Sweden’s king has made a rare public intervention to decry his country’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Carl XVI Gustaf said his country's hands-off strategy had failed as deaths continue to mount.
"I believe we have failed," the king told a Christmas programme broadcast by SVT.
“We have had a large number of deaths and that is terrible. That is something that brings us all suffering."
As with many European monarchs, the king’s role is largely ceremonial. His comments are therefore a highly unusual rebuke of those in charge.
The country famously shunned lockdowns and face masks, leaving schools, restaurants and shops open as authorities appealed for Swedes to practise good hygiene.
Sweden has registered more than 7,000 deaths, a much higher death toll than its Nordic neighbours.
An inquiry on Wednesday found that the government failed to protect the elderly as the virus ripped through care homes.
“You think of all the family members who have not been able to say goodbye to their deceased family members,” the king said.
“I think it is a heavy and traumatic experience not to be able to say a warm goodbye.”
Meanwhile, Germany reported record new infections of more than 30,000 on Thursday.
The initial daily total of 26,923 was set to be revised upward by more than 3,500 additional cases due to a delay in reporting, the Robert Koch Institute said.
The country is currently in a strict lockdown that may last beyond next month.
Denmark will become the next European country to go into lockdown from next week, as authorities fear a steep rise in infections over the winter months.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands reported a record 13,000 new cases days after entering a five-week lockdown.
The fresh lockdowns come as Europe solidifies its plans to distribute vaccines.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said that the continent would begin vaccinating against the disease on December 27, 28 and 29.
The European Medical Agency will decide whether to approve the vaccine next Monday.
“This is Europe’s moment,” Ms von der Leyen tweeted.
The EU is racing to catch up with the UK, which has already vaccinated more than 137,000 people.
Despite that, millions more Britons face the toughest coronavirus restrictions after a surge in cases.
From Saturday, 38 million people – 68 per cent of the English population – will be in the highest Tier 3.
"We've come so far, we mustn't blow it now,” UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
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Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
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Sector: HealthTech and wellness
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Funding to date: Bootstrapped
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Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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Rating: 1/5
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4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
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Our legal consultant
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Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
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2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
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2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
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Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
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THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
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