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MONEY

Sweden to give out 14 billion kronor in fuel and power subsidies

Sweden announced plans on Monday for a 14 billion kronor (€1.32-billion) subsidy package to help Swedes cope with soaring prices resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the heels of winter's sky-high energy prices.

Swedish Finance Minister Mikael Damberg announcing the subsidy package on Monday.
Swedish Finance Minister Mikael Damberg announcing the subsidy package on Monday. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

The proposed subsidies include a temporary reduction of petrol and diesel taxes, a one-time minimum payout of 1,000 kronor ($104, 95 euros) to car owners, a one-month extension through March of a winter electricity subsidy for homeowners in central and southern Sweden, and a temporary increase in housing subsidies for the poorest families.

Sweden has among the highest prices in the world for fuel due largely to its high taxes, at around 21 kronor ($2.20, 1.99 euros) per litre for petrol and 25 kronor for diesel.

If approved by parliament, the measures would come into effect on June 1.

“We are today presenting an exceptional package of measures to counter the price increases we are now seeing as a result of Russia’s invasion,” Finance Minister Mikael Damberg said in a statement.

“The situation is still uncertain and prices are very volatile, but we can see that we need to support consumers in this acute stage and at the same time take measures to reduce our fossil fuel dependency.”

Prices in February were up by 4.5 percent from a year earlier, Statistics Sweden said on Monday, the highest level since 1993 when the country was in deep economic crisis.

Electricity was 14 percent higher than a year ago, while food prices rose by 3.6 percent and clothes by five percent.

Analysts noted that those increases in February did not include the effects of Russia’s invasion — which began on February 24 — and predicted further hikes to come.

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CRIME

Nordic justice ministers meet tech giants on gangs using apps to hire ‘child soldiers’

The justice ministers of Denmark, Sweden and Norway are to meet representatives of the tech giants Google, Meta, Snapchat and TikTok, to discuss how to stop their platforms being used by gang criminals in the region.

Nordic justice ministers meet tech giants on gangs using apps to hire 'child soldiers'

Denmark’s justice minister, Peter Hummelgaard, said in a press release that he hoped to use the meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss how to stop social media and messaging apps being used by gang criminals, who Danish police revealed earlier this year were using them to recruit so-called “child soldiers” to carry out gang killings.  

“We have seen many examples of how the gangs are using social media and encrypted messaging services to plan serious crimes and recruit very young people to do their dirty work,” Hummelgaard said. “My Nordic colleagues and I agree that a common front is needed to get a grip on this problem.”

As well as recruitment, lists have been found spreading on social media detailing the payments on offer for various criminal services.   

Hummelgaard said he would “insist that the tech giants live up to their responsibilities so that their platforms do not act as hotbeds for serious crimes” at the meeting, which will take place at a summit of Nordic justice ministers in Uppsala, Sweden.

In August, Hummelgaard held a meeting in Copenhagen with Sweden’s justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, at which the two agreed to work harder to tackle cross-border organised crime, which has seen a series of Swedish youth arrested in Denmark after being recruited to carry out hits in the country. 

According to a press release from the Swedish justice ministry, the morning will be spent discussing how to combat the criminal economy and particularly organised crime in ports, with a press release from Finland’s justice ministry adding that the discussion would also touch on the “undue influence on judicial authorities” from organised crime groups. 

The day will end with a round table discussion with Ronald S Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, on how anti-Semitism and hate crimes against Jews can be prevented and fought in the Nordic region. 

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