Global Citizen NOW says it wants 2024 conference attendees to invest long-term in the African continent's fast-growing youth population and increase outreach to young changemakers.

European Union leaders are discussing the sensitive topic of migration to the bloc and how to stop the influx of refugees arriving via neighboring Belarus.

Stefan Lofven, Sweden’s Social Democratic prime minister since 2014, is stepping down as head of government and the party in November.

Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg says it seems that those in power “have given up” on the 2015 landmark Paris climate deal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times.

Nearly 39,000 new cases were reported Wednesday and over 35,000 on Thursday, some of the highest daily increases to date. Some facilities have already suspended elective surgery, and the eastern city of Valencia has reopened a makeshift hospital used last year. Existing lockdowns or the prospect of mandatory confinement have not been questioned or turned into a political issue in other European countries. Ireland instituted a complete lockdown after widespread infections were found to be tied to the new variant. Italy has a color-coded system that activates a strict lockdown at its highest — or red — level, although no areas are currently at that stage.

TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 18: King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden speaks during a press conference at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation on February 18, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. King Carl Gustav is visiting Japan with the Royal Technology Mission (RTM), an international delegation with a focus on technology, science and business. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)COPENHAGEN – Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf said Thursday he believes his country has failed to protect the elderly in care homes from the effects of the pandemic. It said that elderly care in Sweden has major structural shortcomings and authorities have proved unprepared and ill-equipped to meet the pandemic. Sweden has seen a rapid increase in new coronavirus infections that strained its health care system.

European Council President Charles Michel, center, arrives for a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. European Union leaders meet for a year-end summit that will address anything from climate, sanctions against Turkey to budget and virus recovery plans. From left, Latvia's Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “Any decision to impose sanctions against Turkey won’t be of great concern to Turkey,” Erdogan told reporters. Turkey also plays a military role in Libya, a main jumping-off point in Africa for migrants hoping to reach Europe.

The political leaders are meeting in the hope of finalising a Brexit trade deal between Britain and the European bloc. “I do think we need to be very very clear, there is now a strong possibility — a strong possibility — that we will have a solution that is much more like an Australian relationship with the EU," Johnson said, using his phrasing for a no-deal exit. Australia does not have a free trade deal with the 27-nation EU. Months of trade talks have failed to bridge the gaps on three issues — fishing rights, fair-competition rules and the governance of future disputes. “I still hope that we will find a solution but it’s half-half," said Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, before adding“I prefer no deal than a bad deal."

(Siphiwe Sibeko/Pool via AP)BEIJING — China has reported new coronavirus cases in the cities of Shanghai and Tianjin as it seeks to prevent small outbreaks from becoming larger ones. ___RENO, Nevada — The head of the Nevada agency promoting business growth has urged companies to embrace new restrictions as coronavirus cases soar. Kentucky continued setting records with 2,135 new confirmed coronavirus cases reported, the state’s highest daily number on a Monday since the pandemic again. Gary Herbert on Monday relaxed restrictions on social gatherings ahead of Thanksgiving weekend as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to surge. Also on Monday, Spain’s 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population — a key metric in measuring the pandemic’s spread — has continued to fall.

A general view of the round table meeting at an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. European Union leaders are meeting to address a series of foreign affairs issues ranging from Belarus to Turkey and tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. “We have to decided today to implement the sanctions," European Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing the summit in Brussels. It is also unusual in that all 27 EU member countries, including Cyprus, reject the result of the Aug. 9 election that returned Lukashenko to power for a sixth term. “When a European Union member state is attacked, threatened, when its territorial waters are not respected, it’s the duty of Europeans to show their solidarity,” Macron said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, Monday, July 20, 2020. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool Photo via AP)THE HAGUE Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte didnt win many friends with his tough negotiating over the course of a marathon four-day European Union summit in Brussels. That didnt bother the three-term leader who is a veteran of plenty of past EU negotiations. Hard-line Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wondered out loud why Rutte hated his nation. Geert Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is a fierce EU critic, called the deal Crazy.

People enjoy the warm evening weather in Malmo, Sweden, Tuesday May 26, 2020 as a sign reads 'In Malmo everything is near. We say to all those who now mourn and suffer: You are not alone.Sweden has the most virus-related deaths in the Nordic region, with 5,041 reported as of Wednesday. However, the number of COVID-19 deaths recorded daily has declined, and weekly statistics show that mortality is now close to normal for this time of year after peaking in April. A number of European countries have maintained travel restrictions on visitors from Sweden due to the countrys rate of new confirmed cases. Unfortunately, it has been interpreted in international media as a new peak, (which) is completely wrong," he said.