Magdeburg, CNN reports.
“No society – and no family – should have to endure something so dark and hateful, especially in the days before a holiday of joy and peace,” he writes in a statement, and offers all the help the US can provide.
Hungary’s right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blames the attack on the EU’s migration policy, and says that the union “wants Magdeburg to happen in Hungary too,” according to the AP.
Terrorism expert on the driver: “Truly unusual profile”
Friday night’s deadly car attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg brings back dark memories for Germans. The approach is very similar to the terrorist attack in Berlin eight years ago, when 13 people were killed and 67 injured when a truck plowed through a Christmas market.
But when it comes to the perpetrator, the act differs – in Berlin the attacker was an Islamist, and in Magdeburg Taleb al-Abdulmohsen is described as an Islamophobe.
– This is a really unusual perpetrator profile. A 50-year-old from Saudi Arabia, a doctor and above all someone who has positioned himself very specifically as anti-Muslim, as an Islamophobe, says German terror expert Peter Neumann to NTV according to Focus.
In an interview with Tagesspiegel Daily, Neumann says that there are two alternatives to al-Abdulmohsen's motive. The first is that he is said to have developed his own "bizarre ideology" to get people to turn against Muslims and vote for the far-right AfD party. The second is that he suffered from a mental illness.
Friday night’s deadly car attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg brings back dark memories for Germans. The approach is very similar to the terrorist attack in Berlin eight years ago, when 13 people were killed and 67 injured when a truck plowed through a Christmas market.
But when it comes to the perpetrator, the act differs – in Berlin the attacker was an Islamist, and in Magdeburg Taleb al-Abdulmohsen is described as an Islamophobe.
– This is a really unusual perpetrator profile. A 50-year-old from Saudi Arabia, a doctor and above all someone who has positioned himself very specifically as anti-Muslim, as an Islamophobe, says German terror expert Peter Neumann to NTV according to Focus.
In an interview with Tagesspiegel Daily, Neumann says that there are two alternatives to al-Abdulmohsen's motive. The first is that he is said to have developed his own "bizarre ideology" to get people to turn against Muslims and vote for the far-right AfD party. The second is that he suffered from a mental illness.
Group for ex-Muslims: He terrorized us for years
Mina Ahadi, chairwoman of the German Central Council of Ex-Muslims, describes Taleb al-Abdulmohsen as a "psychopath" who "terrorized us for years". This is reported by the German Spiegel.
– The perpetrator in Magdeburg does not only hate Muslims, but everyone who does not share his hatred, she says.
al-Abdulmohsen had been employed as a psychiatrist in the penal system in his hometown of Bernburg, south of Magdeburg, since 2020. However, he had been absent since October due to “holiday and illness”, according to colleagues.
He was strongly critical of Islam and involved in helping Saudi women seek asylum in the West. According to prosecutors, the motive for the attack may be dissatisfaction with how Saudi refugees are treated in Germany.
On social media, he has expressed conspiracy theories that the German state is trying to Islamize Europe and oppress Saudi refugees, and threatened with “revenge”, according to Bild.
Mina Ahadi, chairwoman of the German Central Council of Ex-Muslims, describes Taleb al-Abdulmohsen as a "psychopath" who "terrorized us for years". This is reported by the German Spiegel.
– The perpetrator in Magdeburg does not only hate Muslims, but everyone who does not share his hatred, she says.
al-Abdulmohsen had been employed as a psychiatrist in the penal system in his hometown of Bernburg, south of Magdeburg, since 2020. However, he had been absent since October due to “holiday and illness”, according to colleagues.
He was strongly critical of Islam and involved in helping Saudi women seek asylum in the West. According to prosecutors, the motive for the attack may be dissatisfaction with how Saudi refugees are treated in Germany.
On social media, he has expressed conspiracy theories that the German state is trying to Islamize Europe and oppress Saudi refugees, and threatened with “revenge”, according to Bild.
Middle East Crisis Gaza War
UNRWA Director Furious: “Sad Day for Refugees”
Philippe Lazzarini, Director of the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency Unrwa, is furious at the Swedish government’s announcement that it is withdrawing aid to the organization.
The decision will destroy structures that Swedish aid has helped build over decades, he believes.
“This is a sad day for Palestinian refugees and the multilateral system that Sweden has pioneered,” Lazzarini writes on X.
EU MP Evin Incir (S) writes in an email to Omni that he is urging the EU Commission to criticize the decision.
– When Sweden is now behaving in this way, it is crucial that the EU Commission is clear.
Development Minister Benjamin Dousa (M) defended the decision earlier today by saying that Israel has effectively banned Unrwa, which he believes makes it difficult for the organization to operate in Gaza. At the same time, the government also increased total support for Gaza from approximately 400 million to around 800 million kronor.
Israel: Welcomes Sweden's decision on Unrwa
Israel welcomes Sweden's decision to withdraw the money for Unrwa and redirect support to organizations that are not "infiltrated by terrorists," writes the country's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on X.
"It is time for all countries to follow in their footsteps."
The government's decision has received harsh criticism from Unrwa and the Swedish
Philippe Lazzarini, Director of the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency Unrwa, is furious at the Swedish government’s announcement that it is withdrawing aid to the organization.
The decision will destroy structures that Swedish aid has helped build over decades, he believes.
“This is a sad day for Palestinian refugees and the multilateral system that Sweden has pioneered,” Lazzarini writes on X.
EU MP Evin Incir (S) writes in an email to Omni that he is urging the EU Commission to criticize the decision.
– When Sweden is now behaving in this way, it is crucial that the EU Commission is clear.
Development Minister Benjamin Dousa (M) defended the decision earlier today by saying that Israel has effectively banned Unrwa, which he believes makes it difficult for the organization to operate in Gaza. At the same time, the government also increased total support for Gaza from approximately 400 million to around 800 million kronor.
Israel: Welcomes Sweden's decision on Unrwa
Israel welcomes Sweden's decision to withdraw the money for Unrwa and redirect support to organizations that are not "infiltrated by terrorists," writes the country's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on X.
"It is time for all countries to follow in their footsteps."
The government's decision has received harsh criticism from Unrwa and the Swedish
Hamas: A ceasefire is closer than ever
A ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages is closer than ever. This is what Hamas and its two allied militias, the terrorist-classified Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), write, according to AFP.
“The possibility of reaching an agreement is closer than ever, as long as the enemy does not continue to impose new conditions,” they wrote in a rare joint statement after Friday’s talks in Cairo.
A Hamas source added that some points remain to be agreed upon, but added that this “does not hinder the process.”
Last week, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, with Qatar, Egypt and the United States as mediators, which has raised new hopes for an agreement.
Israel has not commented on the statement, but on Monday Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the parties had not been so close to each other since last year’s ceasefire in November, according to TT.
A ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages is closer than ever. This is what Hamas and its two allied militias, the terrorist-classified Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), write, according to AFP.
“The possibility of reaching an agreement is closer than ever, as long as the enemy does not continue to impose new conditions,” they wrote in a rare joint statement after Friday’s talks in Cairo.
A Hamas source added that some points remain to be agreed upon, but added that this “does not hinder the process.”
Last week, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, with Qatar, Egypt and the United States as mediators, which has raised new hopes for an agreement.
Israel has not commented on the statement, but on Monday Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the parties had not been so close to each other since last year’s ceasefire in November, according to TT.
Economy
Trump's customs threat to the EU: "Buy our oil and gas - otherwise"
Incoming President Donald Trump has threatened the EU with tariffs if the Union does not start buying more gas and oil from the United States. He states this himself at Truth Social.
“I told the European Union that they must compensate for their huge deficit towards the United States through large -scale purchases of our oil and gas. Otherwise it will be customs for the whole slant !!! ” he writes.
New obesity remedies
Analyzes: "The bar has quickly become extremely high"
Novo Nordisk's share collapsed 21 percent on Friday's Copenhagen Stock Exchange. The reason was that the results of the Phase 3 study for the Cagrisema did not live up to expectations. But the company is still a leading player in obesity drugs and the stock exchange's reaction is exaggerated, according to DI's Johan Wendel.
"Friday's course collapse is a buying position," he writes in an analysis.
The market estimated that the study's participants would reduce their body weight by at least 25 percent, but the result landed at 22.7 percent instead.
Bloomberg's Lisa Jarvis emphasizes that the market's expectations have changed drastically. If the data had been presented just three years ago, the share would probably have rushed and the company was hailed for its progress in the fight against obesity, she writes in an analysis.
“However, we are in a new era for obesity drugs. The bar for success, which was once quite low, has quickly become extremely high. "
Russian invasion
The world's response
Finnish authorities seize Russian luxury apartment in Helsinki
Finnish authorities have seized a 250-square-meter state apartment in Helsinki, previously used by the Tass news agency and the Russian embassy. This is reported by Yle.
Last autumn, the apartment was up for rent with a rent equivalent to just over 50,000 Swedish kronor.
Finland has now seized Russian property worth a total of around 40 million euros, which is equivalent to approximately 459 million Swedish kronor.
The Helsinki District Court has decided to confiscate Russian property worth 4 billion euros. Russia has protested the measures.
Finnish authorities seize Russian luxury apartment in Helsinki
Finnish authorities have seized a 250-square-meter state apartment in Helsinki, previously used by the Tass news agency and the Russian embassy. This is reported by Yle.
Last autumn, the apartment was up for rent with a rent equivalent to just over 50,000 Swedish kronor.
Finland has now seized Russian property worth a total of around 40 million euros, which is equivalent to approximately 459 million Swedish kronor.
The Helsinki District Court has decided to confiscate Russian property worth 4 billion euros. Russia has protested the measures.
The fighting
Aging Ukrainian army a dilemma for Zelenskyy
The growing shortage of soldiers in Ukraine is presenting President Zelenskyy with the dilemma of whether to lower the mobilization age despite the ongoing demographic crisis. The Guardian reports.
A soldier testifies to the growing problems of finding combat-ready soldiers to resist Russia's bloody war of attrition on the front, and how the average age in the army is therefore rising.
- Recently we received 90 people, but only 24 of them were ready to take up their positions. The rest were old, sick or alcoholic.
Currently, the mobilization age is 25, and Zelensky has faced pressure from the United States, among others, to lower it to 18.
Aging Ukrainian army a dilemma for Zelenskyy
The growing shortage of soldiers in Ukraine is presenting President Zelenskyy with the dilemma of whether to lower the mobilization age despite the ongoing demographic crisis. The Guardian reports.
A soldier testifies to the growing problems of finding combat-ready soldiers to resist Russia's bloody war of attrition on the front, and how the average age in the army is therefore rising.
- Recently we received 90 people, but only 24 of them were ready to take up their positions. The rest were old, sick or alcoholic.
Currently, the mobilization age is 25, and Zelensky has faced pressure from the United States, among others, to lower it to 18.
Finska myndigheter beslagtar rysk lyxvåning i Helsingfors
Finska myndigheter har beslagtagit paradvåning på 250 kvadratmeter i Helsingfors, tidigare använd av nyhetsbyrån Tass och ryska ambassaden. Det rapporterar Yle.
I höstas låg våningen ute för uthyrning med en hyra på motsvarande drygt 50 000 svenska kronor.
Finland har nu beslagtagit ryska egendomar till ett sammanlagt värde av cirka 40 miljoner euro, vilket motsvarar ungefär 459 miljoner svenska kronor.
Helsingfors tingsrätt har beslutat att konfiskera rysk egendom till ett värde av 4 miljarder euro. Ryssland har protesterat mot åtgärderna.
Åldrande ukrainsk armé ett dilemma för Zelenskyj
Den tilltagande soldatbristen i Ukraina ställer president Zelenskyj inför dilemmat om huruvida mobiliseringsåldern ska sänkas trots den pågående demografiska krisen. Det rapporterar The Guardian.
En soldat vittnar om de växande problemen med att hitta stridsdugliga soldater för att stå emot Rysslands blodiga utnötningskrig på fronten, och om hur medelåldern i armén därför stiger.
– Nyligen tog vi emot 90 personer, men bara 24 av dem var redo att inta sina positioner. Resten var gamla, sjuka eller alkoholiserade.
I dagsläget är mobiliseringsåldern 25, och Zelenskyj har mött press från bland annat USA om att sänka den till 18.
fredag 20 december 2024
Latest news
Christmas attack in Magdeburg
Children killed in German rampage – dozens mowed down at Christmas market
The German city of Magdeburg is in shock after Friday night’s rampage, when a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia drove his black rental SUV straight into the city’s Christmas market for unknown reasons, German media report.
According to surveillance footage and witness accounts, he drove at great speed straight through the crowd among the market stalls. He continued mowing down people for a 400-meter stretch until police were able to arrest him when he tried to turn the car around.
Witnesses describe the scenes that followed as “war-like,” with the ground littered with dead and injured. A huge rescue team quickly arrived and treated people at the scene.
German media have reported up to eleven dead, but authorities have so far confirmed two deaths – an adult and a small child. Around 70 people were injured, 15 of them seriously.
After the police found a suspected explosive device in the car, the entire city center was cordoned off.
Children killed in German rampage – dozens mowed down at Christmas market
The German city of Magdeburg is in shock after Friday night’s rampage, when a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia drove his black rental SUV straight into the city’s Christmas market for unknown reasons, German media report.
According to surveillance footage and witness accounts, he drove at great speed straight through the crowd among the market stalls. He continued mowing down people for a 400-meter stretch until police were able to arrest him when he tried to turn the car around.
Witnesses describe the scenes that followed as “war-like,” with the ground littered with dead and injured. A huge rescue team quickly arrived and treated people at the scene.
German media have reported up to eleven dead, but authorities have so far confirmed two deaths – an adult and a small child. Around 70 people were injured, 15 of them seriously.
After the police found a suspected explosive device in the car, the entire city center was cordoned off.
Doctor from Saudi Arabia arrested – motive unclear
A doctor in his 50s from Saudi Arabia has been arrested after the car attack in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff said according to Sky News. According to Spiegel, the man is a psychiatrist.
The man has a permanent residence permit in Germany, where he has lived since 2006. He is said to have rented the SUV before the attack. According to intelligence sources to Focus, the authorities are not aware of any connection to Islamist circles.
The motive is still unclear. The man is believed to have acted on his own.
A doctor in his 50s from Saudi Arabia has been arrested after the car attack in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff said according to Sky News. According to Spiegel, the man is a psychiatrist.
The man has a permanent residence permit in Germany, where he has lived since 2006. He is said to have rented the SUV before the attack. According to intelligence sources to Focus, the authorities are not aware of any connection to Islamist circles.
The motive is still unclear. The man is believed to have acted on his own.
US debt ceiling
US dodges shutdown – yes to budget proposal
The US House of Representatives has approved a new budget plan at the last minute, US media reports. 366 members voted in favor and 34 against.
This averts the threat of a government shutdown over Christmas. The bill now moves on to the Senate, where it is expected to pass quickly.
Speaker Mike Johnson has been struggling to get a new budget plan through after the previous one, negotiated by both parties, was shot down by Donald Trump and Elon Musk earlier this week.
Musk seems pleased with Saturday's result.
"The Speaker did a good job, under the circumstances. It turned out a bill that weighed grams, not kilograms," he writes on X.
US dodges shutdown – yes to budget proposal
The US House of Representatives has approved a new budget plan at the last minute, US media reports. 366 members voted in favor and 34 against.
This averts the threat of a government shutdown over Christmas. The bill now moves on to the Senate, where it is expected to pass quickly.
Speaker Mike Johnson has been struggling to get a new budget plan through after the previous one, negotiated by both parties, was shot down by Donald Trump and Elon Musk earlier this week.
Musk seems pleased with Saturday's result.
"The Speaker did a good job, under the circumstances. It turned out a bill that weighed grams, not kilograms," he writes on X.
Here the doctor is arrested by police – immediately after the car attack
Berlin
Car has driven into a crowd at a German Christmas market
Johan Flinck,
Nora Fernstedt,
Oskar Forsberg
Updated 23.38 | Published 20.04
A car has driven straight into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.
Two people have died - including a small child.
68 people have been injured, 15 of them seriously, according to local authorities.
At 19.04, a black BMW drove straight into the crowd at the Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. This is reported by Bild.
The driver was arrested immediately afterwards.
There are different reports about the number of dead and injured.
According to the city's official information, two people have been killed. 15 are seriously injured, 37 people have moderate injuries and 16 have minor injuries.
The Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, says on live TV that one of the dead is a small child.
– This is a terrible incident, especially when it happens just a few days before Christmas, he tells the television channel MDR.
Drew 400 meters
The driver was reportedly stopped by police when he tried to turn the car around. Before that, he had managed to drive a distance of 400 meters, the police tell Bild.
Eyewitnesses describe how people ran in panic.
A witness tells Mitteldeutsche Zeitung that the car drove into the “fairy tale area” of the Christmas market, where many children were. The witness says she managed to throw herself aside with her child at the last moment.
Nearby hospitals have prepared to receive many injured.
Suspected explosive device
According to Minister President Haseloff, the suspect is a man in his 50s, comes from Saudi Arabia and works as a doctor. He has lived in Germany since 2006 and has a permanent residence permit,
Bild writes that the man works at the hospital in Magdeburg. According to information to Spiegel, his specialist is psychiatry.
He is believed to have acted alone.
The police have cordoned off an area around the man's car. Sources tell MDR that they suspect there is an explosive device in the car.
During the evening, the police also conducted an operation in Bernburg. The arrested man is said to be from the city.
“War-like scenes”
The organizer of the Christmas market is said to have urged people to leave the city center via megaphone.
There is currently a massive police operation at the scene. Several ambulances and emergency services are also there.
A restaurateur at the market testifies to “war-like scenes”. The police have set up a hotline for affected relatives.
After the incident, another Christmas market in the city of Erfurt, south of Magdeburg, has been evacuated, reports MDR. There is said to be no concrete danger but is described as a precautionary measure.
Kristersson: Horrible news
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information about any dead or injured Swedes at the scene,
"Swedes at the scene are urged to contact their relatives, stay updated on developments in the media and follow the advice and instructions of local authorities," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in an email.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson commented on the incident on X.
"Horrible news from Magdeburg tonight. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Germany,"
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also commented on the attack.
"We are reached by the terrible news of a violent attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg just days before Christmas Eve. My thoughts go out to the victims, the injured and their loved ones who have been affected,” she writes on X.
Swedish star: Terrible
Swedish national team star Felix Claar, who plays handball in Magdeburg, tells Aftonbladet that he was at home when the incident at the Christmas market happened.
– We have been at home all evening and did not notice anything. But it is an incredible move here in town now.
– It is absolutely terrible.
Scholz: My thoughts are with the victims
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks out on X about the incident.
“The reports from Magdeburg indicate that something very bad is happening. My thoughts are with the victims and their families”.
Scholz will travel to Magdeburg on Saturday.
Magdeburg, which is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, is home to 240,000 people.
On December 19, 2016, a terrorist drove a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin.13 people were killed and 67 injured.
Thailand the land of twilight ( ความจริงที่ปฎิเสธไม่ได้)
Thai E-News
Atukkit Sawangsuk
15 hours ago
·
Regime ของการรัฐประหารได้จบลงแล้ว 
ทำไมคนไม่ยอมรับ
:
1.ก็เพราะเห็นกันชัดๆ (ชัดเจนอยู่แล้ว)
ว่ามีใบอนุญาตที่สอง ให้-ไม่ให้ พรรคไหนเป็นรัฐบาล
:
2.เพื่อไทยพยายามบอกว่า “ได้แค่นี้ก็ดีแล้ว เป็นประชาธิปไตยแล้ว“
คนที่ต่อสู้ด้วยกันมา 18 ปี หันไปมองหน้าเลิ่กลั่ก
ประชาธิปไตยที่คุณต้องการ ที่สู้กันจนตายเจ็บถูกจับถูกขัง
ได้แค่นี้ก็พอใจแล้วเหรอ
อย่าอ้างว่าได้แค่นี้ก่อนค่อยต่อรองทีหลัง
เพราะพอบอกว่าต้องการประชาธิปไตยที่มีคุณภาพมากกว่านี้ ก็ชี้หน้า พวกมึงมันสลิ่ม
:
“ไปไม่ถึงดวงดาว ไปได้แค่ยอดมะพร้าว”
อาจไม่ได้แปลว่าเขาอยากไปถึงดวงดาว
ที่สอนน้องว่าต้องไปทีละขั้น
เอาเข้าจริง เขาอาจอยากไปแค่ยอดมะพร้าวเท่านั้นแหละ
...........................................................
ธาตุแท้ทักษิณ (Update )
โดย แสงตะวัน
ก่อนอื่นพวกเราต้องมาทำความเข้าใจเสียใหม่ว่า "นายทุนก็คือนายทุน"
พวกพ่อค้านักธุรกิจที่ลงทุนค้าขายก็เพื่อให้ได้กำไร และกำไรเหล่านี้ได้มาจากไหนก็ได้มาจากการขูดรีดแรงงานของคนงานหรือกรรมกรที่ผลิตสินค้าให้แก่พวกนายทุนซึ่งกำไรจากมูลค่าส่วนเกินแต่ละปีได้ถูกสะสมขึ้นมาเป็นเงินทุนอันมหาศาล...
ในระบอบทุนนิยมเสรีพวกนายทุนจะมีการแข่งขันกันผลิตเพื่อหากำไรให้มากที่สุด เมื่อมีการแข่งขันกันอย่างเสรีนายทุนที่มีความอ่อนแอกว่าก็จะแพ้และถูกนายทุนที่มีกำลังเหนือกว่ากลืนกินแล้วกลายมาเป็นนายทุนผูกขาดที่เป็นเจ้าของการผลิตสินค้าในตลาดแต่ผูัเดียว...
กลุ่มนายทุนผูกขาดในระบอบเศรษฐกิจทุนนิยม ถ้าแข่งขันสู้กันไม่ได้ก็จะเกิดการรวมตัวกัน (ออมซอมกัน หรือปรองดองกัน) อย่างกรณีที่อดีดนายกฯทักษิณ กำลังกระทำอยู่ในเวลานี้ โดยได้ร่วมจับมือกันกับกลุ่มทุนผูกขาดเครือข่ายของกษัตริย์ ตั้งแต่รัชกาลที่ ๙ มาจนถึง "องค์ปัจจุบัน"รัชกาลที่๑๐
นี่คือธาตุแท้ของนายทุน เขาจะขายได้ทุกอย่างแม้แต่ "ประชาชน ประเทศชาติ ไปจนถึงอุดมการณ์ " ต่างกับผู้นำนักปฏิวัติที่มีอุดมการณ์จะทำงานต่อสู้เรียกร้องเพื่อสังคมส่วนรวม ทำการเปลี่ยนแปลงนำสังคมเข้าสู่ระบอบประชาธิปไตยที่แท้จริง
"ดังนั้นความคิดแบบพ่อค้านายทุนกับนักปฎิวัติสองสิ่งนี้จึงเป็นไปไม่ได้ที่จะมี อยู่ในตัวคนเดียวกัน "
เริ่ม แรกทักษิณเข้ามาบริหารประเทศโดยผ่านการเลือกตั้งตามวิถีทางประชาธิปไตยตาม รัฐธรรมนูญปี ๒๕๔๐ ซึ่งระบอบการปกครองไทยโดยแท้จริงยังคงเป็นระบอบเผด็จการราชาธิปไตยอยู่
ไม่ใช่ระบอบประชาธิปไตยตามที่พวกนักวิชาการทั้งหลายเข้าใจ ( แค่คำโฆษณาหลอกลวงประชาชน)
รัฐบาลนายกฯทักษิณชนะการเลือกตั้งเข้ามาบริหารประเทศ แต่มีเงื่อนไขทุกสิ่งทุกอย่างอยู่ภายใต้อำนาจของ "ระบอบราชาธิปไตย" ทั้งๆที่ รัฐบาลทักษิณมีหลักนโยบายที่เห็นผลงานสามารถจับต้องได้ ทำให้ประชาชนได้รับผลประโยชน์จากการบริหารของรัฐบาลนายกฯทักษิณ เช่นระบบโครงการ 30 บาทรักษาได้ทุกโรคและโครงการโอทอป เป็นต้น....แต่นโยบายเหล่านี้ก็ไม่ทำให้สังคมเกิดการเปลี่ยนไปสู่ระบอบประชาธิปไตยได้ ซึ่งถ้าปล่อยให้ประเทศชาติได้มีโอกาสพัฒนาต่อไปภายใต้รัฐบาลของทักษิณ ทางด้านเศรษฐกิจประเทศชาติก็จะดำเนินก้าวหน้าวิวัฒนาการดีขึ้นเรื่อยๆต่อไปได้...
แต่ระบอบการปกครองแบบ" ราชาธิปไตย" หรือ"ระบอบกษัตริย์เผด็จการ " นั้นยังคงครอบงำสังคมไทยและครอบงำรัฐบาลทักษิณอยู่เหมือนเดิม (หลังจากการเปลี่ยนแปลง ๒๔๗๕ เป็นต้นมา)
นี่คือธาตุแท้ของ"ระบอบราชาธิปไตย"ที่ขัดขวางต่อระบอบประชาธิปไตยมาตลอดเวลาทุกยุคสมัย ไม่ว่าโครงการนั้นจะดีอย่างไรก็ไม่สามารถรักษาไว้และพัฒนาต่อไปได้ (ตราบใดที่ระบอบกษัตริย์เผด็จการยังดำรงคงอยู่ ) ถ้าไม่ล้มล้าง"ระบอบกษัตริย์เผด็จการ " นี้ลงเสียก่อน ซึ่งนายกทักษิณเองเขาไม่ได้มีแนวความคิดที่จะเปลี่ยนแปลงหรือล้มล้างระบอบราชาธิปไตยหรือระบอบกษัตริย์เผด็จการนั้นลง พวกอำมาตย์ซึ่งเป็นกลุ่มทุนผูกขาดที่หล้าหลัง เห็นว่าถ้าปล่อยให้ทักษิณบริหารประเทศต่อไปจะเป็นอันตรายแก่ พวกเขา กษัตริย์ภูมิพลจึงสั่งให้ทหารยึดอำนาจจากรัฐบาลของทักษิณ (ที่มาจากการเลือกตั้ง) เมื่อวันที่ ๑๙ ก.ย. ๒๕๔๙
เมื่อทักษิณถูกพวกอำมาตย์โค่นล้มลง ทักษิณเองก็ยังจะพยายามจะประณีประนอมกับพวกอำมาตย์มาตลอดเวลา (เป็นเวลาถึง ๑๒ปี.). นี่คือตัวตนธาตุแท้ของพวกนายทุนผูกขาด เมื่อถึงจุดๆหนึ่ง "เพื่อความอยู่รอดและปกป้องรักษาผลประโยชน์ของตนเอง" พวกเขาจะร่วมจับมือกัน...
นี่คือธาตุแท้ของพวกนายทุน ก่อนอื่นเขาจะคำนึงถึงแต่ผลประโยชน์ของตนเองและครอบครัวเท่านั้น และมองเห็นประชาชนเป็นเพียงแค่แรงงานที่เขาขูดรีดเพื่อผลิตสินค้าสร้างความร่ำรวยให้แก่ตนเองและครอบครัวเขาเท่านั้น
ตราบจนถึงทุกวันนี้ทักษิณก็ยังเชื่อมั่นยอมรับในการปกครองแบบเดิม"ระบอบราชาธิปไตย" ไม่เคยคิดที่จะเปลี่ยนแปลงการปกครองให้มาเป็นระบอบประชาธิปไตยที่แท้จริง โดยเปิดเผยตัวตนออกมาสนับสนุนร่วมมือกับรัชกาลที่๑๐ "กษัตริย์โจรทรราชองค์ใหม่"ปล้นทรัพย์สินของประเทศชาติ ขูดรีดกดขี่ข่มเหงหลอกลวงประชาชนชาวไทยต่อไป...
ธาตุแท้ พฤติกรรมการตีสองหน้าของทักษิณคือ ด้านหนึ่งร่วมมือกับพวกเจ้า อีกด้านทรยศหักหลังหลอกลวงประชาชนที่สนับสนุนเขา "ม็อบคนเสี้อแดง" ไปให้ทหารฆ่าตายที่ราชประสงค์ เมื่อวันที่ ๑๙ พ.ค ๒๕๕๓ เป็นจำนวนมากกว่า ๕๐๐ คน และบาดเจ็บสูญหายอีกกว่า ๑๐๐๐ คน โดยที่ไม่มีความรับผิดชอบแต่อย่างใด(?) ไร้ความเป็นมนุษย์ ... นี่คือธาตุแท้ของทักษิณ
ความคิดความคาดหวังของประชาชนไทยส่วนใหญ่ของประเทศที่คิดว่าทักษิณจะเป็นผู้ที่จะนำประเทศชาติ และประชาชนไปสู่ระบอบประชาธิปไตยที่แท้จริงนั้น... จงลืมเสียเถิด !!
เพราะจุดประสงค์ที่แท้จริงของทักษิณคือต้องการใช้ประชาชนเป็นเครื่องมือต่อรองในการต่อสู้เพื่อใช้ปกป้องรักษาผลประโยชน์และอำนาจของนายทุนและเครือข่ายธุระกิจของกลุ่มทุนผูกขาดของพวกนายทุนเท่านั้นเอง ทักษิณเป็นคนทะเยอทะยานกระหายอำนาจเป็นคนเห็นแก่ตัวเป็นนักฉวยโอกาศเป็นคนฉลาดแกมโกง การที่เขาร่วมมือกับวชิลาลงกรณ์เพราะเขามองการณ์ไกลเขารู้ว่าราชวงค์นี้จะไปไม่รอดแล้วหลังจากที่ภูมิพลตาย และราชินีสิริกิตย์ก็เป็นบ้าเสียจริต เขารู้ว่า วชิลาลงกรณ์เป็นคนไม่ฉลาดมีความประพฤติไม่ดีประชาชนชาวไทยไม่ยอมรับ เป็นช่วงที่ราชวงค์อ่อนแอที่สุดเขาจึงวางแผนที่จะครอบงำพวกเจ้าโดยเชิดวชิราลงกรณ์ไว้เพื่อเป็นโล่ห์อำพรางและจะสร้างตัวเองขึ้นเป็นนายกรัฐมนตรีบริหารประเทศภายใต้ ระบอบ " ทักษิณเผด็จการอันมีกษัตริย์เป็นประมุข " สืบต่อไป
ฉะนั้นประชาชนต้องเข้าใจ จะมาเรียกร้องให้ทักษิณเปลี่ยนแนวคิดจากนายทุนมาเป็นผู้นำของ การปฎิวัติเปลี่ยนแปลงสังคมนั้นเป็นสิ่งที่เป็นไปไม่ได้เพราะเขาไม่มีความจริงใจต่อประชาชน
ซึ่งเวลาได้เป็นการพิสูจน์ให้เห็นแล้วว่าทักษิณไม่มีอุดมการณ์และความจริงใจกับประชาชน
เขาเพียงต้องการรักษาอำนาจและผลประโยชน์ทางธุระกิจเพื่อทำมาหากินกับระบอบกษัตริย์เผด็จการที่กำลังเน่าเฟะอยู่ในเวลานี้ต่อไปและเพื่อสนองความกระหายอำนาจของเขาแค่นั้นเอง
ฉะนั้นการที่จะปฏิวัติเปลี่ยนแปลงสังคมจากระบอบเผด็จการทรราชราชาธิปไตยไปสู่ระบอบประชาธิปไตยที่สมบูรณ์ได้นั้น เป็นหน้าที่และจิตสำนึกของคนในสังคมไทยทุกคนทุกชนชั้นมีส่วนร่วมช่วยกัน
ฉะนั้นการที่จะปฏิวัติเปลี่ยนแปลงสังคมจากระบอบเผด็จการทรราชราชาธิปไตยไปสู่ระบอบประชาธิปไตยที่สมบูรณ์ได้นั้น เป็นหน้าที่และจิตสำนึกของคนในสังคมไทยทุกคนทุกชนชั้นมีส่วนร่วมช่วยกัน
ในการ"อภิวัฒน์"เปลี่ยนแปลงสังคมที่ไม่มีใครยกให้ฟรีๆ. และไม่ใช่จะนั่งรอนอนรอคอยพึ่งทักษิณและพรรคการเมืองของเขา หรือพรรคการเมืองสารพัดพิษและนักการเมืองทั้งหลายที่กำลังออกมาโฆษณาประกาศขายตัวเพื่อรับใช้ระบอบกษัตริย์เผด็จการอยู่ในเวลานี้.
Shares collapse after new study
Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk collapses – 1,000 billion wiped out
TT
Updated 12.53 | Published 12.05
The Danish pharmaceutical wonder Novo Nordisk has in recent years sailed up and become Europe's most valued company. On Friday, the stock price collapses after a study.
It is the drugs Ozempic and Wegovy that inhibit appetite and thus lead to weight loss that are behind the company's success.
Now, however, the company is plummeting by over 20 percent on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
The collapse is due to a published phase 3 study that shows that patients who used the company's new drug Cagrisema achieved a weight loss of 22.7 percent after 68 weeks of treatment.
This was better than the other drugs in the comparative study, but worse than the 25 percent that Novo Nordisk stated that the drug has potential for.
Novo Nordisk collapses – 1,000 billion wiped out
TT
Updated 12.53 | Published 12.05
The Danish pharmaceutical wonder Novo Nordisk has in recent years sailed up and become Europe's most valued company. On Friday, the stock price collapses after a study.
It is the drugs Ozempic and Wegovy that inhibit appetite and thus lead to weight loss that are behind the company's success.
Now, however, the company is plummeting by over 20 percent on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
The collapse is due to a published phase 3 study that shows that patients who used the company's new drug Cagrisema achieved a weight loss of 22.7 percent after 68 weeks of treatment.
This was better than the other drugs in the comparative study, but worse than the 25 percent that Novo Nordisk stated that the drug has potential for.
1,000 billion in market value erased
According to Bloomberg, the study was important for Novo Nordisk because its main competitor, the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, has developed a drug that has proven to be even more effective than Wegovy when it comes to weight loss. A number of other competitors are also noseing the company by the neck with new slimming drugs in the pipeline.The entire market could be worth up to $ 130 billion by 2030, according to the news agency.
The 20 percent decline means that more than 1,000 billion Swedish kronor in market value has been erased from Novo Nordisk since the closing price on Thursday.
The broad index of the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in turn falls more than 12 percent after the announcement from the pharmaceutical giant.
Economy
Swedish growth
The recession deepens: “Recovery is delayed”
The recession in Sweden is deepening and is not expected to turn until some time into 2025, according to the National Institute of Economic Research’s latest forecast.
“The most important factor for the delay in the recovery is continued restraint among households,” the agency writes.
GDP is expected to increase by 0.5 percent this year, 1.2 percent next year and 3.1 percent in 2026. In September, KI predicted that GDP would increase by 0.7 percent this year, 1.8 percent next year and 3.0 percent in 2026.
The barometer indicator for the entire economy was unchanged at 97.5 in December, but the household confidence indicator fell sharply by 4.9 points to 96.7, driven by reduced optimism about both the country’s own economy and Sweden’s.
The recession deepens: “Recovery is delayed”
The recession in Sweden is deepening and is not expected to turn until some time into 2025, according to the National Institute of Economic Research’s latest forecast.
“The most important factor for the delay in the recovery is continued restraint among households,” the agency writes.
GDP is expected to increase by 0.5 percent this year, 1.2 percent next year and 3.1 percent in 2026. In September, KI predicted that GDP would increase by 0.7 percent this year, 1.8 percent next year and 3.0 percent in 2026.
The barometer indicator for the entire economy was unchanged at 97.5 in December, but the household confidence indicator fell sharply by 4.9 points to 96.7, driven by reduced optimism about both the country’s own economy and Sweden’s.
The future of defense
Saab receives additional order for Gripen worth 466 million
Saab has received an additional order for its Gripen C/D contract from the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration worth 466 million kronor, according to a press release.
The extension involves updates and studies of future fighter and attack weapons.
Volkswagen crisis
VW and union agree: 35,000 jobs to be cut
Volkswagen and unions have agreed to cut a total of 35,000 jobs in the coming years. The German automotive giant confirmed this on Friday evening, according to news agencies.
Union leaders describe the agreement as a "Christmas miracle" after 70 hours of tough negotiations, writes Reuters.
IG Metall states that the 5 percent wage increase agreed in November will be scrapped, but that none of VW's ten factories in the country will be closed completely.
VW states that the measures will result in savings of 15 billion euros per year.
– After low and intensive negotiations, the agreement is an important signal for the future competitiveness of the Volkswagen brand, says the group's CEO Oliver Blume in a statement.
Saab receives additional order for Gripen worth 466 million
Saab has received an additional order for its Gripen C/D contract from the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration worth 466 million kronor, according to a press release.
The extension involves updates and studies of future fighter and attack weapons.
Volkswagen crisis
VW and union agree: 35,000 jobs to be cut
Volkswagen and unions have agreed to cut a total of 35,000 jobs in the coming years. The German automotive giant confirmed this on Friday evening, according to news agencies.
Union leaders describe the agreement as a "Christmas miracle" after 70 hours of tough negotiations, writes Reuters.
IG Metall states that the 5 percent wage increase agreed in November will be scrapped, but that none of VW's ten factories in the country will be closed completely.
VW states that the measures will result in savings of 15 billion euros per year.
– After low and intensive negotiations, the agreement is an important signal for the future competitiveness of the Volkswagen brand, says the group's CEO Oliver Blume in a statement.
New obesity drugs
Eli Lilly rises on the stock market after Novo's disappointment
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly rises 5 percent on Wall Street after competitor Novo Nordisk presented study results for its obesity drug cagrisema, which did not meet expectations.
Cagrisema is intended to be the new generation of obesity drugs and competes with Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Zepboun
Eli Lilly rises on the stock market after Novo's disappointment
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly rises 5 percent on Wall Street after competitor Novo Nordisk presented study results for its obesity drug cagrisema, which did not meet expectations.
Cagrisema is intended to be the new generation of obesity drugs and competes with Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Zepboun
New obesity drugs
Novo Nordisk records record fall after study failure
Novo Nordisk achieved its primary goal in its phase 3 study for the obesity drug cagrisema, as stated in a press release. Patients saw an average weight loss of 22.7 percent after 68 weeks. But the market was expecting a weight loss of at least 25 percent, Reuters notes.
The share fell as much as 29 percent on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange after the announcement. According to Bloomberg, it was the share's biggest intraday drop ever. At the close, the share was down 20.7 percent – the biggest one-day decline since 2002.
Putin's Russia
Putin's words before the unexpected interest rate announcement: Take into account
The central bank should strive for a "balanced" decision and take into account current "demands", said Russian President Vladimir Putin the day before the central bank went against forecasts and left the key interest rate unchanged, writes Bloomberg.
After the interest rate announcement, the central bank stated that the tighter monetary policy had an effect, but remains open to an increase in February.
At the same time, inflation is rising in the country, and according to Bloomberg, inflation expectations are at their highest level this year.
Russia's shock: Leaving the interest rate unchanged
The Russian central bank unexpectedly leaves the interest rate unchanged at 21 percent. The consensus forecast from Trading Economics was for a 200 basis point increase to 23 percent. The interest rate is at a record level since the increase to 21 percent in October.
After the shock increase to 20 percent immediately after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Central Bank has gradually lowered the interest rate to a low of 7.5 percent, but last summer a new interest rate increase began to current record levels.
The central bank should strive for a "balanced" decision and take into account current "demands", said Russian President Vladimir Putin the day before the central bank went against forecasts and left the key interest rate unchanged, writes Bloomberg.
After the interest rate announcement, the central bank stated that the tighter monetary policy had an effect, but remains open to an increase in February.
At the same time, inflation is rising in the country, and according to Bloomberg, inflation expectations are at their highest level this year.
Russia's shock: Leaving the interest rate unchanged
The Russian central bank unexpectedly leaves the interest rate unchanged at 21 percent. The consensus forecast from Trading Economics was for a 200 basis point increase to 23 percent. The interest rate is at a record level since the increase to 21 percent in October.
After the shock increase to 20 percent immediately after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Central Bank has gradually lowered the interest rate to a low of 7.5 percent, but last summer a new interest rate increase began to current record levels.
Northvolt in crisis
Northvolt's hearing begins in the US – few protests
On Friday, Northvolt's so-called "second day hearing" begins in the bankruptcy court in Texas. The negotiations follow those held when the company filed for bankruptcy protection in the US through a Chapter 11 procedure.
DI writes that the hearing looks to be "undramatic" for the troubled battery manufacturer, as only one creditor has filed protests against proposals on the table. This concerns the American medical technology company Thermo Fisher, which wants to see certain adjustments.
The hearing was supposed to be held on Tuesday but was postponed until Friday.
Northvolt's reconstruction in the US is complete: "Simpler"
Northvolt's reconstruction process in the US is complete, confirms the company's press contact Erik Zsiga to DI.
On Friday, the Texas bankruptcy court hammered through the so-called Chapter 11 proceedings, which the battery company filed for in November.
Various types of exemptions that were previously temporary will become permanent with the court's decision, according to Erik Zsiga.
- It is clear that it makes it easier to continue the path forward. It gives us greater stability, he tells the newspaper.
Now Northvolt continues to focus on new financing and on scaling up production, he adds.
A collapse that must have major consequences
Northvolt
A collapse that must have consequences
Andreas Cervenka
Reporter and economic commentator
This is a commentary text. Analysis and positions are those of the writer.
Published 15.26
Not only has Northvolt's CEO Peter Carlsson enriched himself from the company, but also large parts of the management.
The Swedish pension companies that lost billions in the accident have several questions to answer.
"The managers cashed out and Northvolt crashed". That is the headline in the editorial section of Svenska Dagbladet.
The article is about several people in Northvolt's management selling shares for enormous amounts before the crash. It has long been known that CEO Peter Carlsson received around 200 million before the company collapsed.
According to documents obtained by SvD, co-founder Paolo Cerutti made profits in his private company of one hundred million kronor and gave himself a dividend of 71 million.
Another key person, Emad Zand, has made profits of 79 million kronor in his company, and several others in management have reported capital income in the double-digit millions in recent years, according to the newspaper.
Several have already left the company.
Northvolt's spokespersons admit that there have been "a lot of sales" in management but tell SvD that "some of it was about freeing up money for new investments, and that it is completely normal for senior executives to sell shares."
Excuse me, but who do they think they are fooling?
No, that is absolutely not normal. That is actually how abnormal it can be.
It is true that managers are given the opportunity to invest in their company and then reap the profits. But only in companies that have proven that the business model works and where other investors also have the opportunity to sell, for example through a stock exchange listing.
It is difficult to think of a company in history that has been further from proving itself than Northvolt. The company has burned billions every month and has had chronic production problems since its inception.
During this time, large parts of the management have become rich.
They leave behind a stinking pile of problems: a company that is bleeding hundreds of millions a week, with 64 billion in debt and a subsidiary that has been declared bankrupt and where employees and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs have been thrown under the bus.
Northvolt has demonstrated a business ethic that does not belong in Swedish business.
The information about managers sneaking out the back door with millions in their pockets makes matters even worse.
What did the managers know about Northvolt's problems when they sold? And who gave them the go-ahead to sell?
That key people in a newly started company should not be able to take home profits until there is some type of change of ownership, such as a stock exchange listing or sale, is an absolute basic rule in the venture capital industry.
Several Swedish pension managers are owners of Northvolt. In total, 1-4 Ap-fonden, AMF Pension and Folksam/KPA have invested nine billion. That money is gone.
Other owners have already written down the value to zero and the Financial Times wrote on Friday that it looks bleak to find new investors or buyers for Northvolt.
This is easy to understand since the company has so far spent well over 100 billion and is still unable to manufacture more than microvolumes of batteries.
It could still end in bankruptcy.
If the managers sold without the knowledge of other investors, it is a scandal and should cause the pension companies to contact lawyers.
This also applies to those who bought shares from the directors.
If the AMF, the AP funds and Folksam gave the green light to the share sales, it is almost an even greater scandal because they have then seriously failed in their judgment as investors and thus in their responsibility towards their clients, Sweden's future pensioners.
The pension companies should answer for what is happening.
So much has gone so badly at Northvolt, where the forecasts given in connection with capital raising have proven to be thinner than the air at the top of Mount Everest, that a thorough investigation of what has happened is warranted. The Swedish institutions should take the initiative.
After all, it is not small amounts that have gone up in smoke.
In the debate about Northvolt, it has been highlighted several times that all entrepreneurship is associated with risks and that there is no shame if things go wrong.
That is absolutely true.
But what has happened in Northvolt is something completely different.
There, the shame seems to have gone on dry land.
TOP NEWS
US Election Trump's Victory
Trump's NATO Demand: Five Percent of GDP on Defense
Donald Trump will demand that NATO countries spend five percent of GDP on defense. His team has said this in talks with European officials, sources tell the Financial Times.
However, one of the sources says that the figure is a negotiating offer, and that Trump is content with 3.5 percent.
Currently, the military alliance has a spending target of two percent of GDP, which 23 of 32 member countries meet.
Trump also assures that he will continue to support Ukraine militarily, according to the sources.
Government crisis in Germany
Elon Musk: “Only AfD can save Germany”
Billionaire Elon Musk, one of Donald Trump’s closest confidants, expresses support for the German far-right party AfD in a post on his platform X.
“Only AfD can save Germany,” he writes in a comment on a critical clip about Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and favorite to be the new chancellor.
Several German members of parliament have reacted angrily to Musk’s post, according to AFP.
– It is threatening, irritating and unacceptable that a key figure in the future US administration is interfering in the German election campaign, says CDU member Dennis Radtke.
Russian invasion The fighting
Kursk governor: Will not pay for reconstruction
The Russian state will not pay for the reconstruction of destroyed homes in the border region of Kursk. This is stated by the acting governor Aleksandr Chinshtein, according to the Moscow Times.
In a meeting with residents, the governor says that there is no budget space to build private housing, given how many schools, hospitals, roads and businesses have been destroyed in the fighting with the Ukrainian army.
Not least, the money is needed for the ongoing war, he continues.
– We have to liberate the territory. And, sorry, but every shell costs money. Everything is taken from the budget.
Russian invasion The world's response
Zelenskyj on Trump: "Want him on our side"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is keen to have a good relationship with US President-elect Donald Trump.
– I would very much like to have him on our side, it is important to me, Zelenskyj told reporters after the EU summit in Brussels ended on Thursday, writes TT.
Zelenskyj says that both the US and the EU are needed to stop Russia's aggression against Ukraine. He reiterated his wishes to join NATO.
The summit resulted, among other things, in a call for EU member states to immediately increase military support for Ukraine, writes Kyiv Independent.
Cyclone Chido
Local anger: “Macron is talking rubbish”
When French President Emmanuel Macron visited cyclone-stricken Mayotte, he was met with anger and grief from locals, AFP and BBC report.
A video published by The Guardian shows a man confronting Macron because help has not arrived, even though it has been six days since the disaster.
“Is that normal?” the man asks, to which Macron replies:
“No, it is not normal.”
Macron visited the French region to inspect the damage after the storm. According to AFP, he was met with shouts of “Macron, resign”, “water, water, water” and “you are talking rubbish”.
Mayotte is located near Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and is France’s poorest region. In response to the anger, Macron decided to extend his stay “as a sign of respect”.
Macron: “You would be in trouble without France”
French President Emmanuel Macron got into a heated exchange of words with angry residents of the storm-ravaged island group of Mayotte on Thursday, writes The Guardian.
The fact that Mayotte is a French department means that the residents receive better help than anywhere else in the Indian Ocean, according to Macron.
“You should be happy that you are in France. If this were not France, you would be in trouble 10,000 times worse.”
31 people have died since Cyclone Chido hit the island nation a week ago. There is widespread anger among the approximately 320,000 inhabitants at what they perceive as a lack of help from the French government. There is still a shortage of drinking water.
When French President Emmanuel Macron visited cyclone-stricken Mayotte, he was met with anger and grief from locals, AFP and BBC report.
A video published by The Guardian shows a man confronting Macron because help has not arrived, even though it has been six days since the disaster.
“Is that normal?” the man asks, to which Macron replies:
“No, it is not normal.”
Macron visited the French region to inspect the damage after the storm. According to AFP, he was met with shouts of “Macron, resign”, “water, water, water” and “you are talking rubbish”.
Mayotte is located near Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and is France’s poorest region. In response to the anger, Macron decided to extend his stay “as a sign of respect”.
Macron: “You would be in trouble without France”
French President Emmanuel Macron got into a heated exchange of words with angry residents of the storm-ravaged island group of Mayotte on Thursday, writes The Guardian.
The fact that Mayotte is a French department means that the residents receive better help than anywhere else in the Indian Ocean, according to Macron.
“You should be happy that you are in France. If this were not France, you would be in trouble 10,000 times worse.”
31 people have died since Cyclone Chido hit the island nation a week ago. There is widespread anger among the approximately 320,000 inhabitants at what they perceive as a lack of help from the French government. There is still a shortage of drinking water.
Ilska hos lokalbefolkningen: ”Macron snackar skit”
När Frankrikes president Emmanuel Macron besökte cyklondrabbade Mayotte möttes han av ilska och sorg från lokalbefolkningen, skriver AFP och BBC.
En video som publicerats av The Guardian visar en man som konfronterar Macron för att hjälp inte har nått fram, trots att det gått sex dagar sedan katastrofen.
– Är det normalt? frågar mannen varpå Macron svarar:
– Nej, det är inte normalt.
Macron besökte den franska regionen för att inspektera skadorna efter stormen. Enligt AFP möttes han av rop som ”Macron, avgå”, ”vatten, vatten, vatten” och ”du snackar skit”.
Mayotte ligger i närheten av Madagaskar i Indiska oceanen och är Frankrikes fattigaste region. Som svar på ilskan beslutade Macron att förlänga sin vistelse ”som ett tecken på respekt”.
Macron: ”Ni skulle sitta i skiten utan Frankrike”
Frankrikes president Emmanuel Macron hamnade i hätsk ordväxling med arga invånare på den stormhärjade ögruppen Mayotte på torsdagen, skriver The Guardian.
Att Mayotte är ett franskt departement gör att de boende får bättre hjälp än någon annanstans i Indiska oceanen, enligt Macron.
– Ni ska vara glada att ni är i Frankrike. Om det här inte vore Frankrike skulle ni sitta i skiten 10 000 gånger värre.
31 personer har dött efter att cyklonen Chido drabbade önationen för en vecka sedan. Bland de runt 320 000 invånarna råder utbredd ilska mot vad man uppfattar som bristande hjälp från den franska regeringen. Fortfarande råder brist på dricksvatten.
Prenumerera på:
Inlägg (Atom)