Sweden

Majority in Swedish parliament backs ‘NATO option’ after Sweden Democrats shift

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A Swedish parliamentary majority in favour of readiness to join NATO as a possible security policy option has emerged for the first time after the far-right Sweden…

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Activist editor – Greta Thunberg

A copy of the 06 December 2020 issue of Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter sits on a table in Stockholm, Sweden, 06 December 2020. The 06 December 2020 issue had…

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Photo Story: 8,400 years old dog remains found in Sweden

A Stone Age dog in Blekinge Museum's in Karlskrona in south of Sweden. The approximately 8,400-year-old dog, that was found in September at the archaeological excavations in Ljungaviken outside Solvesborg,…

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Sweden sidelines epidemiologist who steered country’s no lockdown experiment as deaths rise

The high-profile epidemiologist who led Sweden's no lock-down strategy in the spring appears to be being sidelined by the government after his prediction that greater immunity would mean a lighter…

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Surge in coronavirus infections can affect financial stability, Swedish FSA says

The second wave of COVID-19 that has hit Europe will dampen economic recovery and could affect financial stability in the longer term, Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority said. It said the…

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Sweden to allow more distance learning at high schools as COVID cases rise

Sweden’s high schools will be able to conduct more distance learning from next week to help control the pandemic, the government said , though it encouraged them to remain open…

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Surge in Covid cases in Sweden dashes immunity hopes

Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reports that authorities in Sweden are currently investigating 150 cases of a recurrence of coronavirus, although, the paper reports, “there are many indications that even those…

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Second wave, same strategy: Swedish COVID-19 czar defiant despite surge

Sweden remains steadfast in its strategy of voluntary measures and no lockdowns, the architect of its unorthodox COVID-19 response said on Friday, as the country battles a growing second wave…

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Stockholm rushes to stem nursing home COVID surge with visit ban, quick tests

Stockholm is scrambling to curb COVID-19 infections at its nursing homes, reimposing a ban on visits and piloting rapid-result coronavirus testing of staff. Sweden’s nursing homes, particularly in the capital,…

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Sweden reports highest amount of Covid-19 cases since start of pandemic

Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, registered 4,697 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number since the start of the pandemic, Health Agency statistics showed. The increase…

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Swedish PM in isolation

Sweden' prime minister, Stefan Lofven, said on Thursday he was self-isolating after he found out that a person close to him had met someone who was later confirmed to have…

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Stockholm pauses home COVID-19 testing as system overwhelmed

Stockholm has paused home COVID-19 testing for four days after surging demand left 16,000 people waiting for tests for active infections in Sweden’s biggest city, overwhelming the system, regional authorities…

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Swedes abandon cash with pandemic spurring digital shift, survey shows

Swedes have almost abandoned cash as a means of payment with only 9 percent having used notes or coins for their most recent purchase and instead relying on cards and…

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Amazon launches shopping website in Sweden

Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday opened up its Swedish website, offering customers more than 150 million products across 30 categories, marking its first entry in the Nordics. Swedish customers could already…

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Ericsson wins BT’s 5G radio contract for London, other major UK cities

Ericsson said on Wednesday it had been selected by Britain's BT to provide 5G radio equipment in London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and other major UK cities, building on the contract…

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Sweden reports record daily rise in new COVID-19 cases

Sweden, whose light-touch pandemic strategy has gained global attention, registered 1,870 new coronavirus cases on October 23, the highest since the start of the pandemic, Health Agency statistics showed. The…

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Swedish companies see recovery, but worry of second wave – Riksbank survey

Sweden's economy has picked up faster than expected from the hit from the pandemic, but many companies believe it will be a long time before things are back to normal,…

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Swedish government to run smaller deficit amid lower pandemic spending

Sweden's government will run a budget deficit of 256 billion crowns ($29.34 billion) this year, the Debt Office said on Wednesday, smaller than previously expected as the costs of measures…

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Sweden bans Huawei and ZTE from its 5G Network

Swedish regulators on Tuesday banned the use of telecom equipment from China's Huawei and ZTE in its 5G network ahead of the spectrum auction scheduled for next month. The Swedish…

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Lower peak seen for Swedish unemployment after coronavirus

Fewer Swedes will lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic than previously feared as the economy makes a relatively quick recovery, Sweden's Public Employment Service (SPES) said…

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Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sweden rise above 100,000

Sweden registered 2,203 new coronavirus cases in the last four days, Health Agency statistics showed, taking the total to 100,654 since the start of the pandemic. Sweden has shunned lockdowns,…

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Photo Story: Fridays For Future protest at the Swedish Parliament

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (C) fronts a Fridays For Future protest at the Swedish Parliament (Riksdagen) in Stockholm, Sweden, 09 October 2020. Similar protests were held in various cities…

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American poet Louise Gluck wins 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature

American poet Louise Gluck won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature for "her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal", the Swedish Academy said on Thursday.…

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Photo Story: French and American win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020

US biochemist Jennifer A. Doudna (L) and French professor and researcher in microbiology, genetics and biochemistry Emmanuelle Charpentier (R) pose for pictures at the Casino of the Goethe University in…

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Scientists who helped identify Hepatitis C virus win 2020 Nobel Medicine Prize

Two American and one British-born scientist won the 2020 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for work in identifying the Hepatitis C virus, which causes cirrhosis and liver cancer, the…

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Sweden lifts pandemic ban on nursing home visits

Sweden ended a six-month ban on visits to nursing homes on Thursday, delighting residents and their relatives but also prompting fears of a return to the grim months of spring…

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H&M to close hundreds of stores as online shift accelerates

H&M plans to close hundreds of stores next year as the coronavirus crisis drives more shoppers online, the world's second biggest fashion retailer said on Thursday, after reporting a smaller…

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Swedish government faces battle to stay in power as labour talks fails

Sweden's minority government faces a potential rebellion by three small parties that keep it in power over plans to ease rules in Sweden's rigid labour market. Talks between trade unions…

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New ‘Estonia’ ferry disaster documentary claims to have found hole in ship’s hull

An undated handout grab photo from a new documentary series about the M/S Estonia disaster in 1994 made available by DPlay on 28 September 2020 shows a hole in the…

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Nobel Prizes to go ahead amid pandemic

The winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes will miss out on a swanky gala in Stockholm surrounded by royalty and Sweden’s glitterati, but 2020 will at least not be added…

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World’s youth rallies against climate change

United under Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, young people rallied across the world on Friday to demand urgent action to halt catastrophic climate change, in their first global action during the…

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Worrying resurgence of coronavirus infections in Sweden

Some areas of Sweden are seeing a worrying resurgence of coronavirus infections because many people seem to have set aside months of caution in favour of full-on social life once…

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Russian warships enter Swedish territorial waters

Sweden has protested to Russia after two warships entered its territorial waters without permission, a defence department spokesman said on Wednesday, as Sweden agreed with two neighbouring countries to deepen…

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‘FinCEN’ leaks show suspect transactions at Swedish bank SEB

About 8.2 billion Swedish crowns ($919 million) in suspicious funds may have flowed through Swedish bank SEB between 2007 and 2016, Swedish Television (SVT) reported on Wednesday. It cited documents…

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Sweden says Stockholm measures possible as COVID cases rise

Sweden, which so far has decided against lockdowns as a means to contain COVID-19, is seeing early signs that the number of coronavirus cases are rising again and could impose…

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Swedish government boosts pandemic-hit economy by $12 bln in 2021 budget

Sweden's government will pump 105 billion crowns ($12 billion) into the economy in 2021 in tax cuts and spending measures in a record give-away aimed at getting the economy back…

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Sweden’s Handelsbanken cuts staff, number of branches

Handelsbanken said on Wednesday it would reduce its number of branches to around 200 from 380 by the end of 2021 and reduce its workforce, affecting around 1,000 employees in…

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Sweden records its fewest daily Covid-19 cases since March

While many European countries are seeing their infection rates surge to levels not seen since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sweden – whose light-touch approach has made it an…

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Swedish 2021 budget to include $1.1 bln in climate measures

Sweden's Social Democrat and Green minority government said on Monday its 2021 budget would contain 9.7 billion Swedish crowns ($1.11 billion) in new spending aimed at fighting climate change. The…

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Positive Covid tests in no-lockdown Sweden hit lowest rate since pandemic began

Sweden carried out a record number of new coronavirus tests last week with only 1.2% coming back positive, the health agency said on Tuesday, the lowest rate since the pandemic…

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Greta Thunberg says Venice documentary shows her real self

A documentary following Greta Thunberg and her journey from Swedish schoolgirl to global climate activist accurately portrays her as a “shy nerd”, the teenager said as the film premiered at…

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Swedes confidence in PM’s handling of coronavirus crisis declining, poll shows

Confidence in the way Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and his government have handled the coronavirus pandemic has dropped sharply over the last three months, a poll in daily Dagens…

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Riots in Swedish town of Malmo after anti-Islam actions

A riot broke out on Friday night in the southern Swedish town of Malmo, where at least 300 people had gathered to protest against anti-Islam activities, police said. Protesters were…

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Swedish economic sentiment higher for fourth month in row in August

Economic sentiment in Sweden rose for the fourth month in a row, but remains well below normal levels after the novel coronavirus outbreak, a survey from a leading think-tank showed…

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Photo Story: Swedish Armed Forces beefs up presence on Gotland

An armoured vehicle and an aircraft of the Swedish Armed Forces within a 'high readiness action' that was initiated by the Swedish Armed Forces in the Baltic Sea region, in…

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Sweden to ease some COVID-19 curbs on sports, gatherings from October

Sweden plans to ease pandemic rules to allow more spectators at cultural and sporting events, if they can be organised to prevent the risk of spreading the new coronavirus, the…

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Youth unemployment soars in Sweden

Youth unemployment in Sweden hit its highest level this century in July due to the widespread economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and measures to halt its spread, figures…

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Sweden records most deaths in 150 years in first 6 months of 2020

Sweden saw its highest death tally for 150 years in the first six months of 2020, the country's statistics office has announced. Coronavirus had claimed around 4,500 lives in Sweden by…

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New criticism on Sweden’s approach towards Covid-19

Emails showing Sweden's chief epidemiologist asking whether a higher death rate among older people might be acceptable if it led to faster herd immunity, triggered renewed criticism towards the country's…

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Swedish economy to shrink less than feared in 2020

Sweden's economy will shrink less than previously expected this year due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and measures to control its spread, a leading think tank said on…

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Swedish inflation stronger than expected in July

Swedish inflation rose more than expected in July, figures from the Statistics Office published on Wednesday showed, though price pressures remain muted by measures to cub the spread of the…

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Photo Story: New Anonymouse shop on streets of Lund, Sweden

A view on mouse-themed miniature Ricotta record shop created by the Swedish artist collective Anonymouse at Nygatan street in Lund, Sweden. The record shop is the latest work by the…

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Record drop in Swedish GDP

Sweden's gross domestic product fell a record 8.6% in the second quarter from the previous quarter and 8.2% from a year earlier, according to a flash estimate from the statistics…

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Photo Story: Knights on patrol in Visby, Sweden

Thomas Lindgren on horse Soprano (L) and Anders Mansson on horse Sara, both from the knight society Tornamenteum, carry flags reading 'Keep distance' and 'Wash your hands often'as he patrols…

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Sweden lifts travel curbs to Norway and Denmark

Sweden will scrap recommendations against travel to four European countries from Thursday, including neighbours Norway and Denmark, amid signs that coronavirus infections are falling. Sweden decided to forego a hard…

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Female priests now outnumber male ones in Church of Sweden

The Church of Sweden has more female than male priests for the first time, according to numbers released this month, a sign of huge strides for gender equality since women…

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Sweden’s strategy to tackle coronavirus triggers new controversy on immunity levels

Sweden's maverick response to the coronavirus has thrown up a new controversy: immunity levels. This week, officials at the Swedish Public Health Agency, which devised the country’s no-lockdown strategy, claimed…

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