Schools in Sweden will search children's bags, step up video surveillance and make clear that their premises are "not a public place" after a mass shooting at an adult education centre.
Ministers said schools must be ready for "serious violence" after 10 people, including two Syrian citizens, were killed in the shooting in Orebro last month. The gunman's motive has yet to be established but counter-extremism experts have been called in to help prepare for future threats.
As part of the crackdown, teachers will gain powers to search bags without warning, including at after-school clubs and adult education classes. Head teachers will be responsible for ensuring unwanted visitors "are not given access" to school buildings, using code locks and key cards if needed.
Swedish privacy law will be changed so that schools can set up camera surveillance without a special permit. The new rules will take effect next month and "contribute to making the country's schools safer", Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said.
The curriculum will also be updated so that teachers are instructed to convey a "fundamental respect for society's laws and rules" to pupils. Schools will be required to alert Swedish police to low-level criminal activity by pupils, not just serious offences.
Kindergartens and schools will be told they must have contingency plans in place and "make clear that the school is not a public place". The proposals come with 300 million Swedish crowns ($29.4 million) to step up security and go further than what an inquiry had recommended after the attack.
Mr Strommer said schools "should be a safe place where students, school staff and visitors can feel safe". He called the proposals a package of "important measures to prevent and deter violence in schools".
'Black day'
The February 4 attack was "a black day for Orebro and Sweden", said Education Minister Johan Pehrson, who described it as the worst mass shooting in Swedish history. The proposals have the support of the far-right Sweden Democrats whose votes the government needs for a majority.
They are part of a wider tough-on-crime approach by the Swedish government that includes longer prison sentences for gang members, and a move towards stripping nationality from dual citizens who "seriously threaten national security". The gunman in Orebro was an unemployed Swede.
The victims were of various ages and nationalities including two Syrian nationals and one Bosnian. One of them, Salim Iskef, was a former refugee from Aleppo who fled Syria a decade ago after ISIS militants killed his father.
Detectives were investigating whether the attacker had connections to the school. Swedish television published footage in which shots were heard someone could be heard shouting "you will leave Europe".
Police said several long-barrelled weapons were found when the suspect's body was discovered, having apparently turned one of his weapons on himself at the Riksberga adult education centre. He had a licence for four weapons.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The five pillars of Islam
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Barbie
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Greta%20Gerwig%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Margot%20Robbie%2C%20Ryan%20Gosling%2C%20Will%20Ferrell%2C%20America%20Ferrera%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
