The Dispatch

UPDATED – Swedish PM resigns, finance minister likely successor

Swedish centre-left Prime Minister Stefan Lofven formally resigned on Wednesday, opening the way for Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson to become the country's first woman premier if she can win parliament's…

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Unvaccinated in Greece face new restrictions as COVID cases soar

ATHENS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Queues formed outside shops in Athens on Saturday on the first day of new restrictions to curb soaring coronavirus infections which require the unvaccinated to…

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Swedish police arrest man suspected of plotting “devastation”

Swedish security police have detained a man suspected of plotting "devastation endangering the public" in a case linked to violent right-wing extremism. The man, who had previously been arrested in…

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ABBA release Voyage – their first body of work in nearly 40 years

ABBA have released a new studio album after a nearly-40-year hiatus. The eagerly-anticipated comeback album, Voyage, was released on Friday. The Swedish band, whose members are now all in their…

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Sweden moves closer to getting first woman prime minister

Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson moved a step closer to becoming Sweden's first woman prime minister when the ruling Social Democrat party elected her as its leader in place of Stefan…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Saeland, Denmark

An aerial view taken with a drone shows autumn leaf-colored trees near Koege in the middle part of Saeland, Denmark. Photo: EPA-EFE/MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN

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Russia says Denmark detains its research vessel

Danish authorities have detained a Russian research vessel and seized the ship's documents, Russia's embassy in Copenhagen said on Thursday. Russian RIA news agency reported that 61 people were on…

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Danske Bank suspends all debt collection in Denmark

COPENHAGEN, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Danske Bank said on Wednesday it would suspend all debt collection in Denmark until issues relating to an over-collection of debt case that has led…

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Norway hopes to join euro payment service

OSLO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Norway's central bank said on Wednesday it plans to launch formal discussions with the European Central Bank (ECB) on participation in the euro system's TARGET…

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Jewellery maker Pandora lifts outlook as U.S. sales continue to surprise

COPENHAGEN, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pandora, the world's largest jewellery maker by production capacity, on Monday lifted its sales and profit margin outlook for the year, citing a strong performance…

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Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to go ahead, the only in-person Nobel award this year

The Nobel Peace Prize laureates will be able collect their awards in Oslo in December, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, unlike in Stockholm where the other Nobel ceremonies have been…

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Tenants’ sales at IKEA’s shopping malls grow 16%

STOCKHOLM, Nov 1 (Reuters) - IKEA's shopping malls business, one of the world's biggest, said on Monday its tenants' sales were up 16% at constant exchange rates in the 12…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Zealand, Denmark

A picture taken with a drone of a late summer morning shrouded in fog near Tureby on Zealand, Denmark. Via EPA-EFE/Mads Claus Rasmussen

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Sweden acted too slowly as pandemic swept country, commission finds

Sweden's response to the spread of coronavirus was too slow and preparations to handle a pandemic were insufficient, a commission investigating the country's response to COVID-19 said on Friday. Sweden's…

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Photo Story: Joint Swedish-Finnish Naval Exercise SWENEX-21

The military exercise SWENEX at the Marine regiment in Berga, Sweden. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited to witness along with Finland and Sweden's defence ministers the joint Swedish and…

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Photo Story: Truck falls off ferry at Hvalpsund, Denmark

A container is hoisted up after a truck drove off the ferry Mary at Hvalpsund Harbor, Denmark. The driver of the truck that was going with the ferry across the…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Thorsbjerggaard pumpkin farm in Skaelskoer, Denmark

Several varieties of pumpkins shown in the Thorsbjerggaard pumpkin farm in Skaelskoer, Denmark. Thorsbjerggaard has been cultivating pumpkins for about 15 years. In total, the farm produces approximately 1 million…

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Green hydrogen to account for 20% of European power demand by 2050 -Statkraft

Hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources will account for 20% of Europe's power consumption in 2050, and for 10% globally, a report published by Norwegian power company Statkraft this week…

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Norway to boost financial support for most vulnerable amid power price spike

OSLO, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Norway's new centre-left government on Friday proposed a one-off payment of up to 3,070 crowns ($369) for people receiving housing support in southern Norway to…

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Output, delivery disruptions raising costs and prices – Swedish central bank survey shows

STOCKHOLM, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Sweden's economy is strong, but bottlenecks and supply problems are having a major impact on businesses, leading to increased costs and prices, the central bank…

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Swedish rapper Einar shot dead, stoking outrage over gang violence

Einar, one of Sweden's most popular rappers, was shot dead in Stockholm late on Thursday, heightening outrage over gang-related violence that has afflicted the Nordic country in recent years. Einar,…

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Swedish watchdog says to investigate crypto trading firms

STOCKHOLM, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Sweden's Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) said it would investigate how firms which trade crypto-currencies implement regulations aimed at preventing money laundering and the financing of…

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Sweden extends pause of Moderna COVID vaccine for younger age groups

STOCKHOLM, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Sweden has extended the pause of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 30 and younger due to rare heart-related side-effects, the public health agency said…

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Swedish FSA orders Danske Bank to speed up anti-money-laundering fixes

Sweden's financial watchdog said on Wednesday it had identified deficiencies in Danske Bank's anti money-laundering routines and told the bank to have them fixed by June next year. The Financial…

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Sweden’s Handelsbanken to exit Denmark and Finland

Sweden's Handelsbanken said it would exit Denmark and Finland, as it saw little chance to grow without making major investments in those markets. Handelsbanken, one of Sweden's oldest banks and…

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Deaths in Norway attack came from stab wounds, not bow and arrow, police say

OSLO (Reuters) - Five people killed in a small Norwegian town last week were all stabbed to death and not shot with a bow and arrows as initially suspected, police…

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Scandinavian airlines abolish mask requirement on regional flights

Oslo (dpa) – From Monday, four Scandiavian airlines will no longer require travellers flying between Denmark, Norway and Sweden to wear masks on board their aircraft. SAS, Norwegian, Wideroe and Flyr are all…

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Norwegian police cast doubt on Islamist motive

Norwegian police investigating Wednesday's deadly attack in the southeastern town of Kongsberg said that they were moving away from initial suspicions that Islamist motives were behind the bow-and-arrow shootings. Speaking at a press…

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Norway bow-and-arrow attack suspect transferred to health services

A man suspected of killing five people with a bow and arrow and other weapons in Norway was in the care of health professionals on Friday, police said. Investigators have named the…

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Wake up and smell the ‘sustainable’ coffee produced in Finnish lab

With climate change threatening traditional coffee farming, Finnish scientists say they have produced coffee from cell cultures with an aroma and taste resembling the real thing. The VTT Technical Research…

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Photo Story: Change of government in Norway

Norway's Solberg government meets King Harald (R) and Crown Prince Haakon (L) at the Palace in Oslo, Norway, 14 October 2021. A minority coalition of the leftwing Labour Party and…

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UPDATED: Suspect in Kongsberg killings had converted to Islam, police say

The man suspected of killing five people in a bow-and-arrow attack in Norway had converted to Islam and police had been worried over signs of his radicalisation, regional police chief…

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Denmark to ban violent offenders from night-life ‘no go’ zones

Police in Copenhagen have set up four "no go" zones aimed at barring violent offenders from popular night-life areas in a bid to reduce violence in a country known for…

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EU must be ready to send aid to Brexit Britain, says former PM of Finland

The European Union must stand ready to send aid to Britain when it is crippled by food and supplies shortages because of Brexit, the former prime minister of Finland has…

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Norway’s Labour, Centre agree to form minority government

OSLO, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Norway's leftwing Labour Party and the rural Centre Party said on Friday they have agreed to form a minority government, the culmination of almost four…

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Tanzanian writer Abdulrazak Gurnah wins 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature

Tanzanian novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature, the award-giving body said on Thursday. Gurnah, whose novels include "Paradise" and "Desertion", writes in English and lives in…

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UPDATED: Finland joins Sweden and Denmark in limiting Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Finland on Thursday paused the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for younger males due to reports of a rare cardiovascular side effect, joining Sweden and Denmark in limiting its use.…

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Sweden, Denmark pause Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for younger age groups

STOCKHOLM, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Sweden and Denmark said on Wednesday they are pausing the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for younger age groups after reports of possible rare side…

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List, MacMillan win 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

German Benjamin List and Scottish-born David MacMillan won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their development of asymmetric organocatalysis, a "new and ingenious tool for molecule building". "Organic catalysts…

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UPDATED: Julius and Patapoutian win 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine

American scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Medicine for discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch that could pave the way for new pain-killers,…

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Lars Vilks, Muhammad cartoonist killed in traffic collision

A Swedish cartoonist who sketched the Prophet Muhammad's head on a dog's body has died in a traffic accident, according to Swedish media reports. Lars Vilks was reportedly travelling in…

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Nobel Medicine Prize for COVID-19 vaccine? It may be too soon

Scientists behind COVID-19 vaccines could be in the running to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine even though the pandemic is far from over. Some scientists say it is just…

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Nobel Peace Prize: Is this Greta Thunberg’s year?

The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced just three weeks before world leaders gather for a climate summit that scientists say could determine the future of the planet, one reason…

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Finland begins vaccinating mink

Finland will begin vaccinating minks on fur farms against Covid after the authorities granted temporary approval for an experimental vaccine. The conditional usage permit “is valid until the end of…

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Tsikhanouskaya, Thunberg or reporters among favorites for Nobel Peace Prize

This year's Nobel Peace Prize could go to exiled Belarusian dissident Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, climate activist Greta Thunberg, or a media watchdog such as Reporters without Borders (RSF), Norwegian experts on…

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Norway’s Socialists pull out of talks to form majority government

Norway's centre-left election winners abandoned their attempt to form a majority government on Wednesday after the Socialist Left Party pulled out of the talks, a move likely to lead to…

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Sweden removes most COVID-19 restrictions

With most adults vaccinated, Sweden is removing almost all pandemic restrictions Wednesday despite rising case numbers. The country has been an outlier in aspects of its handling of the disease,…

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Blast rocks residential area in Sweden’s Gothenburg, four badly hurt

Four people were seriously hurt in an explosion and fire in a central residential area of the Swedish city of Gothenburg early on Tuesday. The immediate cause of the blast and blaze…

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Iceland will have a male-majority parliament after all, election recount shows

Iceland looked to have elected a woman-majority parliament but a recount of votes on Sunday showed there will still be more men than women in the chamber, state broadcaster RUV…

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UPDATE – Women candidates win majority of seats in Icelandic election

COPENHAGEN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Iceland has voted more women than men into its parliament, a first in Europe, in a national election that saw the ruling left-right coalition strengthen…

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Iceland holds general election

Icelanders vote on Saturday in an election that could have a messy outcome with a record nine parties likely to enter parliament, making it difficult to find common ground on…

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Norway ends coronavirus-related restrictions

Norway will reopen society on Saturday, the government said, ending its coronavirus-curbing restrictions, which have limited social interaction and hobbled many businesses. The Nordic nation joins a small but growing…

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Sweden to deepen military ties with Norway, Denmark, Swedish TV reports

STOCKHOLM, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Sweden will sign a defence cooperation agreement with Norway and Denmark this week to counter a deteriorating security situation in the Baltic region, Sweden's TV4…

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Soft, warm and vegan-friendly, Volvo cars go leather-free

Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars said on Thursday that its vehicle range will go leather-free or 'vegan-friendly' by 2030, offering instead bio-based and recycled materials to a customer base that increasingly…

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Nobel prize banquet postponed again in 2021 due to pandemic

There will be no banquet in Stockholm this year and laureates will receive their Nobel Prize medals and diplomas in their home countries, the Nobel Foundation said on Thursday. The…

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Norway’s election winners to meet in bid to form majority government

Norway's centre-left election winners meet on Thursday for three-way talks to determine whether they can form a majority coalition government, with oil, taxes and EU relations among the sticking points.…

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Betsson chairman Svensk resigns after CEO dismissal

Swedish online gaming company Betsson said on Thursday that its chairman, Patrick Svensk, had resigned effective immediately in the wake of the dismissal of the company's Chief Executive earlier this…

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