Magdalena Andersson steps down hours after becoming Sweden's first woman leader

Magdalena Andersson, the newly elected Swedish prime minister, resigned on Wednesday — hours after she was appointed — when her coalition partners, the Greens, quit the government.

Ms Andersson was appointed Sweden’s first woman prime minister, taking office with pledges to tackle gang crime and preserve the country’s cherished welfare state, and stepped down after a parliamentary defeat over the proposed budget.

The politician said she was ready, however, to try again to become the next prime minister in the tightly split Parliament.

“I understand that this may look very messy and what has happened is completely unique,” Ms Andersson said.

How coalition crumbled

Ms Andersson, 54, had won a vote in Parliament and formally assumed power on Friday.

It was the final hurdle to the premiership after she was elected leader of the Social Democratic Party, the largest group in the Riksdag.

She won support from green and left-wing groups in the Swedish Parliament after promising to help struggling pensioners and make the country a model in climate policy.

Another bloc, the Centre Party, said it would allow Ms Andersson's confirmation to pass to prevent a right-wing government from taking power with support from the populist Sweden Democrats.

With 117 votes for Ms Andersson, and 57 abstentions, she met the requirement of there being no majority against her.

But the Centre Party said it would not support a budget tabled by Ms Andersson's partners, clouding the picture for the new government.

Magdalena Andersson, right, was finance minister under departing leader Stefan Lofven, left. AP

What comes next

Ms Andersson has not ruled out continuing in the prime minister role of a minority government or in a renewed coalition.

“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,” Ms Andersson said after stepping down.

Even though the Green Party pulled its support for her government, it said it is prepared to support her in a new vote for the next prime minister.

But the Greens also defended their decision not to approve the coalition budget, the move that led to Ms Andersson's resignation.

Ms Andersson was finance minister under Stefan Lofven, who announced in August that he would not lead the Social Democrats into the 2022 election.

Sweden's strong finances have been credited with helping it weather the Covid-19 pandemic, in which it has broken ranks with most of Europe by shunning lockdowns and putting little emphasis on face masks.

She has pledged to leave “no stone unturned” to put a stop to gangland violence, with authorities having reported that Sweden is the only country in Europe with steadily rising gun deaths.

Gang violence has killed dozens of people this year, with rival mobsters using guns and explosives to settle scores.

“We need a full-scale mobilisation to regain control from gangs that are holding entire neighbourhoods hostage,” she said last month.

Although Sweden has long championed gender equality, it was the only Nordic country which had not previously had a woman prime minister.

“A glass ceiling has cracked and Sweden has a new excellent and strong prime minister. A great day,” said Ylva Johansson, the country’s European commissioner.

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Haircare resolutions 2021

From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.

1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'

You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.

2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'

Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.

3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’

Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017

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Normcore explained

Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

Match info

Karnataka Tuskers 110-3

J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16

Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs

K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.

October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over

January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare

February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran

March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish

June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

South Africa World Cup squad

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.

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The biog

Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology

Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels

Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs

Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

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OIL PLEDGE

At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.