Sweden
Barcelona starlet impresses, Man Utd man also performs well – Spain 0-0 Sweden Player Ratings
Spain and Sweden played out a rather entertaining 0-0 draw, with both sides missing big chances. Spain made a bright start to the game, and came closest to opening the scoring in the 16th minute. Koke swung in an inch-perfect cross for Dani Olmo, but the RB Leipzig man’s header was brilliantly kept out by goalkeeper Robin Olsen. Koke continued to be involved, twice finding himself in good positions. The first time he fired narrowly wide, and the second time he struck over from Olmo’s low cross. Spain’s biggest chance came seven minutes before the break. Alvaro Morata found himself clean through on goal after Marcus Danielson made a mess of a clearance, but the former Chelsea forward placed his effort wide of the target. Despite their dominance, La Furia Roja were unable to get a goal in th...
All Euro 2020 nation crests redesigned, for the modern era
National team crests are just different from their club counterparts. Both are an integral part of the team’s history, and both are definitely tattooed on many of the fans. However, in the past decade or so, most national team crests have already been updated and bought into the modern era of design. National team crests also seem to be simpler and have less elements than their club counterparts. That being said, I did find some ways to further simplify them. In some cases through minor changes without removing elements. It was also interesting to note how similar some of the crests can be to each other. For example Scotland, Netherlands & Wales all feature a roaring majestic lion or dragon. Or how Sweden and Finland, both nordic countries, feature their flags on a shield. I have tried...
Euro 2020: Manchester City and Bayern Munich forwards could decide fate of Group E
We’re now less than a week away from the first whistle of Euro 2020, and the excitement is getting difficult to contain. Group E is one of the more open groups in the tournament. Spain will be the favourites but come into the competition following three early exits in a row. Hoping to cause an upset are Poland, Sweden, and Slovakia, who have some secret weapons of their own. Here is one player from each of those nations who could make an impact this summer. Poland – Robert Lewandowski Lewandowski enters the tournament in the form of his life It’s no secret who Poland’s main man is. Robert Lewandowski is one of the most prolific forwards of the modern era and has elevated himself to new heights in the last two seasons, scoring 103 goals in 87 appearances. The 32-year-old is one of the front...
Iconic Stockholm Concert Venue Renamed After Avicii
The lasting impression of Avicii is not easily captured in words. The impact he had on his home city of Stockholm alone is seen through monuments and murals spread throughout the city. Now, one of Sweden’s most visited and iconic venues, the Ericsson Globe, has been renamed as the Avicii Arena. The partnership between the Tim Bergling Foundation and ASM Global’s Stockholm Live has transformed the venue into a symbol of the #ForABetterDay initiative, which focuses on helping young people with mental illness and suicide prevention. They kicked off the program last year by asking Sweden’s youth to share their mental health issues, worries, and concerns with the foundation. In August, Sweden’s Prime Minister will present their thoughts and voices to the public.&nb...
City of Stockholm to Build Memorial for Avicii in Humlegården Park
The city of Stockholm is planning to build a special memorial dedicated to legendary dance music artist Avicii. The district of Östermalm—where Avicii resided—is working with the late artist’s father, Klas Bergling, and his Tim Bergling Foundation to develop the memorial in the Humlegården park. The project was commissioned to remember those who have fallen victim to mental illness in Sweden and to pay homage to Avicii, whose poor mental health stemming from the stress of his grueling tour schedule led to his tragic death in 2018. Public television broadcaster SVT reports that the idea for the project came to light after a conversation with young people about mental illness, according to Andréa Hedin, Östermalm’s district committee chairman. The city of Stockholm is planni...
President Buhari appoints new DTCA, NIIA chiefs
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Ambassador Rabiu Dagari as Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA). The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, in a letter dated April 8, 2021, addressed to Dagari, said the appointment was for an initial period of four years with effect from March 16, 2021. Letter read: “The terms and condition of your appointment is as provided in the appointment of Chief Executives of Government Parastatals and Agencies in the Federal Public Services. “It Is hoped that your performance at the Interview/screening exercise as well as your experiences as a seasoned Diplomat/Administrator will be brought to bear in the discharge of your duties as the Director-General of the Directorate,” Aduda...
Nokia to cut up to 10,000 jobs worldwide
File Photo Telecoms company Nokia has announced its plan to cut between 5,000 and 10,000 jobs globally in the next two years. It said the move will enable it reduce cost, catch up on 5G, and invest in cloud computing and digital infrastructure research. Nokia said on Tuesday that the restructuring is aimed at boosting its performance against opponents such as Sweden’s Ericsson and China’s Huawei. The company did not indicate regions affected by the measure, but said about 96 jobs in the UK were under threat as part of the €600m (£518m) cost cuts, BBC reported. A Nokia spokesperson was quoted as saying, “We currently expect the consultation process in the UK to cover an estimated 96 roles.” “At this stage, however, these are only estimates. It is too early to comment in detail, as we have o...
DR Congo frees 26 prisoners for Laurent Kabila’s assassination
Jubilation at the Makala prison in Kinshasa Friday as Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi pardoned at least 26 men, who were convicted for planning the assassination of ex-president Laurent Kabila in 2001. They include Colonel Eddy Kapend, a prominent figure, Nono Lutula, a former special advisor on security and Leta Mangasa, and a former head of the National Intelligence Agency. Tshisekedi freed the men through a presidential decree read on state television over the weekend. He said the pardon was out of “humanity, compassion and national reconciliation”. The ex-Congolese president, Laurent Kabila was assassinated at the presidential palace in Kinshasa on January 16, 2001. Despite a long probe into his murder, the exact circumstances of Kabila’s assassination is still in contention. Seve...
Viagra Boys Release New Album Welfare Jazz: Stream
Swedish post-punk group Viagra Boys have just released Welfare Jazz, their new sophomore album. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Viagra Boys made a name for themselves by putting a satirical spin on punk with their 2018 debut Street Worms, and they continue to do so here on Welfare Jazz. The record includes standout singles like “Ain’t Nice”, in which singer Sebestions Murphy comes to terms with setting the wrong goals for himself, as well as the synth-based track “Creatures” that offers a nuanced look at crude miscreants. Elsewhere, the 13-song effort boasts a surprisingly faithful cover of the John Prine classic “In Spite of Ourselves”, featuring Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers. In the studio, Viagra Boys recorded the new album with a handful of notable producers, such as ...
Viagra Boys Churn Out More Scuzzy Salvos on Sophomore Welfare Jazz: Review
The Lowdown: If you find a political message in the music of Sweden’s Viagra Boys, it wasn’t necessarily put there on purpose. At least, that’s the party line from singer and lyricist Sebastian Murphy, whose deadpan baritone and satirical send-up of hyper-macho posturing made the post-punk band’s debut, Street Worms, essential listening in 2018. In a 2019 interview with Australia’s Happy Mag, Murphy laid out his thoughts in full: “In a way, making music in itself is a political statement,” the singer said. “If the right-wing had their way, we wouldn’t be making music at all. They hate all this stuff, and they hate this kind of culture. We’re being political just by being ourselves – and in my opinion, that’s enough. You don’t need to dive any deeper than that.” Of course, plenty of people ...
Swedish premier self-isolates as nation reports virus surge
Sweden’s prime minister announced Thursday he has gone into protective self-isolation after a person close to him encountered someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. The country is experiencing an autumn surge of infections. From his Facebook account, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that on his doctor’s advice, he and his wife, Ulla, were self-isolating, even though they have no symptoms. He said it was “the only responsible thing to do in this situation.” Lofven’s announcement came as Sweden’s Public Health Agency reported a record 4,034 new daily infections and five new deaths, putting Sweden’s total deaths at 6,002. In his post, Lofven said the new infections were clearly going in the wrong direction. Early in the pandemic, as other Nordic nations locked down to fight the vir...
Cristiano Ronaldo to make Portugal return against France, Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo was on Thursday named in the Portugal squad to play a friendly against Andorra and Nations League matches against France and Croatia. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner tested positive for coronavirus on October 13 when with the Portugal squad, going on to miss the 3-0 victory over Sweden. The 35-year-old finally tested negative 19 days later, returning to the pitch with a double for Juventus against Spezia in Serie A action on Sunday. The Portugal captain also played in Juve’s 4-1 victory over Ferencvaros in the Champions League on Wednesday. Reigning European champions Portugal take on Andorra on Wednesday before Nations League A3 matches at home against France on November 14 and away to Croatia three days later. The main absentee from Fernando Santos’ 25-man squad is Pep...
