Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says Kylian Mbappé “is not affected” by the Swedish media reports this week that said the France captain was the subject of a rape investigation. Mbappé’s legal team dismissed those reports as false. “I do not pay attention to speculations that come from outside the team. The player is not affected in the least,” Ancelotti said Friday. The reports in Swedish media came out after the striker visited Stockholm during the international break when he was not called up by France due to a minor injury. Pogba ready to give up money for Juventus again Without citing sources, Swedish media reported Mbappé was the subject of an investigation of an alleged rape at a hotel in Stockholm. Mbappé’s representatives have called the reports “false and irresponsible.” Swedish prosecutors issued a brief statement on Tuesday saying a rape had been reported to police, but didn’t name any suspect. Ancelotti defended his player’s right to travel on his time off. “The rest days are programmed for him and he can choose what he wants to do,” the Italian manager said. “I went to London for two days and didn’t ask anyone for permission.” Mbappé injured his left thigh in late September. But he missed only one game for Madrid, returning as a substitute in a shock 1-0 loss to Lille in the Champions League before starting in a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in the Spanish league. He then sat out the international window. Messi's Argentina held 1-1 by Venezuela in South American World Cup qualifying Mbappé trained for Madrid this week before the Spanish league resumes. Madrid plays at Celta Vigo on Saturday. “(Mbappé) took advantage of the break to improve his fitness and get well after the injury,” Ancelotti said. “He is happy and ready to play and be important for the team. These 15 days have helped because he is now a different player than before the break.”

Clashes erupted in an immigrant neighborhood in Sweden’s third largest city after an anti-Muslim protester set fire to the Quran, police said Monday. Police in Malmo said they were pelted with rocks and dozens of cars were set on fire, including in an underground garage, describing the events that started Sunday and lasted overnight as “a violent riot.” The clashes started after an anti-Islam activist Salwan Momika on Sunday burned a copy of the Quran and an angry mob tried to stop him while police, some of them helmeted, detained several people. At least three people have been detained, police said. Read: Israel's PM pitches fiber optic cable idea to link Asia and the Middle East to Europe Early Monday, an angry crowd of mainly young people also set fire to tires and debris and some were seen throwing electric scooters, bicycles and barriers in Malmo's Rosengard neighborhood, which has seen similar clashes in the past. There were several banners relating to the Quran burning. “I understand that a public gathering like this arouses strong emotions, but we cannot tolerate disturbances and violent expressions like those we saw on Sunday afternoon," senior police officer Petra Stenkula said. Read: Putin profits off US and European reliance on Russian nuclear fuel “It is extremely regrettable to once again see violence and vandalism at Rosengard,” she said. In the past months, Momika, a refugee from Iraq, has desecrated the Quran in a series of anti-Islam protests mostly in Stockholm that have caused anger in many Muslim countries. Swedish police have allowed his actions, citing freedom of speech. The Quran burnings have sparked angry protests in Muslim countries, attacks on Swedish diplomatic missions and threats from Islamic extremists. Muslim leaders in Sweden have called on the government to find ways to stop the Quran burnings. Read: Thousands of Muslims take to the streets to express outrage over Quran desecration in Sweden Sweden dropped its last blasphemy laws in the 1970s and the government has said it has no intention to reintroduce them. However, the government has announced an inquiry into legal possibilities for enabling police to reject permits for demonstrations over national security concerns.  

Bracelets, phones, and candy are just a few of the items that have lately been thrown at musicians on stage. Adele is the latest celebrity to speak out about the concerning trend, telling a Las Vegas crowd that she would "kill" anyone who threw something at her, reports BBC. Also read: Beyoncé breaks Grammys record, is now most-decorated artist In a widely circulated video, she tells the crowd that they have forgotten "show etiquette." "Dare you to throw something at me," she joked. Adele is well-known for throwing T-shirts into the audience during her Vegas residency, but her statements are in reaction to a series of events in which fans flung objects on stage, said the report. Also read: The Grammys ended in controversy, again. Here’s what to know Bebe Rexha was hurt and brought to the hospital last month after being hit by a phone while performing. And when a sex toy dropped on stage when Lil Nas X performed in Sweden on Saturday, he appeared amused, the report also said. In November, Harry Styles got hit in the eye with a sweet, and Pink appeared uneasy when a bag of human ashes was tossed on stage. Ava Max has previously been smacked on stage, and in June, a bracelet was thrown at country artist Kelsea Ballerini. Charlie Puth has also requested fans put an end to the practice, stating on Twitter that "the trend... must come to an end" and that it is "disrespectful and very dangerous." So why are fans doing it? Dr Lucy Bennett is a Cardiff University lecturer who studies the interaction between fans and their favourite performers. She believed that people's attitudes have shifted since the Covid-19 pandemic, "where we couldn't be physically present at concerts." And Dr Bennett believed some individuals are doing it since it is more difficult to be noticed by artists on social media. Also read: Jazmine Sullivan wins second Grammy "If you're in the same physical space as them, and you're throwing something, then you're going to get noticed," she said of the behaviour.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (July 02, 2023) summoned Jakob Etaat, Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) at the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka, to protest burning of a copy of the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm. Salwan Momika, said to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam’s holy book outside Stockholm’s central mosque on Wednesday, according to BBC. Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “deplorable act” in a statement published on the ministry’s official Facebook page. Also read: Dhaka strongly condemns burning of Quran outside Mosque in Sweden “Bangladesh expressed grave concern over such heinous acts of insulting the sacred values and religious symbols of the Muslims in the name of ‘freedom of expression,’” the statement read. “Bangladesh yet again urged all concerned to put an end to such unwarranted provocations for the sake of harmony and peaceful coexistence,” the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added. Also read: Sweden arrest 5 suspected of terror, ties to Quran burning The Quran burning was condemned by many Muslim-majority countries. Meanwhile, the Swedish government said it strongly rejects the Islamophobic act committed by individuals in Sweden. This act in no way reflects the opinions of the Swedish government, according to the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also read: Bangladesh strongly condemns burning of Holy Quran in Denmark

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam has exchanged views on different bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interests and concerns with the cross-party Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Swedish Parliament Riksdag in Stockholm.  The two sides, on June 16, also exchanged views on Swedish development cooperation support to Bangladesh, bilateral trade and investment cooperation, and Bangladesh’s National Action Plan on the labour sector. Also Read: Sweden keen to collaborate in IT development, green transition They also discussed possible cooperation between the two countries in IT and fintech sectors and green transition, Bangladesh-EU 50 years of partnership, Rohingya crisis, climate change, war in Ukraine, and Indo-Pacific, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The State Minister briefed the Swedish Parliamentary Committee on the socio-economic development of Bangladesh, particularly over the last 14 years, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ‘Vision 2041’.  Also Read: Dhaka seeks ASEAN’s active role for repatriation of Rohingyas Committee Chairman Aron Emilsson (Sweden Democrats), Deputy Chairman Morgan Johansson (Swedish Social Democratic Party), and members Margareta Cederfelt (Moderate Party), Jacob Risberg (Green Party) and Magnus Berntsson (Christian Democrats) from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riksdag joined the views exchange meeting while the State Minister was accompanied by Bangladesh Ambassador to Sweden, Mehdi Hasan, and Director General (West Europe & EU) of MOFA Kazi Russel Pervez. Also Read: WTO chief meets PM Hasina, wants Dhaka to reduce subsidies on fisheries  

Think soaring costs were caused by the Ukraine war or supply chain snarls? You must be unaware of the "Beyoncé effect". The official start of the singer's worldwide tour in Sweden last month caused such a rush for hotel rooms and restaurant meals that it has reflected in the country's economic data, reports BBC. In May, Sweden reported higher-than-expected inflation of 9.7%. The surprise was due to rising hotel and restaurant costs, the report said. According to Michael Grahn, economist at Danske Bank, Beyoncé may have contributed to the increase in hotel costs. He believed she was also a driving force behind the unusually massive increase in recreation and cultural expenses. Also read: BTS on 1st Grammy nod: 'It’s hard to express in words' "I wouldn't ... blame Beyoncé for [the] high inflation, but her performance and global demand to see her perform in Sweden apparently added a little to it," he wrote in an email to the BBC. There is little doubt that the singer's first solo tour in seven years is a significant business event. According to one estimate, the tour may earn over £2 billion by the time it concludes in September. Airbnb reported that searches for accommodation in locations on the tour increased after the announcement. Many shows sold out in days, and resale prices skyrocketed, the BBC report also said. Also read: Grammy-winning duo Daft Punk break up after 28 years In the United Kingdom, 60,000 people arrived in Cardiff, including fans from Lebanon, the United States, and Australia. Demand for hotel rooms related to her London show was so high that several homeless families being accommodated in a hotel by the local authorities were reportedly kicked out to make space for the fans, it said. The Stockholm concerts, where Beyoncé performed before an audience of 46,000 over two nights, apparently drew fans from all over the world, particularly the United States, where a strong dollar against the krona made tickets in the Nordic country appear to be a relative bargain. Visit Stockholm termed the surge in travel to the city the "Beyoncé effect" in an email to the Washington Post last month. Sweden's inflation rate peaked in December at 12.3%. Official numbers showed that the rate was 9.7% last month, down from 10.5% in April. The financial markets had predicted around 9.4%. Also read: Beyoncé ties Alison Krauss’ record of 27 wins at Grammys Grahn told the BBC that it is "very rare" for one celebrity to have such an effect, adding that large football tournaments may have a similar effect. He stated on social media that the anticipated trends will return to normal in June.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the "time is now" for Turkey to drop its objections to Sweden joining NATO but said the Biden administration also believed that Turkey should be provided with upgraded F-16 fighters "as soon as possible." Blinken maintained that the administration had not linked the two issues but acknowledged that some U.S. lawmakers had. President Joe Biden implicitly linked the two issues in a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. "I spoke to Erdogan and he still wants to work on something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted a deal with Sweden. So let's get that done," Biden said. Also Read: Finland could join NATO ahead of Sweden: Defense minister Still, Blinken insisted the two issues were distinct. However, he stressed that the completion of both would dramatically strengthen European security. "Both of these are vital, in our judgement, to European security," Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference in the northern Swedish city of Lulea with Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. "We believe that both should go forward as quickly as possible; that is to say Sweden's accession and moving forward on the F-16 package more broadly." "We believe the time is now," Blinken said. He declined to predict when Turkey and Hungary, the only other NATO member not yet to have ratified Sweden's membership, would grant their approval. But, he said, "we have no doubt that it can be, it should be, and we expect it to be" completed by the time alliance leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania in July at an annual summit. Also Read: Erdogan might approve Finland’s NATO bid, ‘shock’ Sweden Fresh from a strong re-election victory over the weekend, Erdogan may be willing to ease his objections to Sweden's membership. Erdogan accuses Sweden of being too soft on groups Ankara considers to be terrorists, and a series of Quran-burning protests in Stockholm angered his religious support base — making his tough stance even more popular. Kristersson said the two sides had been in contact since Sunday's vote and voiced no hesitancy in speaking about the benefits Sweden would bring to NATO "when we join the alliance." Blinken is in Sweden attending a meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council and will travel to Oslo, Norway on Wednesday for a gathering of NATO foreign ministers, before going on to newly admitted alliance member Finland on Friday. Also Read: Erdogan says no support for Sweden's NATO bid Speaking in Oslo ahead of the foreign ministers' meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the goal was to have Sweden inside the grouping before the leaders' summit in July. "There are no guarantees, but it's absolutely possible to reach a solution and enable the decision on full membership for Sweden by the Vilnius summit," Stoltenberg said.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday (May 30, 2023) called for more Swedish investment in various sectors of Bangladesh, particularly in ICT and Economic Zones, and reap the benefits. The Prime Minister made the call when a Swedish Delegation led by CEO and President of world-renowned clothing company H&M, Helena Helmersson, called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban. Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexandra Berg Von Linde and Chief Financial Officer of H&M Adam Karlsson were also in the delegation. Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters. Read more: Saudi Arabia wants to make large-scale investment in Bangladesh: Saudi ministers tell PM Hasina Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh has its own economic policy and targeted plan on poverty reduction, food security, healthcare and on creating employment opportunities. She mentioned that the government wants to expand the export basket to further strengthen the economy of the country. During the meeting, Helena Helmersson mentioned that Sweden has had special relations with Bangladesh for the last three decades and said, they want to carry forward the business with Bangladesh. The CEO and President of H&M highly appreciated the socio-economic development of Bangladesh and lauded the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for successfully tackling the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Read more: More cooperation may attract more US investment in diversified segments, hopes AmCham President In response, the Prime Minister also appreciated the Swedish Company as they did not cancel their orders during the pandemic. As Helena Helmersson pointed out the climate change issue describing it as very important, Sheikh Hasina said, her government is carrying out mitigation programmes on its own fund. In this regard, the Prime Minister noted that her government is aware about climate change and is working on this issue. Sheikh Hasina also highlighted her government’s achievements in women empowerment and gender equality in the country. Read more: Bangladesh has an amazing growth trajectory amid investment opportunities: German Diplomat Prime Minister’s Adviser on Private Industry and Investment Salman F Rahman and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present.

Finland’s defense minister said Saturday that his country will join NATO without waiting for Sweden if its Nordic neighbor’s accession is held up by the Turkish government. Mikko Savola told The Associated Press on Saturday that Finland would prefer that that the two countries join the alliance together, but it wouldn’t hold up the process if Turkey decides to approve Finland, but not Sweden, as it has warned. “No, no. Then we will join,” Savola said in an interview on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich. Since they broke with decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland and Sweden have insisted they want to join NATO together. But Turkey’s reluctance to accept Sweden unless it steps up pressure on Kurdish exile groups has made it more likely the two will have to join the alliance at different speeds. “Sweden is our closest partner,” Savola said. “Almost every week our defense forces are practicing together and so on. It’s a very deep cooperation and we also trust fully each other. But it’s in Türkiye’s hands now.” Speaking later Saturday at a panel in Munich, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin struck a similar note. “Of course, we cannot influence how some country would ratify, but our message is that we are willing to join and would prefer to join together,” she said. All NATO countries except Turkey and Hungary have already given both countries the green light to join the alliance. Hungary has said it will do so soon, but Turkey says Sweden hasn’t done enough to meet Turkish national security concerns, causing a rift in NATO at a time when the U.S. and other allies are seeking to project a united front against Russia. In recent weeks, NATO officials have played down the significance of the two nations joining simultaneously. “The main is issue is not whether Finland and Sweden are joining at the same time. The main issue is that Finland and Sweden join as soon as possible, and it is of course a Turkish decision whether to ratify both protocols or only one protocol,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Munich on Friday. Savola said he hopes Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, will become a member of the alliance before a NATO summit in July. Until then, Savola said, Finland isn’t worried about the security situation, noting Finland has a conscription army with a wartime strength of 280,000 soldiers, 95% of them reservists, and plans to buy F-35 fighter jets from the U.S., while also investing in its naval and land forces. “We are strong and our willingness to defend the country is also strong,” Savola said. Finland has supported Ukraine with weapons from the start of the war. Savola said the military support amounts to 600 million euros so far. The country has said it will participate in a joint effort by European countries to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but hasn’t specified whether it will hand over any of its own tanks. “There are many ways to join. There are those tanks, of course, training, spare parts and logistics,” he said. “We are making those decisions quite soon in Finland.”    

At the end of a two-day visit to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexandra Berg von Linde announced her country's latest contribution of $7.6 million for the energy and environment programme of the Rohingya response. The contribution will support the provision of cleaner cooking energy to Rohingya refugees, the continued rehabilitation of ecosystems and the facilitation of enhanced skills development for refugees and Bangladeshi host communities. These activities are part of the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy Plus, phase 2 programme (SAFE+2), a joint UN program which brings together the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP). "It has been impressive to see the positive impact that the SAFE+2 programme has had on Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities," said Alexandra. "As a substantial amount of forest in the Cox's Bazar area had initially been impacted following the large Rohingya influx in 2017, it is good to see that through a programme like SAFE+2, the area around the Cox's Bazar refugee camps has largely been regreened and reforested." "This contribution from the government and the people of Sweden will allow us to provide some 190,000 refugee households with liquified petroleum gas (LPG). This cleaner cooking fuel improves refugees' well-being and living conditions, as it reduces smoke inhalation and prevents gender-based violence and other protection risks related to the collection of firewood from forests," said Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR representative in Bangladesh. "It will allow for a successful rehabilitation of the environment and ecosystems of the area and substantially reduce CO2 emissions." The distribution of LPG and fuel-efficient cooking equipment enables an energy transition away from firewood and associated deforestation. The programme, including its phase 1 component, has so far prevented the emission of over 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide. The programme's impact is being enhanced through replanting, reforestation, and the improvement of watersheds. The joint programme also supports the resilience of vulnerable refugees and host communities, through skills development projects related to environmental improvements and agriculture. Sweden has supported the SAFE+ programme since it was first initiated in 2019 and then led by IOM. SAFE+2 was launched as a joint UN programme in July 2022, building on the successes and learnings from the first phase. The second phase of the programme is currently supported by the governments of Sweden and Canada. As it has been close to six years since over 700,000 Rohingya refugees were forced to flee violence and persecution in Myanmar, the Rohingya situation in Bangladesh is now officially considered a protracted refugee situation. Currently, some 920,000 Rohingya refugees remain hosted in densely populated camps in the Cox's Bazar area, with an additional 30,000 refugees living on Bhasan Char. Read more: US Counselor Chollet due Tuesday; Rohingya issue likely to get priority