Sweden

12 October 2023; AA: Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom called the burning of the Muslim holy book Quran a "despicable act" and said such actions aimed at sowing division should not be allowed to succeed.

The burning of holy books, including the Quran, is a despicable act, Billstrom told Anadolu in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for giving us the first split-second glimpse into the superfast world of spinning electrons, a field that could one day lead to better electronics or disease diagnoses.

The award went to French-Swedish physicist Anne L’Huillier, French scientist Pierre Agostini and Hungarian-born Ferenc Krausz for their work with the tiny part of each atom that races around the center and that is fundamental to virtually everything: chemistry, physics, our bodies and our gadgets.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

The award was given to Katalin Karikó, a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Drew Weissman, who performed his prizewinning research together with Karikó at the University of Pennsylvania.

STOCKHOLM, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Sweden's prime minister summoned the head of the armed forces and the police commissioner in a bid to stem gang violence, he said on Thursday, following a wave of violence that has taken at least 11 lives in September alone.

Two people were killed in separate shootings in Stockholm on Wednesday, and a woman in her 20s, thought to be an innocent bystander, was killed when a bomb tore up a house in Uppsala in the early hours of Thursday.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Three people were killed overnight in separate incidents in Sweden as a feud between criminal gangs escalated, making September the deadliest month on record for gun violence in the country.

Two gangs are reportedly fighting over drugs and weapons, and this month has seen a sharp increase in fatal shootings in the northern European country, which has a relatively low crime rate and is considered a very safe place to live.

26 September 2023; MEMO: A fire caused heavy damage to a mosque in south-eastern Sweden, according to local media, Anadolu Agency reports.

The fire in the Arby section of the city of Eskilstuna was caused by arson, Anas Deneche, the mosque’s Communication Director, told public broadcaster, SR.

Police records show the mosque has faced threats and was subjected to physical attacks, he said, adding that they are sure that this was an arson attack.

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Sweden's central bank on Thursday decided to increase the policy interest rate by 25 basis points to 4 percent, which will take effect from Sept. 27.

The Riksbank also indicated the likelihood of further hikes in the next 12 months to combat inflation.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Swedish government said Monday it wants to increase its defense budget by 28%, putting it on track to reach the military spending target 2% of gross domestic product set by the NATO alliance, which the Scandinavian country is preparing to join.

“We are in the most serious security policy situation since the end of World War II, which requires Sweden to have a defense that is ready to protect Swedish territory,” defense minister Pål Jonson said.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish court on Monday sentenced a 57-year-old Norwegian man for fraud and falsifying records for putting his dead partner in a freezer and cashing in her pension. He was given a 3.5-year prison term.

The Warmland District Court said the man, who was not named, was convicted of gross breach of civil liberties, gross fraud and falsification of documents, among other things.

The former CEO and the chairman of a Swedish oil firm go on trial in Sweden today, accused of complicity in war crimes in Sudan between 1999 and 2003, Reuters has reported.

Prosecutors say then-Lundin Oil – which since then changed name several times and in 2022 sold most of its business – asked Khartoum to secure a potential oilfield in what is now South Sudan, knowing this would mean seizing the area by force.