EU's top court rejects effort to force tougher climate rules
The European Union's top court has rejected an effort by a Scandinavian youth group and eight families around the world to force the EU to set more ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Families from Kenya, Fiji, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Romania, along with the Swedish Sami Youth organization, launched the legal action in 2018. AdThe European General Court acknowledged that the plaintiffs are generally affected by climate change but rejected the case in 2019 on procedural grounds. The families and youth group appealed to the European Court of Justice, or ECJ, the blocโs top court. We see how the climate crisis affects the reindeer, nature and our culture," Sanna Vannar of the Sami youth organization told reporters.
Swedish official resigns over Spain vacation during pandemic
FILE - In this March 15, 2020 file photo, Dan Eliasson, the general director of the Swedish Contingencies Agency (MSB), attends a press conference on the coronavirus pandemic, in Stockholm. The departure of Dan Eliasson comes as the Scandinavian country has seen a recent spike in virus cases. But the 59-year-old Eliasson was photographed several times in December in the Canary Islands. Damberg told Swedish broadcaster SVT that โMSB as an authority must function during the pandemic. Dan Eliasson misjudged this and it has had major consequences.โSweden has stood out among European nations for its comparatively hands-off response to the pandemic.
3 men sentenced to death for killing Scandinavian hikers in Morocco
RABAT, Morocco (CNN) - Three men have been sentenced to death over the murder of two young Scandinavian women in Morocco, the lawyer for one of the victim's family confirmed Thursday. Abdelsamad al-Joud, Younes Ouziad and Rashid Afati were convicted of murdering Norweigan national Maren Ueland, 28, and Danish national Louisa Jespersen, 24. A fourth man, Abderrahmane Khayali, was sentenced to life in prison at the anti-terrorist court in Sal, near Morocco's capital Rabat. Both women had been spotted with three men in their hotel in Marrakesh before heading to the mountains to hike. Both Moroccan and Danish authorities characterized the killings as a terrorist act, saying the men had claimed allegiance to Islamic State.