February 4, Friday, 2022 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1.The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games officially begin on Friday. Dignitaries from 25 countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony. The ceremony begins at 8 p.m.at Beijing’s National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest. Chinese President Xi Jinping is to declare the opening of the Games.
2.Sweden will lift almost all restrictions against the coronavirus next Wednesday. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told a news conference on Thursday that it is time for Sweden to open up again. Coronavirus cases are still rising in Sweden. But the Swedish healthcare system is not under strain and more than 80 percent of people aged 12 or older have already had two vaccinations.
3.Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited Ukraine and offered to become a mediator to facilitate the easing of tensions with Russia. Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday in Kyiv. Their talks come amid Russia’s military buildup along its border with Ukraine.