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“Take official warnings seriously”: Aussies warned to not travel to surprising destination

Australian travellers have been urged to exercise caution if they are planning to visit a popular Scandinavian tourist destination. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have warned Aussies to use “a high degree of caution in Sweden due to the threat of terrorism” in its official travel advisory for the country. The warning comes as Sweden has the country has seen a surge in racial and religious tensions, with violence escalating after anti-Islam activists publicly burned and damaged copies of the Islamic sacred text, the Quran. As a result of the violence, Australia's official <a href="https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/sweden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SmartTraveller website</a> has placed the Scandinavian country on a Level Two alert, which means visitors need to be more cautious than normal. The warning does not include urging travellers to reconsider a trip or being told not to go to a destination. “You should maintain a high level of vigilance in public spaces,” the website says. “Since the beginning of 2023, there's been an increase in public burnings of the Quran, which has led to a deterioration in the security situation.” “The Swedish Government has assessed the risk of terrorism as an 'elevated threat', equivalent to a threat level of 3 out of 5.” “This rating means an attack could happen. Take official warnings seriously.” The website offers some further advice to “protect yourself from terrorism”, including avoiding places that could be terrorist targets (such as airports, travel hubs, tourism hotspots and places of worship), avoiding visiting such places at peak times and having “a clear exit plan if there's a security incident”. Travellers are also advised to “consider the level of security around you”, report suspicious items to police, and monitor official advice and media assessments. Australia is not alone in classifying Sweden as a more dangerous country for tourists, as the UK's Home Office has warned terrorist attacks “could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners”, while the US Department of State says terrorist groups “continue plotting possible attacks in Sweden”. Image credits: Getty Images

International Travel

Historic Swedish sailing ship slow to give up its secrets

<div> The Swedish ship Vasa was supposed to be a beacon of military might when it launched in 1628, but it sank after sailing just over a kilometre, killing roughly 30 people in the process. Since its recovery in 1961, the ship, its contents and the people who perished with it have become a valuable insight into 17th-century Swedish life. Now, an international team of researchers has looked closer at one of the skeletons, referred to as G, and have confirmed that it’s female. “Through osteological analysis it has been possible to discover a great deal about these people, such as their age, height and medical history. Osteologists recently suspected that G could be female, on the basis of the pelvis. DNA analysis can reveal even more,” says Dr Fred Hocker, director of research at the Vasa Museum, Sweden. “It is very difficult to extract DNA from bone which has been on the bottom of the sea for 333 years, but not impossible”, says Professor Marie Allen, a forensic geneticist at Uppsala University in Sweden. “Already some years ago we had indications that skeleton G was not a man but a woman. Simply put, we found no Y-chromosomes in G’s genetic material. But we could not be certain and wanted to confirm the result.” They were able to do that with a technique developed by the US Department of Defense’s Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL). “We took new samples from bones for which we had specific questions. AFMES-AFDIL has now analysed the samples, and we have been able to confirm that G was a woman, thanks to the new test,” says Allen. Allen, along with AFMES-AFDIL collaborator Dr Kimberly Andreaggi, is now investigating the DNA for more detail about G. “Today we can extract much more information from historic DNA than we could earlier and methods are being continuously refined. We can say if a person was predisposed to certain illnesses, or even very small details, such as if they had freckles and wet or dry ear wax,” says Allen. The Vasa Museum, meanwhile, is collecting information for a book about the people who died on the ship. “We want to come as close to these people as we can. We have known that there were women on board Vasa when it sank, and now we have received confirmation that they are among the remains,” says museum historian Dr Anna Maria Forssberg. “I am currently researching the wives of seamen, so for me this is especially exciting, since they are often forgotten even though they played an important role for the navy.” </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/vasa-shipwreck-female/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. Images: Getty </div>

Technology

Princess Beatrice opens up about serious affliction

Princess Beatrice has opened up about her battle with dyslexia, as well as sharing the moment she realised she had the condition. While attending the World Dyslexia Assembly in Stockholm, Beatrice was joined by Swedish royals Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia. Prince Carl also suffers from dyslexia, and is working with his wife to help break the stigma of the affliction. They shared a photo of their meeting with the British royals with the caption, "A special thank you to Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, a longtime activist for dyslexic minds, and to her husband Edoardo for joining us". Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo, too, has dyslexia. Speaking at the event, Beatrice said, "I began my dyslexia journey at age seven when, probably like many in this room, the words on the page began dancing off things in the room." "I was lucky enough to be supported by the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre and what I've learnt about my discovery about my dyslexia is that I was incredibly lucky to have the types of teachers and specialist support that the centre really did offer." "One of the most important things that we need to do is to take that particular learning and make sure that every teacher has an opportunity to understand what is possible." "Teachers are our first line of defence for every child." Beatrice said while her "spelling is appalling" and home-schooling her stepson Wolfie during the coronavirus pandemic was "not her forte", she sees her dyslexia as an asset. "It was always about moving forward, it was always about what you could do. Never about what you can't." Attending the event was Princess Beatrice's first official engagement since giving birth to her daughter Sienna in October. Image credits: Instagram @prinsparet

Caring

Royal family release new portraits

The Swedish royal family have launched a website to share stunning new portraits of the entire family. Available in Swedish and English, the incredible photographs focus on the entire Royal House which includes, King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Princess Estelle, Prince Oscar, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine, and Princess Birgitta. However, Princess Birgitta is the only one who does not have a working page due to some technological issues with the website. Each individual portrait includes a short biography of the royal and their duties based on their position. HM The King - Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, King of Sweden, born on 30 April, 1946, ascended the throne on 15 September 1973. Carl XVI Gustaf is the seventh king of the House of Bernadotte and the longest reigning monarch in Swedish history. The King's motto is: “For Sweden – With the times”. HM The Queen - Silvia Renate, Queen of Sweden, born on 23 December 1943. Married on 19 June 1976 to HM King Carl XVI Gustaf. HRH The Crown Princess - Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland, born on 14 July 1977. HRH Prince Daniel - Olof Daniel, Prince of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, born on 15 September 1973. Married on 19 June 2010 to HRH The Crown Princess. HRH Princess Estelle - Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland, born on 23 February 2012 as first child of TRH The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel. HRH Prince Oscar - Oscar Carl Olof, Prince of Sweden, Duke of Skåne, born on 2 March 2016 as second child to TRH The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel. HRH Prince Carl Philip - Carl Phillip Edmund Bertil, Prince of Sweden, Duke of Värmland, born on 13 May 1979. HRH Princess Sofia - Sofia Kristina, Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Värmland, born on 6 December 1984. Married on 13 June 2015 to HRH Prince Carl Philip. HRH Princess Madeleine - Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine, Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, born on 10 June 1982. Images: Swedish Royal Court / Linda Broström

Beauty & Style

“Hey, doesn’t this look like the prince’s dog?”

Two young women got the shock of their lives when they discovered a lost dog while out walking and called the phone number on its collar, only to discover the dog belonged to none other than Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and his family. The dog, Siri, who lives with the Prince, his wife Princess Sofia and their children, is known for escaping the palace, with an escape in 2018 ending with Siri being <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018090762038/prince-carl-philip-princess-sofia-dog-siri-missing/" target="_blank">found by police</a>. This time, it was a pair of young women who found the pooch while walking around Stockholm, and they thought to call the phone number on the dog’s collar. When nobody picked up, they tried the police animal unit, but after waiting “a long time”, they still hadn’t received a response. At this point, one of the girls joked that the dog looked like the Prince’s pup, at which point they searched Google for photos of Siri and realised they were in the presence of royalty. <div class="embed"><iframe class="embedly-embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2F7033463733485604101&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40angieberge%2Fvideo%2F7033463733485604101%3Fis_from_webapp%3D1%26sender_device%3Dpc%26web_id7007617673963046402&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" scrolling="no" title="tiktok embed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div> "I searched Google and came up with an article about the prince's dog having escaped in the past. I saw the picture of the dog and fell to my knees — I couldn't stop laughing because it was so hilarious," Angelina Berge, who posted a video to Tiktok about the incident, said. "We started talking to the dog and said her name: 'Siri, Siri'. She was super happy. Then we realised it was probably the prince's dog." They carried Siri to the royal couple’s residence Villa Solbacken, as they said her legs were “a bit tired”. Understandable after fleeing a palace and wandering around Stockholm! <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfRIbNnX20/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfRIbNnX20/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Prinsparet (@prinsparet)</a> </div> </blockquote> When they arrived, they were greeted by a grief-stricken Prince Carl Philip. "We rang the doorbell of the prince and princess' house," Berge said. "Prince Carl Philip came down with his son and picked up the dog. He was so very nice and kind and thanked us again and again." Berge said of the interlude, "We were both kind of shocked and thought. 'What are the odds of this happening to us?'" Considering how often Siri seems to escape, the odds might be better than you think! Image: Tiktok

Family & Pets

Country’s first female PM quits on very first day

Image: Getty Hours after being voted in as Sweden’s first female prime minister, Magdalena Andersson has resigned. Andersson’s ascension was a milestone for Sweden, viewed for decades as one of Europe’s most progressive countries when it comes to gender relations, but which had yet to have a woman in the top political spot. Parliament approved Andersson as prime minister after she recently became the new leader of the Social Democratic party, replacing Stefan Lofven as party leader and PM. However, just a few hours later Andersson was announcing her equally shocking and sudden resignation after suffering a budget defeat in parliament and coalition partner the Greens left the two-party minority government. "For me, it is about respect, but I also do not want to lead a government where there may be grounds to question its legitimacy," Andersson told a news conference. Andersson has informed parliamentary Speaker Anderas Norlen that she is still interested in leading a Social Democratic one-party government. She said that "a coalition government should resign if a party chooses to leave the government. Despite the fact that the parliamentary situation is unchanged, it needs to be tried again". Norlen, the speaker of Sweden's 349-seat parliament, said he had received Andersson's resignation and would contact the party leaders "to discuss the situation". He is expected to announce the road ahead today, Thursday 25th November. The government's own budget proposal was rejected in favour of one presented by the opposition that includes the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats. Sweden's third-largest party is rooted in a neo-Nazi movement. "Now the government has voted for a budget that has been negotiated by a right-wing extremist party," Green Party spokesperson Per Bolund said. "That is something we deeply regret." Earlier in the day, when parliament voted to approve Andersson as prime minister, independent politician Amineh Kakabaveh, who supported Andersson, noted that Sweden is currently celebrating the 100th anniversary of a decision to introduce universal and equal suffrage in the Scandinavian country. "If women are only allowed to vote but are never elected to the highest office, democracy is not complete," said Kakabaveh who is of Iranian Kurdish descent. "There is something symbolic in this decision," she added. "Feminism is always about girls and women being complete people who have the same opportunities as men and boys." "I was really moved by what she said. She pinpointed exactly what I thought," Andersson said after her appointment in parliament where she got a standing ovation and a bouquet of red roses. "I have been elected Sweden's first female prime minister and know what it means for girls in our country," Andersson said.

News

Two countries pause Moderna rollout for youths over rare side effects

Sweden and Denmark have said they will pause the use of Modern’s COVID-19 vaccine for younger age groups after reports of possible rare side effects, such as myocarditis. The Swedish Health Agency said on Wednesday it would pause using the shot for those born in 1991 and later, as data points to an increase in myocarditis and pericarditis among youths and young adults who have been vaccinated. Those conditions involve inflammation of the heart or its lining. “The connection is especially clear when it comes to Modern’s vaccine Spikevax, especially after the second dose,” the healthy agency said in a statement, adding the risk of being affected was very small. Denmark said that, while it was already using the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine as the main option for those aged 12-17 years, it had decided to pause giving the Moderna vaccine to those under 18 as a “precautionary principle”. “In the preliminary data….there is a suspicion of an increased risk of heart inflammation, when vaccinated with Moderna,” The Danish Health Authority said in a statement. It referred to data from an as yet unpublished Nordic study, which would now be sent to European Medicines Agency (EMA) for further assessment. Final data was expected within a month, it added. Sweden and Denmark said they now recommend the Comirnaty vaccine, from Pfizer/Biontech instead. Norway already recommends the Pfizer vaccine to minors and said on Wednesday that it was reiterating this, underlining that the rare side effects could happen particularly for boys and young men, mainly after receiving a second dose. “Men under 30 should also consider choosing Cominarty when they get vaccinated,” Geir Bukholm, head of infection control at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, said in a statement. A Finnish health official said that Finland expected to publish a decision on Thursday.

Caring

Bjorn from ABBA sets out to fix $900 million problem

ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus has launched a campaign to fix the over $900 million problem in the music industry. The project has been called Credits Due, and aims to ensure all musicians and songwriters are correctly identified when a song is recorded. This proper confirmation allows royalty payments to be accurately distributed within the competitive music industry. This incomplete and missing data has resulted in roughly $900 million left unallocated globally each year. "It happens frequently," Ulvaeus told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58643787">BBC</a>. "Which means that streaming services don't know who to pay." The new scheme will also ensure that music fans can see the correct credits for everyone who worked on their favourite songs, from the writers and producers to the session musicians and engineers. "We want to get back to that experience we had when we opened a double-sleeved LP and listened to the songs while reading the liner notes," Ulvaeus explained. "I think that's a very valuable experience that young listeners today are missing." The scheme will be able collate a more extensive catalogue for everyone involved in a track, as engineers and producers alike will be linked to "clickable in the digital liner notes". "Every new person that walks into the recording studio will be registered," Ulvaeus said. "So, even in a symphony orchestra, every member will be clickable." After launching the idea in London at the Ivor Novello Awards, which recognises the contribution of songwriters in the music industry, there was widespread support. "I think it's really important because there's lots of people behind the scenes that don't get the credit they deserve," said singer Emeli Sande. "You've got musicians that have practised and refined their art for their whole lives - so yeah, I'm very happy to support Bjorn." British songwriter MNEK, who has written for pop stars around the world, agreed with the campaign, saying, "I think it highlights that more that goes into making music, than just being a pop star." Image credits: Getty Images

Music

ABBA break their 39-year hiatus to release new music

The Swedish pop band ABBA are rumoured to be releasing new music this Friday, breaking their 39-year hiatus. The global hitmakers are preparing to make their comeback with a show called Abba Voyage, which will see hologram projections of their younger selves beamed on stage to perform their songs. A source reported, 'ABBA are finally making their comeback and plan to release their first new music in 39 years next Friday — it's huge.' The Abba Voyage will follow the group’s highly-anticipated comeback in a high tech show that will reportedly open next month in an East London theatre. The insider added. “Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid will all be there on the opening night. And they will finally unveil their Abba-tars, which are like holograms of themselves.” “The show will feature the Abba-tars performing and speaking to the audience. It will be like taking a step back in time for those watching.” Plans for the band’s return have been in place since 2019, but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comeback comes after reports surfaced on Tuesday that the group were set to hold a press conference in Stockholm, leading to a flurry of speculation that a huge announcement could be on the cards. In 2018, the Swedish quartet announced that they were recording new tracks, and that they have more songs than originally planned. In a statement announcing the new songs, ABBA said at the time,”'The decision to go ahead with the exciting ABBA avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence.” “We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio.” Image credits: Getty Images

Music

Swedish royal family releases new photos of adorable family!

Prince Julian’s adorable christening photos have been released by the Swedish royal family. Parents Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip posed with their three children, in an official post released by the palace. Four-month-old Prince Julian was a bundle of joy wrapped up in his mother’s arm, as the family posed for the camera at their family summer home, Drottningholm Palace. Princess Sofia looked like a picture of elegance in a stunning floral gown, which she tied together with a silk white hair bow and off-white stilettos. The little family was joined by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, along with Sofia's parents, Marie and Erik Hellqvist. In another official portrait, the family can be seen posing with Prince Julian's five godparents, Jacob Högfeldt, Frida Vesterberg, Patrick Sommerlath and Johana and Stina Andersson. Julian wore a family heirloom for his christening, as it has been a tradition for royal babies to wear ever since Prince Gustaf Adolf's christening in 1906. His older siblings Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel looked adorable in matching beige suit jackets and navy shorts, <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSlpF8Dh1-q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSlpF8Dh1-q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Prinsparet (@prinsparet)</a> </div> </blockquote> Prince Julian was born on March 26. In the series of snaps from the Christening, the Palace released a statement which read: "earlier today, Prince Julian, Duke of Halland, was baptised in Drottningholm's castle church. Officers at the baptism were the Supreme Court preacher Bishop Johan Dalman and Michael Bjerkhagen, pastor of the Royal. The Court Parish." "The prince's sponsors are Mr Johan Andersson, Mrs Stina Andersson, Mr Jacob Högfeldt, Mr Patrick Sommerlath and Miss Frida Vesterberg," the statement continued. "During the baptismal service, the assembled guests sang hymns 289 ('God's love is like the beach and the grass') and 201 ('Summer hymn'). Music was also performed by, among others, Lilla Akademien. Prince Julian's baptism will be televised tomorrow in @SVT." Princess Sofia celebrated the birth of her third son earlier this year, writing "Life gave me not just one but four beautiful princes." Images: @Kungahuset

Family & Pets

Style look book: Is Princess Sofia of Sweden the most fashionable royal?

Many style watchers have their eyes firmly placed on British royals including the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex. However, there may be one Swedish princess that could be a big contender for the most fashionable royal and that is Princess Sofia of Sweden. Before she was a royal living the high life with the handsome Prince Carl Philip by her side and two gorgeous children, Princess Sofia was a glamour model and a Swedish reality TV star. Since marrying her husband in 2015, the 35-year-old has redefined royal style by adding in a touch of glamour and elegance that is quite simply unique to Princess Sofia. She has shown time and time again she is not afraid to incorporate a sultry pop of colour, a raging fashion trend or accessories that makes a big statement. While Princess Sofia has only become apart of royal life for a little less than five years, she has fast become a sure contender in the realm of royal style and solidified herself as someone that is hard to compete with due to her perfect fashion statements. See Princess Sofia’s best looks so far.

Beauty & Style

Federer breaks the internet after becoming first person to receive historic honour

Iconic tennis legend Roger Federer, 38, has made history and become the first living man in Switzerland to be recognised with a commemorative coin. The 20-time grand slam winner has now been honoured with the historical achievement in his home country, which he says is an “incredible honour and privilege”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Thank you Switzerland🇨🇭and Swissmint for this incredible honour and privilege. 🙏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DankeSchweiz?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DankeSchweiz</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MerciLaSuisse?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MerciLaSuisse</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrazieSvizzera?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrazieSvizzera</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GraziaSvizra?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GraziaSvizra</a> <a href="https://t.co/gNs6qYjOh6">pic.twitter.com/gNs6qYjOh6</a> — Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer/status/1201455063941566464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">2 December 2019</a></blockquote> The Federal Swiss Mint announced that he would be on the 20-franc coin, which shows Federer lining up his iconic backhand. “The Federal Mint Swissmint is honouring Roger Federer and, for the first time in its history, dedicating a Swiss commemorative coin to a living person,” the website read. The demand for the coin, which was released on the 2nd of December, broke the website. “We had 2.5 million clicks. It was too much for the shop to handle,” said Swissmint CEO Marius Haldimann to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/demand-for-roger-federer-coin-crashes-swissmint-website" target="_blank">ATP Tour.</a> “We expected and planned for high demand, but we never imagined it would be this big. When Roger posted a link on his social media channels the website immediately had problems due to all the traffic. Some fans could access the shop but could not finish the order. Others could not get onto the website.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5kOeTyFceI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5kOeTyFceI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Thank you Switzerland🇨🇭and Swissmint for this incredible honour and privilege. 🙏 #dankeschweiz #mercilasuisse #graziesvizzera #GraziaSvizra</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/rogerfederer/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Roger Federer</a> (@rogerfederer) on Dec 2, 2019 at 2:05am PST </div> </blockquote> Out of the 35,000 20-franc silver coins that were offered in the pre-sale window, 15,000 have been ordered. The remaining 20,000 coins are expected to sell quickly once the Mint has recovered from the dramatic spike in traffic. Another 40,000 coins will be released in May, when a 50-franc gold coin will be released. Federer is currently the oldest person to finish a season as the World No 3 at the age of 38.

International Travel

Why Sweden's central bank dumped Australian bonds

What’s happening? Suddenly, at the level of central banks, Australia is regarded as an investment risk. On Wednesday Martin Flodén, the deputy governor of Sweden’s central bank, announced that because Australia and Canada were “<a href="https://www.riksbank.se/globalassets/media/tal/engelska/floden/2019/monetary-policy-in-a-changing-world.pdf">not known for good climate work</a>”. As a result the bank had sold its holdings of bonds issued by the Canadian province of Alberta and by the Australian states of Queensland and Western Australia. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301897/original/file-20191115-47128-1s2eoc3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301897/original/file-20191115-47128-1s2eoc3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <a href="https://www.riksbank.se/globalassets/media/tal/engelska/floden/2019/monetary-policy-in-a-changing-world.pdf" class="source">Martin Flodén, deputy governor Sveriges Riksbank Central Bank of Sweden</a> Central banks normally make the news when they change their “cash rate” and households pay less (or more) on their mortgages. But central banks such as Australia’s Reserve Bank and the European Central Bank, the People’s Bank of China and the US Federal Reserve have broader responsibilities. They can see climate change affecting their ability to <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/working-paper/2018/climate-change-and-the-macro-economy-a-critical-review.pdf">manage their economies</a> and deliver <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/fsr/2019/oct/box-c-financial-stability-risks-from-climate-change.html">financial stability</a>. There’s more to central banks than rates As an example, the new managing director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva warned last month that the necessary transition away from fossil fuels would lead to significant amounts of “<a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/central-banks-tune-in-to-climate-change-20191020-p532ev">stranded assets</a>”. Those assets will be coal mines and oil fields that become worthless, endangering the banks that have lent to develop them. More frequent floods, storms and fires will pose risks for insurance companies. Climate change will make these and other shocks more frequent and more severe. In a speech in March the deputy governor of Australia’s Reserve Bank <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2019/sp-dg-2019-03-12.html">Guy Debelle</a> said we needed to stop thinking of extreme events as cyclical. <blockquote> We need to think in terms of trend rather than cycles in the weather. Droughts have generally been regarded (at least economically) as cyclical events that recur every so often. In contrast, climate change is a trend change. The impact of a trend is ongoing, whereas a cycle is temporary. </blockquote> And he said the changes that will be imposed on us and the changes we will need might be abrupt. <blockquote> The transition path to a less carbon-intensive world is clearly quite different depending on whether it is managed as a gradual process or is abrupt. The trend changes aren’t likely to be smooth. There is likely to be volatility around the trend, with the potential for damaging outcomes from spikes above the trend. </blockquote> Australia’s central bank and others are going further then just responding to the impacts of climate change. They are doing their part to moderate it. No more watching from the sidelines Over thirty central banks (including Australia’s), and a number of financial supervisory agencies, have created a <a href="https://www.ngfs.net/en">Network for Greening the Financial System</a>. Its purpose is to enhance the role of the financial system in mobilising finance to support the transitions that will be needed. The US Federal Reserve has not joined yet but is <a href="https://www.bis.org/review/r191111a.pdf">considering how to participate</a>. One of its credos is that central banks should <a href="https://www.bis.org/review/r191111a.pdf">lead by example</a> in their own investments. They hold and manage over A$17 trillion. That makes them enormously large investors and a huge influence on global markets. As part of their traditional focus on the liquidity, safety and returns from assets, they are taking into account climate change in deciding how to invest. The are increasingly putting their money into “<a href="https://www.bis.org/publ/qtrpdf/r_qt1909f.pdf">green bonds</a>”, which are securities whose proceeds are used to finance projects that combat climate change or the depletion of biodiversity and natural resources. Over A$300 billion worth of green bonds were issued in 2018, with the total stock now over A$1 trillion. Central banks are investing, and setting standards While large, that is still less than 1% of the stock of conventional securities. It means green bonds are less liquid and have higher buying and selling costs. It also means smaller central banks lack the skills to deal with them. These problems have been addressed by the <a href="https://www.bis.org/">Bank for International Settlements</a>, a bank owned by 60 of the central banks. In September it launched a <a href="https://www.bis.org/press/p190926.htm">green bond fund</a> that will pool investments from 140 (mostly central bank) clients. Its products will initially be denominated in US dollars but will later also be available in euros. It will be supported by an advisory committee of the world’s top central bankers. It is alert to the risk of “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing">greenwashing</a>” and will only buy bonds that comply with the International Capital Market Association’s <a href="https://www.icmagroup.org/green-social-and-sustainability-bonds/green-bond-principles-gbp/">Green Bond Principles</a> or the Climate Bond Initiative’s <a href="https://www.climatebonds.net/standard">Climate Bond Standard</a>. Launching the fund in Basel, Switzerland, the bank’s head of banking Peter Zöllner said he was <blockquote> confident that, by aggregating the investment power of central banks, we can influence the behaviour of market participants and have some impact on how green investment standards develop </blockquote> It’s an important role. Traditionally focused on keeping the financial system safe, our central banks are increasingly turning to using their stewardship of the financial system to keep us, and our environment, safe.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126766/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-hawkins-746285">John Hawkins</a>, Assistant professor, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-why-swedens-central-bank-dumped-australian-bonds-126766">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

King Carl of Sweden strips five grandchildren of royal status

The King of Sweden has stripped five of his grandchildren of their royal status as the monarchy faces increasing amounts of pressure to cut back on annual bills. The children, aged between one and five, are the offspring of two of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s younger children – Prince Carl and his wife Sofia, and US-based Princess Madeleine and her husband Christopher O’Neill. The children will still be a part of the royal family, but will be forced to drop their titles of His and Her Royal Highness. They will also not be able to use taxpayer’s money. Princess Madeleine said that the change “has been planned for a long time” and it would allow her three children a “greater opportunity to shape their own lives”. Carl and Sofia were also thrilled with the decision, saying: “We see this as positive as Alexander and Gabriel will have freer choices in life”. The family has come under fire as of late after their expenditure was reaching enormous amounts. Currently, taxpayers are forking out $21 million annually to help the monarchy fund their lifestyles. According to the Swedish royal court’s top official, Frederik Wersall, the royal family understood and had accepted the need for change. “We have a large royal family. If you include the next generation, there are currently 10 people in the line of succession,” he told Swedish media. Scroll through the gallery above to see Sweden’s royal family.

Relationships

Rise to royalty: Swedish Sofia’s journey from risque star to beloved princess

Before she became Princess Sofia of Sweden, she was Sofia Hellqvist. Born in December 1984, she began making a name for herself while studying in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. The royal started out as a glamour model and partook in risque photoshoots. One of her most outlandish was one she posed for at the age of 20 for a Swedish men’s magazine, Slitz, where she wore a boa constrictor as her own form of clothing. In 2004 she was crowned Miss Slitz 2004. The recognition from the bold cover earnt her a spot on a popular reality television show, Paradise Hotel, in 2005. The show required a group of single people to stay in a luxury tropical resort and compete to find their perfect match. The royal would not find the one for her until 2009, however, when she met her future husband, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, at a busy nightclub. They both described their first meeting as “love at first sight”. Having studied accounting, global ethics and various other courses focussing on children’s rights, Princess Sofia received encouragement from her royal boyfriend to focus on more charitable endeavours. In 2010, she established the Sofia Hellqvist Project Playground, which supports underprivileged children in South Africa. When the news of their intimate relationship became public, critics thought the couple were not a good match. Princess Sofia said in an interview in 2018 the transition from local celebrity to royal an incredibly difficult feat. "I was met with an enormous hate storm, from people who had opinions about as a person, about my relationship. "I was surprised and it definitely affected me. I didn't understand that people had such need to express how badly they felt about me. It was very tough. "I don't regret anything. All these experiences have made me the person I am. I wouldn't have made those choices today." In 2014, the couple announced their engagement and it seems Prince Carl was head over heels with his soon-to-be-fiance. "I don't think I knew the magic of love before I met Sofia," Prince Carl said in their joint engagement interview. "But ever since I met her, I've seen how love can change a person." Princess Sofia said: "The first thing I noticed about Carl Philip was that he seemed very humble. "When I got to know him, I saw that he was incredibly natural, very intelligent and very humble." The duo married inside the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm on June 13, 2015. Other royals from all over the world were there to witness the nuptials including Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, along with others from the UK, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Greece, Norway and Germany. The couple welcomed their first child, Prince Alexander, in April 2016, and then later on, Prince Gabriel in August 2017. Scroll through the gallery above to see Princess Sophia’s life in pictures.

Beauty & Style

Top 5 places to see the world's best cherry blossoms

No matter where you are in the world, it’s always nice to enjoy the view of cherry blossoms when they are in season. Here are some of the best places in the world to see the beautiful flowers in bloom. 1. Arakurayama Sengen Park, Japan This scenic gem in Yamanashi shines in April when cherry blossoms are in full bloom, complemented by a classic five-storey pagoda from the Arakura Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine and majestic views of Mount Fuji in the distance. 2. Kungsträdgården, Stockholm, Sweden While Stockholm is lined with pink trees every spring, Kungsträdgården is where you can see the flowers form a cotton candy canopy over the entire park. In mid-April you can also stroll through the stands and get some snacks from the annual Japanese festival taking place at the site. Expect the peak around mid-to-late April. 3. Jerte Valley, Spain Located between Salamanca and Cáceres, the valley has two million white cherry trees that create a stunning, snow-like panorama. As the locals tell it, Valle del Jerte comes to life every March in three stages: despertar el valle (the valley wakes), cerezo en Flor (cherry trees in bloom), and lluvia de Pétalos (shower of flower petals). 4. Washington DC, US Cherry blossoms first arrived in DC in 1912 as a gift from Japan. To commemorate the occasion, the city celebrates the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, allowing visitors to enjoy the sea of pink and white from the 3,000-plus trees around the Tidal Basin from late March to mid-April. 5. Pingba, Guizhou, China According to local media, the region boasts more than 500,000 cherry trees along with azalea and apricot trees. When they blossom in late March to early April, the aerial view of the region shows a lush display of white-pink petals covering the county. Click through the gallery above to see the cherry blossoms at these spots. Will you be visiting any of these places? Let us know in the comments.

International Travel

ABBA fans rejoice! Two new songs set to be released

Swedish disco group ABBA have reunited to release two new songs, 35 years after the release of their last single, sparking joy amongst the band’s many fans. <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/" target="_blank">Yahoo 7 reports</a> the group will release two new songs called “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down” which were recorded last year on the sly. “We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did,” the group said in a statement. The legendary group split up in 1982 after a legendary run of hits with songs like, “Waterloo”, “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia” and “Super Trouper”. “It was like time had stood still and that we only had been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!” the band members added. Fans are now waiting with baited breath for the release of the songs, and music expert Carl Magnus Palm, who has written several books about the group, sees no reason why the new music won’t be a hit. “I think it’s going to sound pretty much like their last songs from 1982, with quite a mild tempo, not like ‘Voulez-Vous’ or ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’,” he told AFP. “Frida’s and Agnetha’s voices are the same, so it won’t be a huge difference,” he said What are your thoughts?

Music

Inside Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia’s son’s christening

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden have baptised their three-month-old son, Prince Gabriel, in a lavish ceremony in the Royal Chapel at Stockholm’s Drottningholm Palace Church. The beautiful bub wore the same lace christening gown worn by the king’s father Prince Gustaf Adolf in 1906, his big brother Prince Alexander and even his own dad. Sofia also followed tradition, wearing a customary Swedish outfit which included an embroidered head cap, striped apron and buckled shoes. But despite it being Gabriel’s big day, all eyes were on Alexander, who started getting bored around the 35-minute mark – as kids are wont to do! He eventually broke free of his dad’s grasp, going off on an exploratory adventure around the church before taking a tumble and landing on the chapel’s hard stone floor. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Prince Alexander was not happy at all! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotToday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotToday</a> <a href="https://t.co/vCoSTLHWlE">pic.twitter.com/vCoSTLHWlE</a> — HRH Princess Sofia (@PRINCESSANSOFIA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PRINCESSANSOFIA/status/936557340203081728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote> Carl, 38 and Sofia, 32, <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/10/first-look-at-newest-member-of-the-swedish-royal-family/" target="_blank">announced the birth of their second child</a> on August 31. The proud dad told reporters the couple were “really happy” and that their newest addition was “a very cute boy”. “It feels great, pure joy! He seems to be a very charming little boy and Sofia is a wonderful mum. It’s overwhelming. He has a draw of both me and Sofia.” See all the gorgeous photos from the lavish christening ceremony in the gallery above.

International Travel

Danish royals Mary and Frederik visit Sweden

The Danish royals Princess Mary and Prince Frederik recently spent some time with their Swedish royal counterparts, Prince Daniel and Princess Victoria. The royal foursome posed for various photos during their trip to Stockholm, Sweden. Take a look at them above in the gallery.

International Travel

Sweden’s Princess Leonore celebrates third birthday

Sweden’s Princess Madeleine marked her daughter’s third birthday by sharing an adorable set of photos of the birthday girl. Princess Leonore celebrated her third birthday on Monday, with the proud royal mum taking to Facebook to give the public a glimpse of the celebrations. <img width="500" height="500" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33568/1_500x500.jpg" alt="1 (161)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> "Happy Birthday Sweet Leonore! You make us smile every day," the mother-of-two wrote alongside a photo of Leonore holding a bunch of colourful balloons. Leonore is Princess Madeleine and husband Chris O'Neill's oldest child, and big sister to her baby brother Prince Nicolas. <img width="408" height="411" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33569/2.jpg" alt="2 (160)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Happy birthday Leonore! Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/kath-williams-remembers-childhood-in-1960s/">Remembering all that mum did during my childhood</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/carolyn-legrand-tracked-fathers-lost-brother/">I tracked down my father-in-law’s long lost brother</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/connecting-children-with-the-natural-world/">Connecting children with the natural world</a>

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Inside Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia’s son’s christening

Danish royals Mary and Frederik visit Sweden

Sweden’s Princess Leonore celebrates third birthday

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